IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/meanco/v13y2025a8963.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Skills’ Role in Intended and Unintended Exposure to Harmful Online Content Among European Adolescents

Author

Listed:
  • Natalie Tercova

    (Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Czech Republic)

  • David Smahel

    (Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Czech Republic)

Abstract

Digital skills play a crucial role in shaping adolescents’ online experiences, serving both as a shield against harmful content and as a gateway to accessing it. Previous studies on online harmful content have predominantly focused on general exposure, overlooking the distinction between intended and unintended exposure (i.e., whether the adolescent deliberately sought out the content or was unexpectedly exposed to it). Moreover, existing studies did not consider the role of adolescents’ digital skills. This exploratory study aims to newly examine the role of the subtypes of digital skills in the intended and unintended exposure to harmful online content among adolescents from four European countries, as well as the influence of protective and risky factors according to the problem behavior theory. Using multinomial logistic regression, a sample of 3,934 adolescents aged 12 to 17 ( M = 14.4, SD = 1.3; 51% boys) from Estonia, Finland, Italy, and Poland was examined. The results show different associations with respect to the type of exposure. For instance, knowledge skills and technical/operational skills were found to be associated with unintentional exposure to harmful online content, but not with intentional exposure. Similarly, the protective role of the family was suggested in intentional exposure but not in unintentional exposure. These findings underscore the importance of raising awareness among educators and parents regarding the dual nature of digital skills. Rather than solely emphasizing their protective potential, we shall acknowledge and address the potential risks associated with certain facets of digital proficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalie Tercova & David Smahel, 2025. "Digital Skills’ Role in Intended and Unintended Exposure to Harmful Online Content Among European Adolescents," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 13.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:meanco:v13:y:2025:a:8963
    DOI: 10.17645/mac.8963
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8963
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/mac.8963?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alice Yuen Loke & Yim-wah Mak, 2013. "Family Process and Peer Influences on Substance Use by Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Helsper, Ellen & Schneider, Luc & van Deursen, Alexander J. A. M. & van Laar, Ester, 2020. "The youth skills digital indicator: report on the conceptualisation and development of the ySkills digital skills measure," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108878, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Sonia Livingstone & Leslie Haddon, 2008. "Risky experiences for children online: charting European research on children and the Internet," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 27076, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Mariya Stoilova & Sonia Livingstone & Rana Khazbak & UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, 2021. "Investigating Risks and Opportunities for Children in a Digital World: A rapid review of the evidence on children’s internet use and outcomes," Papers indipa1183, Innocenti Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Linas Šumskas & Apolinaras Zaborskis, 2017. "Family Social Environment and Parenting Predictors of Alcohol Use among Adolescents in Lithuania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Leen d'Haenens & Joyce Vissenberg & Marit Puusepp & Natalia Edisherashvili & Diego Martinez-Castro & Ellen Johanna Helsper & Łukasz Tomczyk & Tania Azadi & Sylwia Opozda-Suder & Erika Maksniemi & Guna, 2025. "Fostering Media Literacy: A Systematic Evidence Review of Intervention Effectiveness for Diverse Target Groups," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 13.
    3. Sophie Baudat & Caroline Henchoz, 2023. "Money in one click: Inequalities in digital financial practices and digital Skills among emerging adults in Switzerland," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 602-618, September.
    4. Joanna Mazur & Izabela Tabak & Anna Dzielska & Krzysztof Wąż & Anna Oblacińska, 2016. "The Relationship between Multiple Substance Use, Perceived Academic Achievements, and Selected Socio-Demographic Factors in a Polish Adolescent Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Esther Chiner & Marcos Gómez-Puerta & Consuelo Manosalba & Miguel Friz-Carrillo, 2024. "Teachers’ Perspectives on Internet Use: Towards the Digital Inclusion of Students with Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Emi Nakaseko & Sayaka Kotera & Minato Nakazawa, 2020. "Factors Associated with Smoking and Drinking among Early Adolescents in Vanuatu: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adolescents and Their Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Nuria Galende & Iratxe Redondo & Maria Dosil-Santamaria & Naiara Ozamiz-Etxebarria, 2022. "Factors Influencing Compliance with COVID-19 Health Measures: A Spanish Study to Improve Adherence Campaigns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-14, April.
    8. Jerf W. K. Yeung, 2021. "Family Processes, Parenting Practices, and Psychosocial Maturity of Chinese Youths: A Latent Variable Interaction and Mediation Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-15, April.
    9. Altuna, Jon & Martínez-de-Morentin, Juan-Ignacio & Lareki, Arkaitz, 2020. "The impact of becoming a parent about the perception of Internet risk behaviors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    10. Parton, Nigel, 2009. "Challenges to practice and knowledge in child welfare social work: From the 'social' to the 'informational'?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 715-721, July.
    11. Daniela Peluso, 2023. "The Digital Divide and Futurist Imaginings of Zelle‐ous Resistors," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(3), pages 41-50.
    12. Francis Dalisay & Scott K. Okamoto & Jane Teneza & Christina Dalton & Kayli Lizama & Pallav Pokhrel & Yoshito Kawabata, 2023. "Types of Offers of Combustible Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, and Betel Nut Experienced by Guam Youths," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(19), pages 1-12, September.
    13. Sonia Livingstone & Ellen Helsper, 2010. "Balancing opportunities and risks in teenagers' use of the internet: the role of online skills and internet self-efficacy," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 35373, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    14. Suzan M Doornwaard & Tom F M ter Bogt & Ellen Reitz & Regina J J M van den Eijnden, 2015. "Sex-Related Online Behaviors, Perceived Peer Norms and Adolescents’ Experience with Sexual Behavior: Testing an Integrative Model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-18, June.
    15. Mishna, Faye & Saini, Michael & Solomon, Steven, 2009. "Ongoing and online: Children and youth's perceptions of cyber bullying," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1222-1228, December.
    16. Agapito, Dora & Brito, Pedro Q., 2020. "A Dyadic Approach To Adolescents’ Risky Online Behaviors," Journal of Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, Cinturs - Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, University of Algarve, vol. 8(3), pages 244-267.
    17. Daniela Peluso, 2023. "The Digital Divide and Futurist Imaginings of Zelle‐ous Resistors," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(3), pages 41-50.
    18. Vilmantė Pakalniškienė & Roma Jusienė & Sandra B. Sebre & Jennifer Chun-Li Wu & Ilona Laurinaitytė, 2020. "Children’s Internet Use Profiles in Relation to Behavioral Problems in Lithuania, Latvia, and Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-18, November.
    19. Fabian Kosse & Tim Leffler & Arna Woemmel, 2024. "Digital Skills: Social Disparities and the Impact of Early Mentoring," CESifo Working Paper Series 11570, CESifo.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:meanco:v13:y:2025:a:8963. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.