New Research Explores How Internet Use Shapes Adolescent Development
Media Release
TORONTO, ON — As governments around the world consider new age restrictions for social media, research from Linxiao Zhang, a PhD Candidate at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW), is helping to broaden the conversation about how Internet use affects young people.
Zhang’s work examines the multifaceted ways adolescents use the Internet and how those experiences can influence their development across multiple domains, for better or worse.
In a correspondence article published in Nature, Zhang argued that conversations about youth and technology need to go beyond simply measuring screen time.
“How adolescents use the Internet also matters,” he says. “It is important to look at the devices young people use, the platforms and apps they access, and the activities they engage in online.”
Building on this work, and with encouragement and support from Professor Peter A. Newman, Zhang later expanded on these ideas in a scoping review protocol published in PLOS ONE, which can help identify gaps in research and opportunities for future studies.
“We need to move beyond addiction-centred discourse and examine both the positive and negative influences on diverse developmental outcomes,” says Zhang. “How might we empower adolescents to enjoy the benefits of Internet use while avoiding its risks?”
As part of his doctoral research, Zhang developed a new conceptual model to better understand the nuanced relationship between Internet use and adolescent development. The model describes how different approaches to Internet use may support or hinder young people’s multidimensional development, depending on their individual circumstances and social environments. This work was recently published in the American Journal of Community Psychology with co-authors Professor Lin Fang, Professor Faye Mishna, and PhD student Liangqi Shen.
“The article offers a framework that can inform both future research and social services seeking to better understand adolescents’ experiences in digital environments,” says Professor Fang, Zhang’s supervisor.
Zhang’s dissertation focuses on adolescents living in rural China, a population underrepresented in existing research. As Internet access continues to expand in rural communities, young people are gaining access to new opportunities online while also facing potential risks, he says. Zhang is examining the ways that Internet use can support adolescent development, while also considering how it might intensify existing challenges. Specifically, his study investigates how different aspects of Internet use relate to adolescents’ communication with parents, academic performance, and mental health.
“This research addresses an important and timely topic and provides valuable insights into how digital environments shape adolescent development in under-resourced settings,” says Professor Fang. “The findings have implications not only for rural China but also for global discussions on digital divide and adolescent well-being.”
About Linxiao Zhang
Linxiao Zhang is a PhD Candidate at FIFSW. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Nankai University in China and master’s degrees in public policy from Tsinghua University in China and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Drawing on his service experiences with minors and older adults, Zhang is interested in integrating multilevel perspectives into research on children, adolescents, gender, and family. His works have been published in leading journals including Applied Research in Quality of Life, Child Abuse & Neglect, Child Indicators Research, Children & Society, Research on Social Work Practice, and Women’s Studies International Forum. He also serves as the inaugural PhD Program Ambassador and received many prestigious awards, including Ontario Graduate Scholarship (international student stream), Dean’s Merit Award, China Scholarship Council Award for Outstanding Overseas Study Elite, and “Canada-China Youth Fund” Scholarship.
Contact
linxiao.zhang@mail.utoronto.ca.
Relevant Publications
Zhang, L. (2024). Internet use and adolescent development in rural China: A scoping review protocol of research landscape and gaps. PLOS ONE, 19(9), e0308229. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308229.
Zhang, L. (2024). Internet use and teen mental health: It’s about more than just screen time. Nature, 629(8013), 757. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01489-4
Zhang, L., Fang, L., Mishna, F., & Shen, L. (2026). Internet use and adolescent development: A conceptual model integrating behavioral and contextual theories. American Journal of Community Psychology, Online First, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.70103