Longitudinal effects of online experiences on empathy among African American adolescents

This study used short-term longitudinal data to examine the longitudinal contributions of adolescents' general and race-related online experiences on empathic social skills over a one-year period among 337 African American adolescents in 6th through 12th grade (Mage = 14.81, SDage = 2.07; 58.04% female). Results revealed that controlling for age and sex, and previous levels of empathy, frequent race-related Internet use was positively related to increases in empathic social skills a year later. These effects were qualified by a significant interaction which suggested that high amounts of online racial discrimination disrupted the positive, longitudinal impact of race-related Internet use on empathic social skills. Additionally, the longitudinal contributions of African American adolescents' online experiences on empathic social skills differed by adolescent sex and age. This study highlights the impact of positive and negative online experiences on adolescents' social skill development in offline contexts.