Designed for Good: Community Well-Being Oriented Online Databases for Youth - Community-Built Databases: Research and Development - page 294

Lerner et al. [ 53 ] assert that there are ubiquitous individual differences in
adolescent development and they involve connections among biological, cognitive,
psychological and societal factors with none of these influences acting either alone
or as the prime mover of change.
Adolescence can be seen as a period of rapid physical transitions in such
characteristics as height, weight and body proportions. Hormonal changes are
part of this development. Nevertheless, hormones are not primarily responsible
for the psychological or social developments of this period [ 64 ]. In fact, the quality
and timing of hormonal or other biological changes influence and are influenced by
psychological, social, cultural and historical contexts [ 14 ]. Biological processes can
influence an individual's psychological and psychosocial state, but psychological
and psychosocial events may also influence the biological systems. Therefore, the
timing and outcome of pubertal processes can be modified by psychosocial factors.
The most important psychological and psychosocial changes in puberty and early
adolescence are the emergence of abstract thinking, the increasing ability to absorb
the perspectives or viewpoints of others, increased introspection, the development
of a personal and sexual identity, the establishment of a system of values, increasing
autonomy from family and more personal independence, greater importance of peer
relationships and the emergence of skills and coping strategies to overcome pro-
blems and crises [ 69 ]. The difference between the Net Generation and preceding
generations is that these processes are now taking place within the context of the
Internet.
One aspect that can be considered in the context of the impact the Internet has is
the development of self-identity which can be seen as one of the key developmental
milestones during the period of adolescence [ 30 ]. Erikson saw adolescence as a
period of moratorium - a time out period during which the adolescent experiments
with a variety of identities, without having to assume the responsibility for the
consequences of any particular one. The Internet allows adolescents to try on
different personas and determine which persona will gain the most approval and
acceptance [ 58 ]. Another important influence in successful identity development is
membership of social groups [ 57 ]. Group membership also enhances the need to
belong, an innate human motivation [ 9 ]. Self-reflection and identity formation can
be enhanced by emotional and intellectual openness which the Net Generation finds
in the virtual environment as they find it easier to expose their inner thoughts and
personal information online. Adolescents are increasingly embracing the virtual
world as a means of exploring their identity in creative and new ways, asserting
their sense of self in a highly personal form and customising their sites with unique
photos, text, tags and avatars [ 17 ].
Similarly, adolescent cognitive development within the context of the Internet
is also taking place. Johnson and MacEwan (2006) assert that the Internet is a
cultural tool that influences cognitive processes and an environmental stimulus
that contributes to the formation of specific cognitive architecture. Cognition is a
general term encompassing mental processes such as attention, perception, com-
prehension, memory and problem solving [ 75 ]. Considering the most common
Internet activities for adolescents such as playing games, navigating Websites and