Abstract
Recently, the development and spread in Social Networking Services (SNS) has led to an increase in risk taking behaviors among especially young people. Risk perception is thought to affects the decision of whether to avoid “SNS use related risk taking behaviors”. We conducted a survey on the experiences of victim and perpetrator in “SNS use related risk taking behaviors”, and risk perception regarding SNS use among high school students. The subjects were 500 high school students (250 boys and 250 girls) who were registered as monitors by a web research company. Number of valid responses was 480.
90.2 % of students experienced SNS use, 44.4 % experienced the damages of risk taking behaviors, and 24.8 % were perpetrators. Students who had been the perpetrators of risk taking behaviors were lower in risk perception than others. There was no correlation between damage experiences and risk perceptions regarding risk taking behaviors. Significant positive correlations were indicated between risk perception and the knowledge score on safe SNS use, learning experience, the perceived possibility to avoid risks. It would be important to increase risk perception regarding risk taking behaviors, as well as acquiring knowledge, in order to enhance the possibility to avoid risks in SNS use.
