Validación del Microarreglo

children and adolescents to socialize with peers, learn about the world, and experiment with self- identity (Good & Fang, 2015). The use of technology and Internet activities have been

associated with benefits such as social connection with others, a source of information, and a means of expressing creativity (Reid & Weigle, 2014). However, Internet activities are also associated with risks, and some adolescents, particularly those with exceptionalities, may be at a heightened risk for experiencing negative consequences online such as exposure to inappropriate content, harassment, cyberbullying, or internet overuse (Good & Fang, 2015; Kuo et al., 2014; Wells & Mitchell, 2014). Therefore, it is important to determine if the technology use patterns of students with exceptionalities and those in different education programs place students at a greater risk for experiencing adverse outcomes such as victimization online (Wells & Mitchell, 2014). The results of the present study found that students in the Alternative Education were victims and observers of cyberbullying.

The current study contributed to the lack of research in the area of technology use patterns among students in different education settings. The results of the current study found that secondary students enrolled in an Alternative Education Program had access to a variety of technology devices such as gaming consoles, computers, cellphones, and tablets, with the majority of the participants using some form of technology on a daily basis. As previous research is limited in the area of the technology use patterns and online experiences of students in different educational programs, and because typically developing students were not

interviewed, the findings can be compared to previous research involving typically developing students. The Pew Research Center (2015) examined the technology use patterns among adolescents who ranged in age from 13 to 17 years old in a nationally representative study. The Pew Research Center (2015) found that 87% of youth had access to a computer, and 58% had

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access to a tablet. All the seven participants in the current study had access to a computer, at home, school, a friend’s house, or public library, and four of the participants had access to a tablet at one point, and these findings are similar to the findings from the Pew Research Center (2015). All of the seven participants had access to a cellphone, and the Pew Research Center (2015) found that 88% of youth had access to a cellphone. The seven participants had similar access to technology as the Pew Research Center (2015) found among typically developing youth.

Wells and Mitchell (2014) found that 68% of youth receiving special education services and 75% of typically developing youth used the Internet for more than four days per week, with the most frequent location of Internet use being at home followed by Internet use at school, for both groups of youth (Wells & Mitchell, 2014). In the current study, the majority of the seven participants had accessed the Internet at home and at school, and some reported daily use of the Internet. Wells and Mitchell (2014) found that youth who received special education services used the Internet for fewer days per week than youth not receiving special education services. Both Chase and Lucas were two participants who reported using a computer or tablet in their bedroom and both participants had reported the most frequent use of technology, with both citing using technology for multiple hours per day, and comparable to the technology use patterns of typically developing students. The results of the current study found that the majority of the participants were victims of cyberbullying, indicating that there is some degree of risk associated with the students’ internet use patterns.

The Internet allows for adolescents to experience a wide variety of opportunities to connect, create, and express themselves (Good & Fin, 2015; O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Technology can be used as a means for adolescents to express their personal creativity and share their creations with others (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Adolescents can post writing, music, or other forms of expression online, and receive feedback, which can facilitate interaction with others who have similar interest or talents (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Three participants, Lucas, Chase, and Jake, had their own YouTube channels and created videos and posted the videos to YouTube as a means of expressing themselves and sharing their creativity with others. Additionally, Jake and Emma both used their cellphones to take pictures and upload the pictures to social media websites. Lucas, Chase, Jake, and Emma all used technology

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creativity and sharing their creations with others. Sharing personal creations with others is associated with a desire for social connection and interaction with others (Good & Fin, 2015; O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

Social media use among adolescents has become a main form of communication and connection with others, and plays a central role in the lives of youth (Reid & Weigle, 2014). All of the participants in the current study, except one, had social media accounts, with most

accessing their social media accounts on a daily basis, and some accessing their accounts multiple times per day. Five out of the seven participants had a Facebook account, and one participant primarily used Google+. Similar to the findings of the Pew Research Center (2015) which identified Facebook as the most popular and frequently used social media website by youth, the findings of the current study also indicated that Facebook was the most commonly used social media website among the youth participants.