Background
Regardless of the communication channel used, intimate conversations foster interpersonal emotion regulation (IER). Although private chatting with friends is important for adolescents, research concerning online IER remains limited.
Methods
Cross-lagged panel models were used to study the directionality of offline and online co-rumination, co-dampening, and co-enhancing in 449 adolescents across a one-year period (53% boys; Mage = 15.25 at T1). Additionally, depressive symptoms, friendship quality and the frequency of online interactions were taken into account.
Results
A unidirectional association from offline to online co-rumination was established, with adolescents’ tendency to co-ruminate in-person transferring to later private chat conversations. Bidirectional associations were found for co-dampening and co-enhancing. Adolescents who were inclined to use online co-dampening respectively co-enhancing during online conversations also showed an increased tendency for offline co-dampening respectively co-enhancing and vice versa. Regarding the interrelation with depression, more severely depressed adolescents used more offline co-rumination one year later. Advantageously, offline co-enhancing created a buffer against these symptoms. Lastly, both a “dose–response” and a “response–dose” relationship were discovered for co-rumination. Accordingly, the more online private interactions adolescents had, the more they used this communication style during chat conversations with their momentary best friend one year later. Relatedly, the more offline co-rumination adolescents used, the less they turned to the online modality to interact with others. No prospective relationships were identified for friendship quality.
Conclusion
The study sheds light on which IER-modality should be primarily addressed during mental health support.