Rules, role models or overall climate at home? Relative associations of different family aspects with adolescents' problematic social media use
Geurts SM, Koning IM, Vossen HGM, van den Eijnden RJJM
Comprehensive psychiatry · 36 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- Universiteit Utrecht
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2022-04-28 · Compr Psychiatry · vol. 116 · p. 152318
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 69 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 21.0× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 126 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY-NC-ND
- Research areas
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Child Development and Digital Technology · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- social media addiction, adolescents, family factors, parenting practices, positive parenting, parental screen time, phubbing, family functioning, family intactness, socioeconomic status, prevention
- MeSH
- humans, adolescent behavior, parent-child relations, parenting, parents, adolescent, social media, surveys and questionnaires
4 authors
From NL
- Suzanne M. Geurts · correspondingUtrecht University
- Ina M. KoningUtrecht University
- Helen G. M. VossenUtrecht University
- Regina J. J. M. van den EijndenUtrecht University
Abstract
Aim
This study aimed to enhance knowledge on which aspects of the family context are most relevant in identifying at-risk/problematic social media users among adolescents. Therefore, we examined the relative contribution to adolescents' at-risk/problematic social media use (SMU) of general and Internet-specific family factors related to three different family (sub)systems: parent-child (Internet-specific rule-setting, reactive restrictions towards Internet use, co-use, adolescents' involvement in rule-setting and positive parenting), parent (parental screen time, phubbing, stress, anxiety and depression) and family (family functioning, family intactness and SES) (sub)system.
Methods
Questionnaire data came from 403 adolescents (M = 13.51, SD = 2.15) and 396 parents (M = 46.59, SD = 5.29) who participated in wave 1 of the Dutch 'Digital Family project'.
Results
Logistic regression analyses showed that only factors related to the parent-child subsystem remained significant in predicting being an at-risk/problematic social media user when examining predictors related to the parent-child, parent and family (sub)system simultaneously. Specifically, general and Internet-specific parenting practices contributed to the prediction above and beyond each other. Positive parenting and Internet-specific rule-setting seem protective, while parental reactive restrictions towards Internet use could be a risk factor. Positive parenting showed the largest effect size.
Conclusion
The results suggest that parental behaviors directed towards the child should be a focus of attention in prevention of adolescents' problematic SMU. In addition, our findings highlight the importance of untangling restrictive mediation (impulsive, in the moment, attempts to limit SMU versus communicating clear rules in advance) when examining its effects.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC-ND).
Community trust
Loading…
How much do you trust this study's findings?
Comments
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inSomething wrong here?
Flag this study if its information, labels or funding look wrong. An editor reviews every flag.
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inEducational information about published research. Not medical advice, and not a recommendation to start or stop anything.