Adolescent problematic internet use and parental mediation: A Bangladeshi structured interview study.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• Problematic internet use (PIU) is understudied in Bangladeshi adolescents.
• No prior research in Bangladesh explored parental mediation's role in adolescent internet use.
• This study addresses the research gap concerning PIU and parental mediation among Bangladeshi adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate problematic internet use (PIU) in Bangladeshi adolescents.
• To identify socio-demographic and internet behavior correlates of PIU.
• To examine the role of parental mediation in adolescent PIU.

Main Methods:

• Structured interviews were conducted with 350 high school students in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was used to classify PIU levels.
• Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to determine significant PIU correlates.

Main Results:

• 24.0% of adolescents met the criteria for PIU, with 2.6% showing severe internet dependency.
• Lower academic results, lower parental education, mother working outside, and higher internet usage frequency/duration were significant PIU correlates.
• While various parental mediation dimensions were initially related to PIU, only active mediation remained significant in the final regression model.

Conclusions:

• Problematic internet use is prevalent among Bangladeshi adolescents.
• Socio-demographic factors and internet usage patterns are associated with PIU.
• Parental mediation, particularly active mediation, plays a role in mitigating PIU, informing policy and future research.