The Longitudinal Effects of Parent-Adolescent Digital Communication on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

Digital communication between parents and adolescents is prevalent. This study explored the overall frequency of digital communication and frequency of exchanging specific content between parents and adolescents as predictors of adolescents' depression and anxiety symptoms.

Participants were 188 mother-adolescent and 137 father-adolescent dyads from the Netherlands. Parents (mothers/fathers: M_age = 46.17 of 48.55) and adolescents (M_age = 13.88) each completed 2 surveys 1 year apart.

Results from the study suggest that the nature of the digital communication content rather than its overall frequency plays a crucial role in adolescents' mental health outcomes. Sharing personal experiences with mothers was found to be protective against depression symptoms for both sons and daughters, while practical exchanges with mothers were protective for sons but not daughters. Conversely, frequent practical exchanges with fathers were associated with higher levels of anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, sharing humorous content was associated with higher levels of depression symptoms.

Findings suggest that the type of digital communication, rather than its overall frequency, plays a crucial role in adolescent mental health. Future studies are needed to better understand how these types of communication work in conjunction with in-person communication.