The Association Between Interparental Conflict and Problematic Internet Use: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis

Problematic internet use has recently become a major global public health concern. The intensity of the relations between interparental conflict and problematic internet use differs considerably among studies, despite the fact that abundant research has observed this relationship. Therefore, this study employs three-level meta-analysis to examine the relationship between interparental conflict and problematic internet use, along with potential moderating factors.

Based on the PRISMA method, we searched seven databases to identify studies that had been published before June 2025 that explore the association between interparental conflict and problematic internet use. The present study identified 33 studies, with 34,875 participants and 281 effect sizes.

The analysis reveals a positive correlation between interparental conflict and problematic internet use (r = 0.239). Additionally, the present study finds a significant moderating effect of gender: men are more likely to develop problematic internet use in response to perceived parental conflict. Age is also an important moderator; the association between interparental conflict and problematic internet use is stronger among adolescents (12-18 years) compared to adults (over 18 years). Finally, the publication year is a significant moderator; recent studies showed a stronger relationship between the two variables.

The results support the conclusion that interparental conflict is a significant risk factor for problematic internet use, and interparental conflict particularly affects problematic internet use among adolescent males. This connection is likely to be influenced by the publication year.