Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Mediate the Association Between Peer Attachment and Problematic Use of Smartphone

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Well-being

Background:

• Problematic smartphone use (PUS) is a growing concern among adolescents.
• Peer relationships and emotion regulation are potential influencing factors for PUS.
• Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether difficulties in emotion regulation mediate the association between peer attachment and PUS in adolescents.
• To examine if these pathways differ based on gender, age, and school type.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of 12,099 Chinese adolescents.
• Validated measures of PUS, peer attachment, and emotion regulation difficulties (DERS) were used.
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group SEM analyzed mediation and moderation effects.

Main Results:

• Peer attachment was negatively associated with emotion-regulation difficulties and PUS.
• Emotion-regulation difficulties positively predicted PUS.
• Partial mediation was confirmed, with moderation observed across gender, age, and school type.

Conclusions:

• Difficulties in emotion regulation partially explain the link between peer attachment and PUS.
• The strength of these pathways varies by demographic and school context.
• Emotion regulation presents a promising target for interventions addressing adolescent PUS.