Parent-child Technoference and Adolescent Problematic Social Media Use: a Moderated Serial Mediation Model

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Adolescent Development

Background:

• Parent-child technoference, disruptions from technology use, is common.
• The mechanisms linking technoference to adolescent problematic social media use (PSMU) are unclear.
• The Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model provides a framework for understanding these dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the serial mediation of loneliness and maladaptive cognitions in the relationship between parent-child technoference and adolescent PSMU.
• To examine the moderating role of adolescent self-compassion in this serial mediating process.
• To clarify the underlying mechanisms within the I-PACE model.

Main Methods:

• A moderated serial mediation model was tested using SPSS PROCESS.
• 901 Chinese teenagers completed self-report questionnaires on parent-child technoference, loneliness, maladaptive cognitions, self-compassion, and PSMU.
• Data analysis focused on identifying mediating and moderating effects.

Main Results:

• Frequent parent-child technoference was significantly associated with increased adolescent PSMU.
• Loneliness and maladaptive cognitions serially mediated the relationship between technoference and PSMU.
• Adolescent self-compassion unexpectedly moderated the pathway, strengthening the link between technoference and PSMU via loneliness and maladaptive cognitions.

Conclusions:

• Parent-child technoference contributes to adolescent PSMU through increased loneliness and maladaptive cognitions.
• Self-compassion's role in this process is complex and warrants further investigation.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate technology's negative impact on adolescent well-being.