The influence of perceived parental phubbing on adolescents' problematic smartphone use: A two-wave multiple mediation model

Cultural Dimensions Moderate the Association between Loneliness and Mental Health during Adolescence and Younger Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cultural factors, such as country or continent, influence the relationship between loneliness and mental health. However, less is known about how cultural dimensions moderate this relationship during adolescence and younger adulthood, even if these dimensions manifest as country or continent differences. This study aims to examine the potential influence of Hofstede's cultural dimensions on this relationship using a three-level meta-analysis approach. A total of 292 studies with 291,946 participants aged 10 to 24 were included in this study. The results indicate that cultural dimensions, such as individualism vs. collectivism, indulgence vs. restraint, power distance, and long-term vs. short-term orientation, moderated the associations between loneliness and social anxiety, stress, Internet overuse, and negative affect. The association between loneliness and mental health was not moderated by cultural dimensions, such as masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. These findings suggest that culture's influence on the association between loneliness and mental health is based on a domain-specific mechanism.

Association of Phubbing Behavior and Fear of Missing Out: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Phubbing, a pervasive social behavior linked to smartphone usage, involves users neglecting their conversation partners to engage with their phones. Despite consistent exploration of its association with the concept of fear of missing out (FOMO), findings in the existing literature exhibit notable inconsistency. To address this gap, this study employs a systematic review and meta-analysis to scrutinize the intricate relationship between phubbing behavior and FOMO. A comprehensive systematic review, spanning up to December 10, 2023, encompassed databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The resulting dataset comprised 27 eligible studies, incorporating insights from 20,415 participants across 15 countries. Rigorous evaluation of study quality was executed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale, while statistical analyses were meticulously conducted using R Studio. Revealing a robust positive association, phubbing behavior was significantly linked to FOMO (effect size[ES] = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.49, I2: 97.5%, τ2: 0.05). Correcting for detected publication bias using the Trim and Fill method, an additional 16 studies were included, fortifying the robustness of the findings. Moderation analysis uncovered significant influences of location (p < 0.01), income level (p < 0.01), sampling method (p < 0.01), phubbing scale (p < 0.01), and FOMO scale and type (p < 0.01) on the estimated relationship. Univariate meta-regression highlighted the substantial impact of sample size (R2 = 11.81%, p < 0.01), while multivariate meta-regression illuminated the combined effects of publication year, study quality score, sample size, mean age, and female proportion on the estimated relationship (k = 19, R2 = 52.85%, I2 = 93.78%, p < 0.05). Furthermore, post hoc influential analysis, conducted through the leave-one-out method, offered additional depth to the examination.

The Associations Between Parental Phubbing, Adolescent Phubbing, and Adolescents' Adjustments: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis

A growing body of research indicates that phubbing can negatively influence adolescent development, it is not clear how perceived parental phubbing, adolescent phubbing, and adolescents' adjustment problems concurrently relate to each other at the dimension level. This study conducted the contemporaneous network analyses and cross-lagged network analysis to examine the distinct relationships between the various dimensions of perceived father phubbing, perceived mother phubbing, adolescent phubbing and adolescent's adjustment problems. A total of 1447 Chinese students (60.5% females; Mean age = 16.15, SD = 0.65) completed a survey at two-time points. The results of the contemporaneous network analyses indicated that perceived father/mother ignorance have the strongest links with the dimensions of adolescent phubbing and adolescents' adjustment problems, suggesting that adolescents who reported high levels of perceived father/mother ignorance are more likely to concurrently face other issues and thus should be a primary focus of concern. The cross-lagged panel network analysis revealed that academic burnout is the primary catalyst in this dynamic network, which underscores a child-driven effect within the network. This emphasizes the importance of addressing adolescent academic burnout as a pivotal intervention point, both to alleviate phubbing in parent-adolescent interactions and to tackle adolescents' adjustment problems.

Parental phubbing and mobile phone addiction among Chinese adolescents: a moderated mediation model

It has been reported that parental phubbing is a significant predictor of mobile phone addiction (MPA) among adolescents. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain largely unclarified. On the basis of the social learning theories and ecological systems, this study assessed the mediating effect of deviant peer affiliation and the moderating effect of sensation seeking in the association between parental phubbing and MPA among Chinese adolescents. A total of 786 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.17 years, SD = 1.35) completed the questionnaires anonymously about parental phubbing, MPA, deviant peer affiliation and sensation seeking. After controlling for study variables, deviant peer affiliation could partially mediate the association between parental phubbing and MPA among adolescents and this indirect path could be moderated by sensation seeking. Notably, the effect of deviant peer affiliation on MPA was more pronounced in adolescents with higher sensation seeking than in those with lower sensation seeking.

Mom, dad, put down your phone and talk to me: how parental phubbing influences problematic internet use among adolescents

BACKGROUND

The positive association of parental phubbing with internalising and externalising problems among adolescents has gained academic traction. To date, limited research has investigated the association of parental phubbing and adolescents' Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Furthermore, the mechanism underlying this association is largely unknown. These gaps limit our understanding of family-related issues affecting PIU among adolescents. The present study explores whether there is a relation between parental phubbing and PIU and investigates the mechanisms underlying this relation among adolescents.

METHODS

The participants were 495 junior high schoolers aged 11-15 years. Participants completed questionnaires on their experiences with PIU, parental phubbing, parent-child relationships, and basic psychological needs satisfaction.

RESULTS

The results showed a direct and indirect positive association between parental phubbing and PIU. Furthermore, parental phubbing indirectly influenced PIU and was mediated by the parent-child relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction, respectively. Moreover, the parent-child relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction were sequentially mediated.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the crucial role of parents in the development of adolescent PIU and provides theoretical and practical guidelines for PIU prevention and intervention.

The effects of self-esteem and parental phubbing on adolescent internet addiction and the moderating role of the classroom environment: a hierarchical linear model analysis

BACKGROUND

With the advent of the new media era, the understanding of adolescent internet addiction needs to be enriched. It is also necessary to distinguish the related factors of adolescent internet addiction at different levels to clarify the mechanisms of this phenomenon.

METHODS

This study used hierarchical linear model analysis to explore the effects of student-level factors and school-level factors on adolescent internet addiction, along with cross-level moderating effects. A total of 1,912 students between the 4th and 8th grades in China participated in the study. Participants completed the Self-Esteem Scale, Parents Phubbing Scale, Classroom Environment Scale, and the Diagnostic Questionnaire of Internet Addiction.

RESULTS

Correlational analyses revealed that internet addiction was found to be negatively correlated with both self-esteem and the teacher-student relationship (p < 0.01), while father phubbing, mother phubbing, and learning burden were shown to positively correlate with internet addiction (p < 0.01). Hierarchical linear model analysis suggested that student-level variables, including self-esteem, and mother phubbing, were significant predictors of internet addiction (β = -0.077, p < 0.001 and β = 0.028, p < 0.01, respectively). At the school level, learning burden significantly and negatively predicted internet addiction (β = 0.073, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the relationship between self-esteem and internet addiction was significantly moderated by learning burden (β = -0.007, p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the teacher-student relationship also had a significant moderating effect on the association between mother phubbing and internet addiction (β = -0.005, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the relationships between self-esteem, parental phubbing, and classroom environment with adolescent internet addiction, and these findings could provide insights into reducing adolescent internet addiction from the perspective of individuals, families, and schools.

Fun in a Box? Loneliness and Adolescents' Problematic Smartphone Use: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of the Underlying Mechanisms

Addictive smartphone use is one of the most concerning behaviors among adolescents. The present study investigated the indirect effects of self-esteem and boredom proneness and the moderating role of the need to belong on the link between loneliness and addictive smartphone use (ASU). Our sample included 357 adolescents aged 12 to 19 (Mage = 15.56, SD = 1.01, 57.42% males) from ten public schools in Romania. We used a moderated mediation approach, with moderation of the both second mediation paths and the direct effect path. Results suggested that the influence of loneliness on ASU was statistically significant and partially mediated both by self-esteem and boredom proneness. Adolescents' need to belong significantly moderated the positive association between boredom proneness and ASU, and the direct negative association between loneliness and ASU; however, it did not moderate the negative association between self-esteem and ASU. Thus, high levels of the need to belong also increased the influence of boredom proneness on AUS and had a marginally significant effect on the relation between loneliness and ASU. These results suggested that adolescents' need to belong, self-esteem, and boredom proneness might contribute to developing ASU. Interventions centered around countering the adverse effects of excessive technology use ought to consider group activities that facilitate social bonding to satisfy the participants' need to belong, reduce their levels of boredom, and, thus, reduce the risk of developing ASU symptoms.

"Youth-focused" versus "whole-family" screen rules: Associations with social media difficulties and moderation by impulsivity

Many parents attempt to limit adolescents' screen time without changing their own habits. We examined whether "whole-family" versus "youth-focused" restrictions differentially predict social media-related difficulties (procrastination and problematic use), and whether adolescents' impulsive social media behaviors moderated these relationships. Among 183 Chinese early adolescents (58.5% female), whole-family rules negatively predicted procrastination. Impulsivity moderated associations between rulemaking approaches and social media difficulties; youth-focused rules negatively predicted procrastination and problematic use for highly impulsive adolescents, while whole-family rules held no associations or predicted increased difficulties. For less impulsive adolescents, however, whole-family rules negatively predicted social media difficulties and youth-focused rules positively predicted problematic use. Results suggest that setting the implementation of screen rules should involve parental participation and consideration of individual differences.

Commentary: Technoference or parental phubbing? A call for greater conceptual and operational clarity of parental smartphone use around children

Recent years have seen a widespread integration of technology into the daily lives of families. Psychological science has recently started to focus on the use of smartphones by parents while they are engaged in parenting activities, a behavior known under the terms "phubbing," "technoference," "parental screen distraction," and various other terms. We argue that understanding the real impact of co-present smartphone use by parents is inhibited by problems related to the conceptualization and methodology employed in empirical studies. In the present commentary, we identify the features of current research that may contribute to the theory crisis and hamper the progress of psychological research. Specifically, we discuss the implications of (a) inconsistent conceptualization of the phenomenon and (b) suboptimal operationalizations that may prevent us from understanding what is being studied and call for greater consideration of definitional clarity and valid operationalization in future research.

Mother phubbing and harsh mothering: Mothers' irritability and adolescents' gender as moderators

BACKGROUND

While extant evidence supports the link between mother phubbing (Mphubbing) and harsh mothering, the current understanding of factors that may affect this relationship is limited.

METHODS

Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the relation between Mphubbing and harsh mothering, as well as to explore whether mothers' irritability and adolescents' gender would moderate this relationship. The participants included 482 middle school students (51.7 % girls) and their mothers from China.

RESULTS

The results revealed a significant positive association between Mphubbing as reported by adolescents and their perception of harsh mothering. However, the predictive power of Mphubbing for harsh mothering varied based on mothers' irritability and adolescents' gender. Specifically, the association between Mphubbing and harsh mothering was perceived more strongly in girls than in boys, but this gender difference was only observed among adolescents whose mothers rated themselves as high in irritability.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study offers a preliminary understanding of the association between Mphubbing and harsh mothering through mothers' irritability and adolescents' gender as moderators, which has certain theoretical and practical implications for comprehending harsh mothering in the digital age.

Parental technoference and adolescents' mental health and violent behaviour: a scoping review

PURPOSE

The term 'technoference' refers to habitual interferences and disruptions within interpersonal relationships or time spent together due to use of electronic devices. Emerging evidence suggests associations between parental technoference and young people's mental health and violent behaviours. This scoping review sought to summarise the existing literature.

METHODS

A scoping review was undertaken across six databases (APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ASSIA, ERIC, Social Sciences Premium Collection, SciTech Premium). Searches included articles examining the association between parental technoference and adolescent mental health and violent behaviours. All included studies provided empirical findings.

RESULTS

Searches retrieved 382 articles, of which 13 articles met the eligibility criteria. A narrative approach was applied to synthesise the eligible findings. Across all studies, adolescent perceptions of parental technoference were negatively associated to adolescent mental health and positively related to adolescent violent behaviours. Parental cohesion and mental health were identified as significant mediating factors.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that parents should be aware of the environment in which they use electronic devices as their use can potentially, directly and indirectly, influence adolescent mental health and violent behaviours. Further research into the potential caveats of parental technoference could support the development of evidence-informed guidelines for parental management of electronic devices.

Parental Phubbing and Child Social-Emotional Adjustment: A Meta-Analysis of Studies Conducted in China

Introduction

Parental phubbing refers to the act of parents using mobile phones in the presence of their children instead of engaging with them. With increasing smartphone use in many households, parental phubbing is a potential threat to children's healthy development. This meta-analysis synthesized the existing evidence on the impact of parental phubbing on children's social-emotional development to examine the effect sizes and identify the moderators.

Methods

Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search across multiple electronic databases (Web of Science, EBSCO, ProQuest, Springer, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) from 2012 to May 2023. Our search included both English and Chinese literature, encompassing published journal articles as well as thesis. To assess the risk of bias, we utilized the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plot interpretation and Egger's regression intercept.

Results

Our comprehensive search identified 42 studies with 56,275 children and 59 effect sizes. A random-effects meta-analysis revealed that parental phubbing was positively associated with children's internalizing problems (r = 0.270; 95% CI [0.234, 0.304]) and externalizing problems (r = 0.210; 95% CI [0.154, 0.264]), while negatively correlated with children's self-concept (r = -0.206; 95% CI [-0.244, -0.168]) and social-emotional competence (r = -0.162; 95% CI [-0.207, -0.120]). Furthermore, the parental phubbing group moderated the association between parental phubbing and internalizing problems, when both parents engage in phubbing, there is a stronger association with children's externalizing problems compared to when only one parent is engaging in phubbing.

Discussion

The findings of this meta-analysis provide strong evidence supporting the detrimental effects of parental phubbing on child social-emotional adjustment. Consequently, parents, researchers, and the government must collaborate to mitigate parental phubbing and promote the healthy development of children's social-emotional abilities.

The role of pet attachment in alleviating the negative effects of loneliness on a health-promoting lifestyle: An empirical study based on threshold effects for pet owners

BACKGROUND

A health-promoting lifestyle is acknowledged as a 'positive ageing' strategy for older people. The inevitable decline in their social networks may lead to loneliness and subsequently damage their health-promoting lifestyle. Therefore, pet owning has become a popular way for them to alleviate loneliness. However, the attachment resulting from pet ownership may either facilitate or impede older people's ability to counteract the negative effect of loneliness on health-promoting lifestyles, and this effect may only be observed when pet owners have limited human confidants.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the role of pet attachment in alleviating the negative impact of loneliness on a health-promoting lifestyle and its supplementary role in the deficiency of social relationships by analysing the correlation mechanism between pet attachment, loneliness and a health-promoting lifestyle.

METHODS

Self-report questionnaires were sent to 879 older people (aged ≥60) with pets in China by using a multistage stratified random sampling method. Cross-sectional threshold regression models were established to analyse the nonlinear effects of loneliness on a health-promoting lifestyle and the different threshold effects among different social relationship levels.

RESULTS

A single threshold value (0.444) was drawn to determine the action mode of pet attachment on the negative relationship between loneliness and a health-promoting lifestyle. When the level of pet attachment exceeded 0.444, the inhibition of loneliness on a health-promoting lifestyle decreased significantly. Additionally, this threshold effect was evident among older people at different levels of social relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

The negative effect of loneliness on a health-promoting lifestyle is alleviated by the single threshold effect of pet attachment. Pet-owner relationships can compensate for a lack of social relationships to some extent and alleviate both an individual's loneliness and its negative effect on a health-promoting lifestyle.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

To alleviate loneliness and promote healthy ageing in older people who lack social relationships, the tailored pet intervention strategies that prioritize 'one health' at the animal-ecosystem interface that consider their different individual levels of social relationship should be developed.

Family cohesion and adaptability reduces mobile phone addiction: the mediating and moderating roles of automatic thoughts and peer attachment

With the popularity of mobile Internet devices, the incidence of mobile phone addiction has been increasing, which has aroused the concern of all sectors of society. Due to the difficulty of eliminating the risk factors of mobile phone addiction, it's significant for researchers to examine the function and underlying mechanisms of positive environmental factors in reducing individuals' mobile phone addiction. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between family cohesion and adaptability and mobile phone addiction among university students and analyzed the mediating role of automatic thoughts as well as the moderating role of peer attachment in this link. The sample consisted of 958 Chinese university students. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing family cohesion and adaptability, mobile phone addiction, automatic thoughts, and peer attachment. PROCESS model 8 was significant (the total effect model (F (5, 952) = 19.64, R² = 0.09, p < 0.001)). Results indicated that family cohesion and adaptability could not only negatively predict mobile phone addiction directly, but also indirectly through the mediating effect of automatic thoughts. Moreover, both the direct association between family cohesion and adaptability and mobile phone addiction as well as the indirect effect of automatic thoughts were moderated by peer attachment. Findings emphasized the beneficial role of peer attachment on the effect of family cohesion and adaptability on automatic thoughts and mobile phone addiction.

Mother phubbing and adolescents' problematic SNS use: the mediating role of perceived burdensomeness and the moderating role of need to belong

There is a rapidly growing academic interest on parental phubbing, however, little research has explored the association between mother phubbing and adolescent problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU), the underlying mediating and moderating effects in this relationship are also in need to be uncovered. The present study examined whether mother phubbing would be positively related to adolescent PSNSU, whether perceived burdensomeness would mediate this relationship, and whether need to belong would moderate the associations between mother phubbing and adolescent PSNSU. The hypothesized research model was examined among 3,915 Chinese adolescents (47% of them were boys, mean age = 16.42 ± 0.77 years). The results showed that mother phubbing was positively associated with adolescent PSNSU and perceived burdensomeness mediated this association. Furthermore, need to belong moderated the relationship between perceived burdensomeness and PSNSU, the relationship between mother phubbing and perceived burdensomeness, and the relationship between mother phubbing and PSNSU.

The Relationship Between Parental Phubbing and Interpersonal Aggression in Adolescents: The Role of Rejection Sensitivity and School Climate

The impact of parental phubbing has attracted the attention of researchers, especially concerning adolescents' online behavior. However, limited research has studied the influence of parental phubbing on interpersonal aggression, including the underlying mechanism. Grounded in parental acceptance-rejection theory, the present study investigated the association between parental phubbing and interpersonal aggression as well as the mediating role of rejection sensitivity among adolescents. Additionally, school climate was explored as a moderator based on social ecological theory. The multiple questionnaires were completed by 914 Chinese adolescents (M = 12.61; SD = 1.73; 49.78% girls). The results revealed a positive correlation between parental phubbing and aggression, which was mediated by rejection sensitivity. That is, adolescents who experienced parental phubbing were more likely to exhibit rejection sensitivity, which further triggered aggression. Moreover, school climate acted as a moderator in the model. Specifically, we found no significant moderating effect of school climate on parental phubbing and aggression. However, school climate moderated the relationship between rejection sensitivity and aggression. A positive school climate buffered the associations of rejection sensitivity and aggression. Additionally, school climate moderated the relationship between parental phubbing and rejection sensitivity. The relationship between parental phubbing and rejection sensitivity became nonsignificant when adolescents were in a negative school climate, and those adolescents reported higher rejection sensitivity whether they experienced parental phubbing or not. Parental phubbing was more strongly associated with adolescents' rejection sensitivity in a positive school climate. With a lower level of parental phubbing, rejection sensitivity is sharply reduced. The results deepen our understanding of the relationship between parental phubbing and aggression and its underlying mechanisms. It also implicates preventative interventions to reduce the risk of parental phubbing in interpersonal aggression among adolescents.

Parental phubbing, problematic smartphone use, and adolescents' learning burnout: A cross-lagged panel analysis

BACKGROUND

Parental phubbing is defined as the phenomenon that parents ignore their children when they are paying more attention to smartphones. The present study aimed to test bidirectional relationships among parental phubbing, problematic smartphone use, and learning burnout. We also extended previous studies to examine the mediating role of problematic smartphone use in the relationship between parental phubbing and learning burnout.

METHODS

Using a cross-lagged panel model, we recruited 2260 Chinese adolescents (50.35 % girls, M_age = 12.76, SD = 0.58 at baseline) across two years. Descriptive statistics, a cross-lagged panel analysis, a mediation model, and a multiple group analysis were estimated in the current study.

RESULTS

Parental phubbing was associated with problematic smartphone use, and there were bidirectional associations between problematic smartphone use and learning burnout as well as between parental phubbing and learning burnout. Problematic smartphone use significantly mediated the relationship between parental phubbing and learning burnout. There were no gender differences among parental phubbing, problematic smartphone use, and learning burnout.

LIMITATIONS

The current study only used two-time points to measure variables. Additionally, this study measured adolescents' perceived parental phubbing instead of the actual phubbing behavior.

CONCLUSION

It is important to consider the influences of parental phubbing in order to decrease adolescents' problematic smartphone use and learning burnout. Furthermore, there is a vicious circle between PSU and learning burnout. Interventions need to reduce problematic smartphone use and learning burnout simultaneously.

The Relationship Between Parental Phubbing and Short-Form Videos Addiction Among Chinese Adolescents

"Phubbing" is a new term that is used to define an act of neglecting an individual's companion/s in a daily social context to focus on that individual's smartphone. This study explored the relationship between parental phubbing (PP) and adolescent short-form videos addiction (SFVA), and the mediating role of relative deprivation (RD) and the moderating role of peer communication (PC) in this relationship. A total of 549 high-school students from Northern China voluntarily participated in the survey. The direct effect indicated that PP was positively related to adolescents' SFVA. The mediating effect indicated that RD played a mediating role between PP and adolescents' SFVA. The moderating effect indicated that PC buffered the negative associations of PP/RD with adolescents' SFVA.

The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescents' cyberbullying victimization: The new phenomenon of a "cycle of victimization"

BACKGROUND

The research community is showing an increasing concern about the adverse outcomes of childhood maltreatment for adolescents. However, whether childhood maltreatment is associated with cyberbullying victimization and what the underlying mechanisms of this relationship are remain to be identified.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying victimization and whether self-compassion and fear of missing out (FoMO) can simultaneously moderate this relationship among adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 1025 Chinese adolescents (50.8 % male participants, age = 15.50 ± 0.52 years) completed questionnaires regarding childhood maltreatment, cyberbullying victimization, self-compassion, and FoMO.

METHODS

Our hypotheses were tested by correlation analysis and Model 3 of the PROCESS macro.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment significantly predicted adolescents' cyberbullying victimization (β = 0.28, p < .001). High self-compassion weakened the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying victimization (β = -0.10, p < .001). Furthermore, self-compassion and FoMO simultaneously interacted with childhood maltreatment to predict cyberbullying victimization (β = 0.08, p < .001). Specifically, high FoMO weakened the moderating effect of self-compassion on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and cyberbullying victimization. Childhood maltreatment significantly predicted cyberbullying victimization among adolescents high in FoMO, regardless of self-compassion levels. In contrast, childhood maltreatment non-significantly predicted cyberbullying victimization when adolescents were high in self-compassion and low in FoMO.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment is positively associated with cyberbullying victimization. Moreover, increasing self-compassion and decreasing FoMO can mitigate the effect of childhood maltreatment on cyberbullying victimization.

Drivers and Consequences of Short-Form Video (SFV) Addiction amongst Adolescents in China: Stress-Coping Theory Perspective

As a hedonic technology, short-form videos (SFVs) have attracted numerous users. However, one related problem that merits research is SFV addiction, especially among adolescents due to their immature self-control abilities. Although recent research has discussed the formation process of SFV addiction from psychological needs and the SFV features perspective, scarce attention has been paid to investigating the relationship between stress and SFV addiction, as well as the relationship between SFV addiction and its consequences. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine whether school burnout (school stress), social phobia (social stress), and parental phubbing (family stress) trigger SFV addiction based on stress-coping theory and, furthermore, whether SFV addiction leads to low levels of happiness (psychological consequence), parent-child relationship quality (relational consequence), and perseverance (behavioral consequence) among adolescents. The proposed model was tested based on data collected from 242 adolescents from across China under the age of 18 with the experience watching SFVs. A covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) method was used for data analysis. The results showed that school burnout and social phobia significantly triggered SFV addiction, which later negatively and significantly influenced adolescents' happiness, parent-child relationship quality, and perseverance. The study also found that SFV addiction served as a mediator between the drivers and consequences of SFV addiction. This study provides several theoretical implications. First, this study is one of the first to explain adolescents' SFV addiction from stress-coping perspective, thereby enriching research in the field of SFV addiction. Second, prior research has rarely discussed the impacts of stresses from various environments on addiction behavior in a single study. Therefore, this study contributes to the knowledge of stress-related research in an SFV addiction context. Finally, our study enhances our understanding of the impact of SFV addiction on its consequences, in both an SFV research context and a social media research context.

Parents can't see me, can peers see me? Parental phubbing and adolescents' peer alienation via the mediating role of parental rejection

BACKGROUND

Parental neglect has been shown to be associated with adolescents' peer alienation. However, few previous studies have considered parental phubbing as a new form of social neglect during parent-child interactions related to adolescents' peer alienation, and much less is known about the mechanisms underlying this relationship.

OBJECTIVE

The present study explored the relationship between father phubbing (Fphubbing) and mother phubbing (Mphubbing) and adolescents' peer alienation. Moreover, it examined whether adolescents' perceived paternal and maternal rejection mediate these associations.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 1140 students (M_age = 12.18 years, SD = 0.90) completed the measures of parental phubbing, parental rejection, and peer alienation.

METHODS

Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct effects of Fphubbing and Mphubbing on adolescents' peer alienation and their indirect effects through adolescents' perceived paternal and maternal rejection as mediators.

RESULTS

The results indicated that Fphubbing and Mphubbing were positively related to adolescents' peer alienation. Perceived maternal rejection mediated the relationship between Mphubbing and adolescents' peer alienation. The relationship between Mphubbing and maternal rejection was stronger for adolescent girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study offers a preliminary understanding of how parental phubbing associates with adolescents' peer alienation through the mediating role of adolescents' perceived parental rejection, which has certain theoretical and practical implications for comprehending adolescents' peer alienation in the mobile age.

The Relationship of Technoference in Conjugal Interactions and Child Smartphone Dependence: The Chain Mediation between Marital Conflict and Coparenting

With the increasing use of smartphones in our lives, technoference has become a new threat to family relationships and child development. The present study explored the impact of technoference in conjugal interactions on child smartphone dependence and its underlying mechanism. The participants were 6923 fourth grade children (55.0% boys; the average age was 10.60 years) in 545 primary schools and their parents (35.3% fathers). We found that technoference in conjugal interactions was significantly associated with child smartphone dependence. Technoference in conjugal interactions indirectly affected child smartphone dependence through marital conflict or coparenting and a chain mediation between marital conflict and coparenting. These findings support the spillover theory and provide relevant empirical evidence and advance our understanding of parental functioning on child smartphone dependence within the Chinese culture.

Parental Phubbing and Internet Gaming Addiction in Children: Mediating Roles of Parent-Child Relationships and Depressive Symptoms

Mounting research has well documented that parental phubbing is significantly associated with Internet gaming addiction (IGA) in children. However, the mediating mechanisms of this relations are poorly understood. This study used a multi-informant design to investigate whether parent-child relationships (closeness and conflict) and depressive symptoms mediate the relation between parental phubbing and IGA. A total of 1,021 Chinese children (44.30 percent girls; M_age = 10.33, standard deviation = 0.98) and their mothers completed anonymous questionnaires. The results showed that parent-child conflict and depressive symptoms each played a mediating role between parental phubbing and the children's IGA, whereas parent-child closeness did not. Moreover, parental phubbing demonstrated an indirect effect on the children's IGA successively through the parent-child conflict and children's depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that improved parent-child relationships and immediate intervention for depressive symptoms can reduce the risk of IGA among children.

Fear of missing out and fear of not being up to date: investigating different pathways towards social and process problematic smartphone use

The present study introduces a new construct potentially associated with problematic smartphone use, that is the fear of not being up to date, and tests two serial mediation models, in which it was hypothesised that: (i) metacognitions and social smartphone use would be serial mediators of the relationship between the fear of missing out (FoMO) and problematic smartphone use (PSU); and (ii) metacognitions and process smartphone use would be serial mediators of the relationship between and the fear of not being up to date and PSU. A sample of 364 participants (F = 72.8%; mean age = 36.80 ± 15.32 years; age range: 18–75 years), recruited online, were administered a battery of self-report measures assessing FoMO, the fear of not being up to date, metacognitions about smartphone use, process and social smartphone use, and PSU. The serial mediation effect of metacognitions about smartphone use and process use on the relationship between the fear of not being up to date and PSU was significant (indirect effect = 0.004; 95% CI: [0.0006, 0.009]). Conversely, the serial mediation effect of metacognitions about smartphone use and social use on the relationship between FoMO and PSU was not significant (indirect effect = 0.002; 95% CI: [-0.003, 0.009]). Smartphone social use did not predict PSU. The current study highlights a possible pathway towards process smartphone use via a relatively new phenomenon termed “fear of not being up to date” within a metacognitive framework.

Parental Support and Problematic Smartphone Use: A Serial Mediating Model of Self-Esteem and Fear of Missing Out

Based on problem behavior theory and interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-esteem and fear of missing out (FoMO) on the influence of parental support on adolescents’ problematic smartphone use. This study is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. A total of 260 Korean adolescents from two public middle schools were selected through convenience sampling (female, 50.4%; mean age, 13.16 ± 0.84; range age, 12~15). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographic characteristics, parental support, self-esteem, FoMO, and problematic smartphone use. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and mediation analysis. The findings show that self-esteem and FoMO play a serial mediating role in the relationship between parental support and adolescents’ problematic smartphone use. Specifically, parental support had a negative effect on adolescents’ problematic smartphone use by increasing self-esteem but decreasing FoMO. These results provide further guidance in the prevention of and intervention of adolescent problematic smartphone use.

Does childhood maltreatment increase the subsequent risk of problematic smartphone use among adolescents? A two-wave longitudinal study

There is a lack of longitudinal data on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problematic smartphone use and its underlying mechanisms. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent problematic smartphone use and explore the mediating effects of basic psychological needs and self-compassion in this relationship. We employed a two-wave longitudinal design among 890 Chinese adolescents (49.0% males, mean age at Time 2 = 15.96 ± 0.46 years). They completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale at Time 1, and the Basic Need Satisfaction Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale at Time 2. The results indicated that prior maltreatment experiences positively predicted adolescents' subsequent problematic smartphone use (p < .001); and basic psychological needs satisfaction and self-compassion did not parallelly mediate the relationship between prior maltreatment experiences and subsequent problematic smartphone use. Finally, basic psychological needs satisfaction and self-compassion completely and sequentially mediated the relationship between prior maltreatment experiences and subsequent problematic smartphone use. Interventions that target students engaging in problematic smartphone use should focus on reducing childhood maltreatment and improving their psychological needs satisfaction and self-compassion.

The Effect of Parental Phubbing on Depression in Chinese Junior High School Students: The Mediating Roles of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Self-Esteem

Objective

To reveal the relationship between parental phubbing, basic psychological needs satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression and to explore the impact of parental phubbing on depression.

Methods

A total of 819 junior high school students responded to the parental phubbing scale, basic psychological needs satisfaction scale, self-esteem scale, and depression scale in combination.

Results

(1) Parental phubbing was significantly correlated with satisfaction of basic psychological needs, self-esteem, and depression. (2) Parental phubbing can not only be used to directly predict depression in junior middle school students but also has an indirect impact on depression through three pathways: a separate mediating effect on basic psychological needs satisfaction, a separate mediating effect on self-esteem and a chain mediating effect on both.

Conclusion

Parental phubbing is a risk factor for depression, which can negatively affect the mental health of junior high school students.

The influence of meaning in life on children and adolescents' problematic smartphone use: A three-wave multiple mediation model

Using a three-wave longitudinal design, the current study examined the relationship between early meaning in life and subsequent problematic smartphone use (PSU). As depression and self-control are a strong predictor of Internet-related addiction, we examined these two variables as possible mediators in this relationship based on existing literature. A total of 478 Chinese children and adolescents (243 boys and 235 girls, mean age = 11.26 years) completed questionnaires regarding meaning in life, depression, self-control and PSU. The results indicated that: (a) presence of meaning and search for meaning are positive correlation, and they are negatively associated with PSU among children and adolescents; (b) depression and self-control mediated the link between presence of meaning and children and adolescents' subsequent PSU respectively; and (c) depression and self-control sequentially mediated the relationship between early presence of meaning and children and adolescents' subsequent PSU; whereas not sequentially mediated the relationship between search for meaning and children and adolescents' subsequent PSU. These results suggested that three types of interventions could be effectively used to decrease the risk of PSU among children and adolescents, namely, enhancing presence of meaning, relieving depression, and improving self-control.

The relationship between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use in early Chinese adolescence: A repeated-measures study at two time-points

The current study examined the bidirectional relationship between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use (PSU) in early Chinese adolescence using a two time-points repeated-measures study and explored the role of psychological security and insomnia in the relationship between parental psychological control and subsequent PSU in early adolescence. The sample consisted of 2128 fourth- and fifth-grade students (55.69% male, age = 9 to 13, M_age ± SD = 10.91 ± 0.80) who participated in two measurements and completed questionnaires about parental psychological control, PSU, psychological security and insomnia. The results indicated that: (1) Autoregressive cross-lagged models showed a reciprocal relationship between parental psychological control and PSU severity in early adolescence. (2) Both psychological security and insomnia mediate the link between parental psychological control and subsequent PSU severity. (3) Psychological security and insomnia play serial mediating roles between parental psychological control and subsequent PSU severity. These findings indicate that reducing parental psychological control, boosting psychological security and alleviating insomnia symptoms in adolescents are all conducive to decrease PSU severity in early adolescence.

Effects of Stressors of COVID-19 on Chinese College Students' Problematic Social Media Use: A Mediated Moderation Model

PURPOSE

Isolation policies are long-term and strictly enforced in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Social media might be widely used for communication, work, understanding the development of the epidemic, etc. However, these behaviors might lead to problematic social media use. The present study investigated the effect of stressors of COVID-19 on problematic social media use, as well as the internal mechanisms involved.

METHODS

One thousand three hundred seventy-three Chinese college students (M _age = 19.53, SD _age = 1.09) were recruited randomly from four grades who completed Coronavirus Stress Scale, Fear of Missing Out Scale, Problematic Mobile Social Media Usage Assessment Questionnaire, and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale.

RESULTS

Stressors of COVID-19 were positively related to problematic social media use. The link between stressors of COVID-19 and problematic social media use was mediated by fear of missing out. Additionally, the association between fear of missing out and problematic social media use, as well as the association between stressors of COVID-19 and problematic social media use were moderated by regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION

The current findings reveal the mechanism that may be used to reduce the likelihood of problematic social media use in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. To prevent and intervene in problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study stressed the importance of decreasing the fear of missing out and enhancing regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

Examining boss phubbing and employee outcomes through the lens of affective events theory

Purpose

In this study, the impact of boss phubbing, or using a phone during interaction with subordinates, on important employee outcomes — work meaningfulness and employee phubbing behavior — through the mediating role of self-esteem threat was investigated using affective events theory. The moderating role of rejection sensitivity was also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in three time lags from head nurses (N = 178) working in public and private hospitals. The hypothesized relationships were tested using variance-based structural equation modeling with partial least squares.

Findings

Boss phubbing negatively affected employees' sense of work meaningfulness and had a positive direct and indirect relationship with employee phubbing behavior through self-esteem threat. The hypothesized moderating role of rejection sensitivity was not supported.

Practical implications

The authors recommend that organizations develop policies addressing boss phubbing in the workplace, particularly in contexts in which a high leader–member exchange is desired for organizational effectiveness, such as health-related services. Superiors, such as doctors, should review their mobile phone usage during interactions with subordinates because it is detrimental to employee outcomes.

Originality/value

This study is a nascent attempt to test the hypothesized relationships on the emerging phenomenon of phubbing at work in the human–computer interaction domain in Pakistan, a developing country, particularly in hospital settings where a high leader–member exchange is pivotal.