Predictors of excessive internet use among adolescents in Spain: The relevance of the relationship between parents and their children

Latent profiles of problematic internet use and their six-month subsequent psychopathology outcomes

Objective

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has many adverse effects on youth mental health, including heightened risks of depression and anxiety. However, few studies have systematically investigated the internal heterogeneity of PIU symptoms among rural Chinese adolescents. Data was collected from 5,271 rural Chinese adolescents from two secondary schools in Guizhou and Sichuan at two waves. This study aimed to identify PIU profiles at T1 and examine their relationships with subsequent anxiety, depression, and stress after six months at T2.

Methods

A Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was conducted to first identify PIU symptom profiles. Then, a "three-step" logistic regression mixed model was conducted to explore the association between PIU patterns and demographic correlates. Anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms collected at the second wave were compared across PIU profiles by using a Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars (BCH) approach.

Results

The study found that (1) The patterns of PIU among rural adolescents could be divided into four subgroups: low PIU group (57.18%), medium PIU group (15.65%), high PIU group (9.01%), and self-blame group (18.16%), which is a uniquely identified group. (2) Being female, an ethnic minority, living off-campus, having left-behind experiences, and having fewer siblings were risk factors for high PIU group membership. (3) The order of severity for anxiety, depression, and stress was as follows: high PIU, medium PIU, self-blame, and low PIU groups. (4) The self-blame group had relatively lower anxiety, depression, and stress scores than the medium PIU group, despite the fact that the self-blame group had higher PIU scores than the medium PIU group, which further strengthens the importance of using a person-centered approach.

Conclusions

Addressing the profiles of PIU is vital for rural Chinese adolescent mental health, necessitating tailored interventions.

The impact of family climate on problematic internet use: Findings from one nationwide study in China

BACKGROUND

With the growing attention paid to problematic internet use (PIU), this study aims to i) explore the prevalence of PIU based on a nationally representative sample and ii) propose and validate the theoretical model that correlates family climate with PIU.

METHODS

One national cross-sectional study was conducted with probability sampling and stratified sampling. Overall, 21,854 sample were included and analyzed. Validated measures of family climate, loneliness, and PIU was distributed and collected from June 2022 to August 2022.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of PIU in the sample population is approximately 30.86 %. The model findings showed that family communication and family health had indirect effects of -0.12 and - 0.05 on PIU by the mediating effects of loneliness. The indirect effect explained 80.0 % of the total effect of family communication on PIU and 38.5 % of family health on PIU, highlighting the dominance effects of path family communication and PIU via loneliness. Extended family type (-0.047, p = 0.050), low family income (income≤3000 group, -0.127, p < 0.001) were identified as protective factors against PIU, while not living with family members (0.034, p = 0.021) was identified as risk factors of PIU.

LIMITATIONS

The nature of cross-sectional data have the limitation of preventing examining the casual relationships of PIU and the loneliness and family climate, in which future longitudinal study design is needed.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of PIU should be given adequate attention. Optimizing the family climate or family atmosphere by improving positive communication skills, providing family support and family health external resources can be served as effective strategies for controlling PIU.

Exploring Gender Differences in Internet Addiction and Psychological Factors: A Study in a Spanish Sample

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Internet addiction (IA) and related behaviors, such as Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and social media addiction (SMA), have gained increasing research attention. Studies show gender differences, with males more likely to develop gaming-related addictions and females more prone to social media and phubbing behaviors. This study aimed to explore gender differences in Internet addiction and related behaviors in a Spanish sample, with the goal of identifying predictors and gender-specific patterns of IA.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study with 585 participants (265 male, 320 female) aged 18 to 35 years (M = 22.11, SD = 3.08). Data were collected using standardized questionnaires to assess IA, IGD, SMA, phubbing, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), emotional dysregulation, personality traits, and prosociality. Correlation and regression analyses were used to identify gender-specific predictors of IA.

RESULTS

Males exhibited significantly higher scores for IA and IGD, while females showed higher scores for SMA and the "phone obsession" dimension of phubbing. No significant gender differences were found in the "communication disturbance" dimension of phubbing or in FoMO. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations between IA and psychological as well as technological variables. Gender-specific predictors of IA included social media engagement and emotional regulation for females, while gaming behaviors and communication patterns were more relevant for males.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight gender differences in IA, suggesting that tailored interventions should address unique online behaviors and emotional regulation challenges in males and females. Future research should refine gender-specific patterns to develop more effective, targeted prevention and treatment strategies.

Examining the interplay between physical activity, problematic internet use and the negative emotional state of depression, anxiety and stress: insights from a moderated mediation path model in university students

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Problematic Internet Use (PIU), emotional states of stress, anxiety and depression, and the practice of physical activity among Tunisian students.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were collected from 976 university students aged 20.76 ± 1.63 years (46.8% female). They filled out an online survey comprised of a socio-demographic questionnaire, the depression, anxiety and stress scale- 21 items (DASS-21), the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) and the compulsive internet use scale (CIUS). Students were divided, based on their economic levels, into three groups: low (n = 256, 26.23%), medium (n = 523, 53.59%) and high (n = 197, 20.18%).

RESULTS

Mediation analysis: Indirect effects of IPAQ and gender on DASS-21 were highlighted: β= -0.18 (p < 0.01) and β= -0.04, P < 0.01) respectively. In addition, a significant and negative effect of IPAQ on CIUS was demonstrated (β = -0.45, P < 0.01). In addition, the effect of CIUS on DASS-21 was significant (β = 0.39, P < 0.01). Also, the effect of gender on CIUS was significant (β=-0.10, P < 0.01) However, its effect on DASS-21 was not significant (β = 0.05, p = 0.078). The total effect of IPAQ on DASS21 was significant (β= -0.52, p < 0.01) but the effect of Gender on DASS-21 was not significant (β = 0.01, p = 0.817). Moderation analysis: the results showed a significant moderation effect of the interaction between IPAQ and Gender on CIUS (β = 0.07, p < 0.01). However, it was not significant between Gender and CIUS on DASS-21 (β = 0.09, p = 0.390) and between IPAQ and Gender on DASS21 (β = 0.01, p = 0.736) Also, the interaction between IPAQ and CIUS did not have a significant moderation effect on DASS-21 (β = 0.15, p = 0.115).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that relationships between PIU and negative emotional state of depression, anxiety and stress are mediated via physical exercise. These results underscore the importance of the physical activity factor in the studies analyzing longitudinal effects of PIU on mental health outcomes.

Depression, stress, and anxiety versus internet addiction in early and middle adolescent groups: the mediating roles of family and school environments

BACKGROUND

Family and school environment play a crucial role across the different developmental stages of adolescence. This paper investigates the potential mediating role of family and school environments in the relationship between the three psychosocial predictors of depression, anxiety, stress, and Internet addiction (IA). Specifically, it focuses on the two stages of early and middle adolescence.

METHODS

The study involved a survey of 407 adolescents from Qatar, comprising 250 early adolescents and 157 middle adolescents. Inclusion criteria for the study included adolescents between the ages of 10 to 17 years old, residents of Qatar and studying in a Qatar-based school. To assess the constructs of the three psychosocial predictors, IA, family environment, the study utilized the Depression, Stress, and Anxiety Scale (DASS), the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ), and the Brief Family Relationship Scale, respectively. School environment was measured using questions from the "Health Behavior in School-aged Children: WHO Collaborative Cross-National survey/study (HBSC) 2013-2014. The study applied standard mediation analysis between the DASS components and IA with family and school environment as the mediators.

RESULTS

Results from the mediation analysis reveal insights into the relationships between psychosocial predictors and IA. The findings indicate that family and school environments partially mediated the relationship with regards to depression, stress, and anxiety in early adolescents. In middle adolescents, family environment partially mediated the relationship with depression and stress and fully mediating the relationship with anxiety. Meanwhile, school environment only exhibited partial mediation in the relationship with anxiety in middle adolescence.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the crucial role parents and schools play in addressing problematic technology usage that develops as a response to depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents. Moreover, the study reveals nuances in the mediating role of family and school environment in early and middle adolescence. This highlights the evolving nature of these influences across the different stages of development. Notably, this study contributes to the literature by moving beyond the conventional focus on the so-called WEIRD population, and offering valuable insights from a region that is underrepresented in current research.

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.

Internet Addiction, Sleep Habits and Family Communication: The Perspectives of a Sample of Adolescents

BACKGROUND

With the increase in communication technologies, the internet has become an indispensable tool in the life of the individual. Several studies report on the advantages of this resource; however, there is still a group of individuals who use the internet excessively. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between internet addiction, daytime sleepiness, and family communication in adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 340 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years participated in this study. All completed the sociodemographic questionnaire, the internet addiction test, the pediatric daytime sleepiness scale, and the family communication scale.

RESULTS

The results indicate that 64.1% of the adolescents had mild to moderate addiction to the internet. The main results suggest that internet addiction in adolescents is negatively associated with family communication and positively associated with excessive daytime sleepiness. It was also observed that gender had a significant effect on daytime sleepiness, with female participants having more excessive daytime sleepiness. Regarding age, the results indicate higher values of internet addiction among younger adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

In view of the above, it is considered important to develop preventive actions with a view to healthy family communication, with the adoption of sleep hygiene habits and the promotion of healthy use of the internet.

Unpacking the relation between children's use of digital technologies and children's well-being: A scoping review

Over the last decade, a substantial number of studies have addressed children's use of technologies and their impact on well-being. Nonetheless, there is still a lack of clarity on the operationalisation of technology use, well-being, and the relation between the two. This scoping review intended to shed lights on Digital Technologies Use, its operationalisation, and the relation between Digital Technologies Negative Use (DTNU) and children's well-being. For the scope of the special issue we focused on negative use. Results showed two conceptualisations of DTNU: compulsive/addictive use of devices and the Internet (e.g., Internet addiction) and negative online experiences/risky behaviours (e.g., cyberbullying). Well-being in relation to DTNU was mainly studied in terms of psycho/social dimensions (e.g., depression), and a gap in cognitive well-being studies was identified. Study designs were largely quantitative, and, in most studies, well-being was considered as a predictor of DTNU. Also, research with children under 12 years was lacking. Future research on DTNU should look at: how dimensions of addiction and negative online experiences relate; provide more evidence on cognitive well-being; explore the interplay of well-being multiple components relying on integrative conceptual frameworks. The recent notion of digital well-being should also be explored considering the results of this review.

A Systematic Overview of Adolescents’ Smartphone Habits and Internet Addiction During the COVID-19 Era

In order to prevent the spread of the virus during the Covid-19 epidemic period, measures such as maintaining social distance, quarantine practices, and keeping schools closed have been taken in many countries. In this process, individuals' internet use has also increased in order to restore interpersonal relationships that have decreased with staying at home. In addition, the transfer of educational activities, which are risky to be carried out face-to-face during the epidemic period, to online platforms, as in many countries, brought about an increase in the time spent on devices with internet providers in adolescents. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the results of studies examining the concepts of internet and smartphone addiction in relation to the use of the internet in the Covid-19 period. In this context, in this systematic review, "What is the status of adolescents' smartphone and internet addictions in the Covid-19 Era?" The question has been tried to be answered. As a result of the searches made in the databases, fourteen studies were reached and these studies were examined in depth. The findings showed that adolescents’ internet/smartphone addictions were higher than before the epidemic, the prevalence of internet/smartphone addictions increased in general, and internet/smartphone addictions were associated with adolescents' mental disorders and problems.

The Influence of Childhood Trauma and Family Functioning on Internet Addiction in Adolescents: A Chain-Mediated Model Analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of Internet addiction in adolescents, analyze the associations of childhood trauma, systematic family dynamics, and family functioning with Internet addiction, and investigate the mediating chain role of anxiety and depression in the relationship of childhood trauma and family functioning with adolescent Internet addiction.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study in which general sociodemographic data were obtained from 3357 adolescents in grades 6-12 who were assessed using psychometric instruments such as the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Young Internet Addiction Test, Systematic Family Dynamics Self-Rating Scale (SSFD), Family Functioning Assessment (FAD), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS).

RESULTS

(1) The prevalence of Internet addiction among adolescents was 26.09% (876/3357). The prevalence of childhood trauma was 54.96% (1845/3357), and the prevalence of Internet addiction was significantly different between adolescents who suffered childhood trauma and those who did not (χ² = 96.801, ν = 1, p = 0.000). (2) Childhood trauma and various dimensions of systematic family dynamics had a significant negative and positive relationship with poor family functioning and anxiety or depression, respectively. (3) Childhood trauma was a positive predictor of Internet addiction through the chain-mediated effect of anxiety and depression, but there were no direct effects. Poor family functioning was a positive predictor of adolescent Internet addiction, and this positive prediction was augmented by the chain-mediated effect of anxiety and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood trauma and poor family functioning or support predicted Internet addiction in adolescents, with anxiety and depression as mediators.

The association between parent-child relationship and problematic internet use among English- and Chinese-language studies: A meta-analysis

As past studies of the association between parent-child relationship and problematic internet use show mixed results and are influenced by many factors, this meta-analysis of 75 primary Chinese and English language studies from 1990 to 2021 with 110,601 participants (aged 6−25 years) explored (a) the overall association between parent-child relationship and problematic internet use, and (b) whether the association is affected by their types, country, measures, objects of the parent-child relationship, gender, age, year and publication types. We used funnel plots, Classic fail-safe N and Egger's test to test for publication bias and for moderation with the homogeneity tests. The results showed a negative association between quality of parent-child relationship and problematic internet use (r = −0.18, 95% CI = [−0.20, −0.15]). The moderation analysis found that compared with internet addiction tendency, the association between social media addiction and parent-child relationship was stronger. Moreover, the association between the parent-child relationship and problematic internet use of emerging adults (18–25 years old) was stronger than that of adolescents (12−18 years old). Furthermore, the negative association between parent-child relationship and problematic internet use was weaker (a) in Italy than those in Turkey and China, (b) when using CPS (Closeness to Parents Scale), IPPA (Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment), or PARQ (Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire) measuring parent-child relationship than using PCCS (Parent-Child Communication Scale), (c) when using IAT measuring problematic internet use rather than using IGDS or APIUS. Hence, these results indicate a negative association between parent-child relationships and problematic internet use, and the association is moderated by types of problematic internet use, age, country, scales of both parent-child relationship and problematic internet use.

The association of mobile touch screen device use with parent-child attachment: a systematic review

Mobile touch screen devices (smartphones and tablet computers) have become an integral part of many parents' and children's lives, with this interaction linked to physical, mental and social outcomes. Despite the known importance of parent-child attachment, evidence on the association between device use and attachment was yet to be reviewed. Following protocol pre-registration, databases were searched, papers screened, and methodological quality assessed. Three papers met the inclusion criteria, and reported some negative associations between duration of parent/child smartphone use and attachment outcomes. A narrative synthesis on two groups of related papers found child time using any screen technology (including television viewing), and child 'problematic' internet, mobile phone, gaming and social media use, was negatively associated with attachment outcomes. Currently there is limited direct evidence on any association between time parents or children spend using these devices and parent-child attachment to support time guidelines for families and professionals working with families. Practitioner summary: Many parents and children regularly spend time using smartphones and tablet computers. This systematic review found limited evidence evaluating associations between child/adolescent or parent time using devices and parent-child attachment. Until quality evidence exists, practitioners should be alert to potential impacts of device use on family relationships and child outcomes.

The Impact of Adolescent Internet Addiction on Sexual Online Victimization: The Mediating Effects of Sexting and Body Self-Esteem

Adolescents’ problematic use of the internet and the risk of sexual online victimization are an increasing concern among families, researchers, professionals and society. This study aimed to analyze the interplay between adolescents’ addiction to social networks and internet, body self-esteem and sexual–erotic risk behavior online: sexting, sextortion and grooming. While sexting refers to the voluntary engagement in texting sexual–erotic messages, sextortion and grooming are means of sexual–erotic victimization through the use of the internet. Participants were 1763 adolescents (51% girls), aged 12 to 16 years (M = 14.56; SD = 1.16), from public (n = 1068; 60.60%) and private (n = 695; 39.40%) high schools in the Basque Country (Spain). We carried out structural equation modeling (SEM) using Mplus to assess the mediating effects of body self-esteem in the relationship between addiction to social media and internet and sexual–erotic risk behavior. The results showed that internet addiction predicts online sexual victimization; specifically, the best predictors of sexting, sextortion and grooming victimization were symptoms of internet addiction and geek behavior. Body self-esteem and sexting mediated the relationship between internet addiction and sexual online victimization in adolescents. These results highlight the importance of attending to adolescents’ mental health regarding their online behavior, considering the risk and protective factors involved, due to its close association with online sexual victimization.

Problematic Internet Use in Adolescents from Divorced Families: The Role of Family Factors and Adolescents' Self-Esteem

Family functioning is salient in explaining adolescents’ problematic internet use (PIU), and precisely this family functioning is under pressure after parental divorce. Moreover, growing up with divorced parents is identified as a risk factor for PIU. Therefore, examining which factors are associated with adolescents’ PIU after divorce is particularly important. Based on self-report data from N = 244 adolescents of divorced families (49.6% boys, M = 13.42), structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the associations of PIU with interparental conflict, triangulation, maternal and paternal warmth, and adolescents’ self-esteem. Potential buffering effects of self-esteem were tested, as well as gender differences in associations. The results showed that more triangulation and less maternal warmth were related to higher levels of PIU, but these effects disappeared after adding self-esteem to the models. Adolescent self-esteem did not significantly buffer the effects of the different family factors on PIU, nor were there any significant gender differences in association. Hence, especially adolescents’ self-esteem seems to be a key aspect for PIU in adolescents from divorced families.

Internet Addiction and Attention in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Internet addiction (IA) has been explored worldwide and involves some features that might harm social, psychological, and functional aspects. The vulnerability of adolescents might result in some addictive behaviors, and the Internet is one of them. The aim of this systematic review was to identify empirical studies that have been done to explore instruments that have been used to assess IA and to verify what variables and comorbidities are related to IA in adolescents, including executive functions, such as attention. To accomplish our aim, a systematic search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Some inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select the studies and 44 in total were analyzed independently. The results showed that the most used instrument to assess IA is the Young's Internet Addiction Test. A few studies have been developed in the Western world, and most of them have analyzed attention bias in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and non-ADHD groups. Furthermore, other variables have been widely explored in the studies, such as depression, sleeping patterns, body weight, aggressiveness, and other addictive substances.

The effects of parental control and warmth on problematic internet use in adolescents: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Problematic internet use (PIU) is a highly prevalent condition with severe adverse effects. The literature suggests that parent-child bonding and parental behavioral control exert protective effects against PIU. However, the most relevant studies rely on simplistic measurement of parenting, cross-sectional designs and mixed-aged samples. Our study analyzed the effect of maternal and paternal parenting on PIU by using a prospective design and a cohort sample of same-aged children.

METHODS

Data from 1,019 Czech 12-year-old sixth-graders who were followed until ninth grade were used. Maternal and paternal responsiveness and strictness were reported by children using the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) and the Parental Control Scale (PCS). PIU was measured by the Excessive Internet Use Scale (EIUS).

RESULTS

The self-reported PIU prevalence in nine-graders (15-year-old) was 8.1%. Parenting, reported by adolescents 18 months before PIU screening, showed significant relationships with PIU: parental responsiveness was negatively and moderately associated, while maternal strictness showed a weak positive association; the authoritative parenting style in both parents decreased PIU, with a PIU probability of 3.21%, while a combination of maternal authoritarian and paternal neglectful parenting was associated with PIU probability as high as 20.9%.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The self-reported prevalence of PIU in Czech adolescents was found to be high. The effects of parenting on PIU were similar to the effects of parenting on other problematic behavior among adolescents. Our findings showed the need for interventions to prevent PIU by helping parents to apply optimal parenting styles.

The effects of parental control and warmth on problematic internet use in adolescents: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Problematic internet use (PIU) is a highly prevalent condition with severe adverse effects. The literature suggests that parent-child bonding and parental behavioral control exert protective effects against PIU. However, the most relevant studies rely on simplistic measurement of parenting, cross-sectional designs and mixed-aged samples. Our study analyzed the effect of maternal and paternal parenting on PIU by using a prospective design and a cohort sample of same-aged children.

METHODS

Data from 1,019 Czech 12-year-old sixth-graders who were followed until ninth grade were used. Maternal and paternal responsiveness and strictness were reported by children using the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) and the Parental Control Scale (PCS). PIU was measured by the Excessive Internet Use Scale (EIUS).

RESULTS

The self-reported PIU prevalence in nine-graders (15-year-old) was 8.1%. Parenting, reported by adolescents 18 months before PIU screening, showed significant relationships with PIU: parental responsiveness was negatively and moderately associated, while maternal strictness showed a weak positive association; the authoritative parenting style in both parents decreased PIU, with a PIU probability of 3.21%, while a combination of maternal authoritarian and paternal neglectful parenting was associated with PIU probability as high as 20.9%.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The self-reported prevalence of PIU in Czech adolescents was found to be high. The effects of parenting on PIU were similar to the effects of parenting on other problematic behavior among adolescents. Our findings showed the need for interventions to prevent PIU by helping parents to apply optimal parenting styles.

A review of recent research in problematic internet use: gender and cultural differences

The present study reviewed current trends in the literature on problematic Internet use. The review included a total of 48 studies published within the last two years and covered by the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Despite frequently investigated in the literature, results of the studies suggest that there is still much to be unveiled regarding problematic Internet use and its relation to gender and cultural differences. In terms of gender, although more studies show that men are further vulnerable to problematic Internet use symptoms, results differ regarding the moderator effect(s) or differences in various cultural settings. Recent studies mostly employed quantitative methods; but, it is also noted that problematic Internet use studies increasingly focus on meta-analysis and literature reviews. Research also tends to investigate large-sample cross-cultural groups, but their results are far from achieving consensus. Studies mostly used cross-sectional approaches with self-report instruments and focused on adolescents and young adults who were students.