The Effects of Attachment, Temperament, and Self-Esteem on Technology Addiction: A Mediation Model Among Young Adults

Excessive use of technology has become a worldwide problem due to its high prevalence, fast growth rate, and undesirable consequences. However, little is known about underlying psychological mechanisms that maintain excessive use of technology. We investigated the mediating role of self-esteem, novelty seeking, and persistence on the relationship between attachment dimensions and technology addiction among young adults. Data were collected from 727 young adults (females, N = 478; 66.3 percent), aged 23.44 ± 3.02 years. Participants completed self-report measures of secure and insecure attachment dimensions, personality, and temperament characteristics (i.e., self-esteem, novelty seeking, and persistence), technology addiction and frequency of technology use (i.e., own technology use, perceived use by peers and parents). The mediation model was tested through a path analysis. The effects of attachment insecurity on technology addiction were partially mediated by the levels of persistence and self-esteem, whereas the effects of attachment security on technology addiction were fully mediated. The effects remained robust even after controlling for the frequency of technology use. The model was gender and age invariant, suggesting that the mediation worked in a similar way for both men and women and across ages. Findings suggest that attachment dimensions exert not only a direct but also an indirect effect on technology addiction through self-esteem and persistence. Such findings may help to develop psychosocial interventions that are sensitive to young adults' attachment, personality, and temperament characteristics.

Requirements of a Group Intervention for Adolescents with Internet Gaming Disorder in a Clinical Setting: A Qualitative Interview Study

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) has become an important health concern in a significant proportion of adolescents. Intervention studies in this age group are scarce, mostly follow quantitative designs, and rarely consider adolescents' experiences. This study aimed to evaluate the requirements for a group therapy program for adolescents with IGD. A qualitative interview study was conducted in a German clinic for addictive disorders in childhood and adolescence with nine participants (seven IGD patients (12-18 years, M = 15.86, SD = 1.95) and two psychotherapists). The semi-structured interviews addressed helpful contents, general conditions, and suggestions for alterations for an effective group intervention. Data were analyzed using content structuring qualitative analysis. Patient interview data resulted in 234 codings with eight main categories. Expert interview data yielded 151 codings with six main categories. The following treatment components were described as effective by the participants and experts: psychoeducation, emotion management, behavior analysis and modification, social skills training, parent participation, and relapse prevention. Additionally, adolescents emphasized the importance of group functionality for coherence, feedback and rewards, content presentation, physical activity and fun. The results are a valuable addition to findings from quantitative studies on IGD interventions and an interesting starting point for further representative studies.

Adolescents’ selfie-taking and selfie-editing: A revision of the photo manipulation scale and a moderated mediation model

‘Selfie practices’ (e.g., editing, filtering, sharing) have become adolescents’ daily behaviors. The increasing centrality of online visual self-presentation might increase adolescents’ appearance-related concerns, problematic monitoring, and photo manipulation (PM). However, few studies focused on body image control in photos (BICP) and PM, and no studies evaluated the influence of selfie-expectancies on photo-taking and photo-editing. Consequently, two studies were conducted. Study1 psychometrically evaluated the PM scale (N = 1353). Study2 evaluated the mediating role of BICP and the moderating role of gender in the relationship between selfie-expectancies and PM (N = 453). The revised PM scale showed good psychometric properties. BICP mediated the relationship between selfie-expectancies and PM and being male significantly affected the relationship between the variables. Implications for adolescents’ appearance-related issues are discussed.

[Media-associated disorders in childhood and adolescence: Evidence paper of the joint addiction commision of the German societies and professional associations of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy]

Media-associated disorders in childhood and adolescence: Evidence paper of the joint addiction commision of the German societies and professional associations of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy Abstract. Media-associated disorders (MAD) describe the problematic use of the internet, certain electronic devices in general as well as digital applications. During childhood and adolescence, digital games and social media are the most commonly used applications. In May 2019, as first MAD "gaming disorder" was included as a clinical diagnosis in the ICD-11. The prevalence of MAD in German children and adolescents is estimated to lie between 3 % and 5 %. In most cases, MAD are accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities. MAD ensue because of dysfunctional learning processes in combination with general and specific risk factors. They are associated with neural changes like those of substance-associated addictions. Diagnostics can be based on validated questionnaires and clinical exploration, though a standardized diagnostic path is not yet common. Treatment depends on the level of severity and generally comprises outpatient, day-clinic, and inpatient therapy approaches with elements from cognitive-behavioral therapy and under parental involvement. Suitable treatments are not yet available in all German regions and have also not been sufficiently evaluated. Moreover, only a few studies exist on the efficacy of prevention measures addressing MAD in children and adolescents. Thus, further research is strongly required.

Objectified Body Consciousness, Body Image Control in Photos, and Problematic Social Networking: The Role of Appearance Control Beliefs

At present, adolescents' photo-taking and photo-sharing on social media represent ubiquitous practices and objectified body consciousness (OBC) might offer a useful framework to explore online self-presentation and social networking site (SNS) use. Indeed, SNS might represent a highly accessible medium for socializing with self-objectification. However, the relationship between OBC components and problematic SNS use is still understudied. The present study evaluated the previously unexplored predictive role of appearance control beliefs on problematic SNS use, testing the mediating effect of body image control in photos (BICP) across male and female groups. A total of 693 adolescents (55% females; mean age 16 years) participated in the study. Results showed the negatively predictive role of appearance control beliefs on control over body image in photos. Moreover, BICP mediated the appearance control beliefs' negative effect on problematic SNS use in girls. The present study tested the unexplored effect of appearance control beliefs upon problematic SNS use, contributing to the OBC research field and the ongoing debate concerning predictive and protective factors in problematic SNS use.