Rules for Me, or Rules for “We”? Youth-Focused Versus Whole-Family Rules for Screen Use in Mainland Chinese Families

• In Event: Shaping Early Adolescents’ Digital Media Use: Diversity in Philosophies, Approaches, and Links with Psychosocial Outcomes

Abstract

Adolescents’ reliance on smartphones has raised multiple concerns among parents and practitioners, including problematic (i.e., “addictive”) use and learning interference via procrastination (AAP, 2016). Parents often try to utilize restrictive mediation strategies, limiting times and locations in the home where adolescents access screen-based media. Interventions have shown that rules about screen-free times and zones can reduce problematic Internet use symptoms (Gower & Moreno, 2019). Importantly, however, these rules can either focus specifically on youth’s screen use, or apply to all family members. Considering that parental smartphone use also predicts youth’s increased social-emotional disturbances (Wolfers et al., 2019), comparing “youth-focused” and “whole family” rules might inform effective mediation strategies. Rigid hierarchical family structures are commonplace in China (Qin et al., 2009), suggesting a high prevalence of youth-focused rules. However, Chinese adolescents tend to incorporate parents into their self-concepts (Pomerantz et al., 2009), underscoring the potential value of whole-family rules. We compared these two rule types, and whether they predicted Chinese adolescents’ problematic social media use and procrastination, respectively. Furthermore, since self-control deficits predict both of these problems (e.g., Meier et al., 2016), and youth-focused restrictions appear more effective for adolescents with lower self-control (Lee et al., 2012), we examined whether adolescent-reported self-control moderated associations between rule-making and digital media difficulties.

Early adolescents from Shenzhen, China (N=183; Mage=13.26, SD=.71, 57.8% female) completed 5-point Likert scales measuring prevalence of youth-focused and whole-family rules about screen-free times, screen-free zones, and screens before bedtime (Gower & Moreno, 2019). They also reported self-control over their social media behavior (Letzring et al., 2005), social media procrastination (Meier et al., 206), and problematic social media use (LaRose & Eastin, 2004). Reliabilities were acceptable (αs≥.82). Adolescents reported more youth-focused rules (M=2.40, SD=1.15) than whole-family rules (M=2.03, SD=1.05), F(1,181)=23.55, p<.001. Self-control was not correlated with either rule type.

Path modeling (Figure 1) showed that whole-family rules negatively predicted procrastination. Self-control negatively predicted procrastination and problematic use. An interaction indicated that higher levels of both youth-focused and whole-family rules predicted lower procrastination than either single strategy. Importantly, both youth-focused and whole-family rules interacted with self-control. Simple slopes analyses (Figures 2a-d) showed that, for adolescents with lower self-control (-1SD), youth-focused rules negatively predicted procrastination and problematic use, while family-focused rules positively predicted problematic use. For adolescents with higher self-control (+1SD), family-focused rules negatively predicted both difficulties, while youth-focused rules positively predicted problematic use.

This novel comparison of youth-focused and whole-family rules can offer guidance for effective parental mediation of adolescent screen use, as well as ways to tailor rules for children. Youth with lower self-control likely require more specific limits on their use, but adolescents with higher self-control might not. Whole-family rules likely fit well with Chinese adolescents’ family-oriented self-construals (Pomerantz et al., 2009), and might help youth with high self-control to internalize parents’ standards, instead of merely complying with demands (Collier et al., 2016). These preliminary findings require longitudinal and cross-cultural replication, but suggest that parents should consider youth’s individual differences and whole-family characteristics when implementing policies to mediate screen use.

Authors

• Skyler T. Hawk, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
  Presenting Author

• Yan Zhang, Shenzhen University
  Non-Presenting Author