Trajectories of Problematic Media use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adolescents in Perú

• In Event: Youth Media Use Behaviors during COVID-19: Pre-Pandemic, Early Pandemic Onset, and One Year Later

Abstract

Introduction
Problematic media use (PMU), or the excessive use of digital media that hinders an adolescent’s functioning, has gained concern recently (Domoff et al., 2019). While digital media use has become an increasingly important developmental context for adolescents in recent years (Moreno & Uhls, 2019; Nesi & Prinstein, 2015), the COVID-19 lockdown has amplified both the negative and positive impacts of technology use on well-being as education, entertainment, and social connection have moved mostly online (Pandya & Lodha, 2021). In particular, it is not yet known whether PMU rates changed during the pandemic, and if underlying vulnerabilities are associated with greater screen time or PMU.
Aims and population
The first aim of our study was to investigate rates of PMU in a sample of low-and-middle income adolescents in Perú. Of note, Perú had two full years of remote instruction (2020 and 2021). Our second aim was to investigate whether PMU increased during the early stages of an extended lockdown (April 2020), when compared to baseline data before the pandemic (October 2019). Our third aim was to describe trajectories of PMU across two years of lockdown. Our fourth aim was to investigate the relationship of mental health and PMU.
Methods
The sample consisted 6537 adolescents (52% female) in school grades 6 to 11 (ages 11 – 17). At all time points (Time 1= April 2020, Time 2 = June 2021 and Time 3 = November 2021), participants reported on the Problematic Media Use Measure (Domoff et al., 2019). Linear mixed-effects models were carried out to explore trajectories of PMU when accounting for grade and sex. In a subset of participants (n = 132), we explored whether depression and anxiety symptoms reported before lockdown (October 2019, Time 0, pre-pandemic) predicted PMU scores during the pandemic (April 2020, Time 1), controlling for Time 0 PMU scores, grade, and sex.

Results and Conclusion
The majority of students (92%) endorsed infrequent PMU in April 2020. Overall, there was no general increase in mean PMU scores between Time 0 and Time 1 (t (111) = 1.4, p = .17). However, there was an increase among those who had mental health vulnerabilities at baseline (Time 0; β = .25, p <.01). Further analyses revealed a pronounced increase in PMU between Time 1 and Time 2 (β = .20, p <.001), particularly for girls (β = .19, p <.001). PMU mean scores among boys remained stable throughout all time points (Figure 1). Finally, there was a consistent increase in PMU for older grades across time points (Figure 2).
Underlying mental health concerns, especially for girls, may be a risk factor for PMU, highlighting the importance of scaffolding healthy digital and social media use especially among vulnerable youth. Determining the rates of PMU in the Global South, an area where limited research has considered adolescents’ digital media use during the pandemic, as well as illuminating associations with underlying mental health vulnerabilities, are critical first steps in addressing potential negative impacts of technology on adolescent well-being.

Authors

• Daniela Munoz Lopez, University of Washington

• Sarah E. Domoff, Central Michigan University

• Estelle L. Berger, University of Oregon

• Lucía Magis-Weinberg, University of Washington
  Presenting Author