BackHome
Refresh: OffView Personal Schedule
Individual Submission Summary
Share...

Direct link:

Poster #228 - Longitudinal associations of child behaviors and social media and internet addiction

Sat, March 23, 4:15 to 5:30pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

Introduction

Studies have increasingly associated internalizing problems with social media and internet addiction (Cho et al., 2013; Kim, LaRose & Peng, 2009; Seabrook et al., 2016). Although it is known that externalizing problems have been associated with substance abuse and other difficulties (King, Iacono & McGue, 2004; Myers, Brown & Mott, 1995; Werner & Silbereisen, 2003), few studies have investigated associations with social media and/or internet addiction. Further, little is known on whether childhood internalizing and/or externalizing behaviors predict social media and internet addiction in adolescence.

Recent studies have indicated that externalizing problems may affect adolescents’ interpersonal relationships (Dickson, Marion & Laursen, 2018; Pakarinen et al., 2017). Moreover, studies have shown that poorer quality of family and friendship relationships are linked to problematic internet use (Milani, Osualdella & Di Blasio, 2009). Yet, little is known on whether friendship quality might play a role in the associations between internalizing and/or externalizing behavior and later social media and internet addiction.

The objective of our investigation was to examine the longitudinal associations between childhood internalizing and externalizing behaviors and later social media and internet addiction in adolescence, and whether such associations are mediated by friendship quality.

Methodology

Data were available for 197 children (97 boys) who were interviewed in 2011 at 7-8 years old and completed an online questionnaire in 2017 at 13-14 years old.

At age 7-8 years, the Berkeley Puppet Interview (Measelle & Ablow, 1993) was administered to children to assess self-reported internalizing (depression and anxiety subscale) and externalizing (oppositional defiance subscale) behaviors. This is a semi-structured interview of 20 minutes. Participants were filmed and interviews were coded afterwards.

At age 13-14 years, the Network of Relationships Inventory (Buhrmester & Furman, 2008) was administered during an online questionnaire to assess relationships quality. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (Andreassen et al., 2012) and the Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998) were administered to assess adolescents’ addiction on social media and internet.

Multiple regressions were conducted to examine these associations and possible indirect effects controlling for age and sex. Moderation by sex was tested.

Results

Girls reported higher levels of social media addiction (p=.003). Boys tended to report more oppositional defiance behaviors (p=.067). Depression and anxiety scores in childhood were only associated with internet addiction (β=.151, p<.05) at 13-14 years old. Oppositional defiance behaviors in childhood predicted later social media (B=1.154, p<.01) as well as internet addiction (B=5.572, p<.01). Oppositional defiance behaviors also predicted negative friendship quality (B=.086, p<.05; β=.100, p<.01). There was a significant indirect effect of oppositional defiance behaviors on social media and internet addiction through negative quality of relationships with friends (B=2.117, p<.05; B=7.617, p<.05). When adding relationship quality, associations between oppositional defiance scores and social media and internet addiction scores lessened (B=.972, p<.05; B=4.805, p<.01). Associations were not moderated by sex.

Conclusion

Results suggest an indirect effect between children externalizing behaviors and adolescents’ social media and internet addiction, partially explained by friendship relationship quality. Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine possible mediators of this association among young adolescents.

Authors