A longitudinal study of adolescent Internet addiction: the role of conscientiousness and classroom hostility

Over the last decade, research on Internet Addiction (IA) has increased. However, almost all studies in this area are cross-sectional and do not examine the context in which internet use takes place. Therefore, a longitudinal study examined the role of conscientiousness (as a personality trait) and classroom hostility (as a contextual factor) in the development of IA. The participants comprised 648 adolescents and were assessed over a two-year period (while aged 16–18 years). A three-level hierarchical linear model was carried out on the data collected. Findings revealed that: (i) lower conscientiousness was associated with IA and this did not change over time; and (ii) although being in a more hostile classroom did not initially have a significant effect, it increased girls’ IA vulnerability over time and functioned protectively for boys. Results indicated that the contribution of individual and contextual IA factors may differ across genders and over time. More specifically, although the protective effect of conscientiousness appeared to hold, the over-time effect of classroom hostility increased the risk of IA for girls. These findings are discussed in relation to the psychological literature. The study’s limitations and implications are also discussed

Risks and opportunities for youth in the digital era: a cyber-developmental approach to mental health

Due to continued groundbreaking digital advancements, Internet use has increased significantly. This has led to a heated debate in relation to weighing the many advantages of the technology against its potentially deleterious effects. To address such questions, experts converge on the need for greater knowledge around the way individual differences, partly shaped by an individual’s unique experiences of engaging with the medium, and partly by other real-life experiences, lead to different developmental trajectories. Consequently, the goals of the present review are to (i) broadly describe differences in digital media applications, users, and usage; (ii) introduce the Cyber-Developmental Framework (CDF), as an overarching framework for understanding individual differences in adaptive and maladaptive digital media use among youth; (iii) delineate the cyber-component of this framework in relation to users’ experience of the digital context, their activity within it, as well as their digital self-presence, which may have an impact on their digital media use; and (iv) summarize priorities and future directions through the lens of this CDF. Within this context, this review particularly emphasizes the effect of digital media use on youth’s psychological well-being. It is argued that the trajectory youth will follow in their use of the Internet is a function of the interplay between their characteristics, their proximate and distal contexts, and the particular features of the digital application(s) that the individual is engaged in. The review points to the need to conduct research focusing on better understanding the developmental and digital-context-related influences on youth’s trajectories of Internet use

Draconian policy measures are unlikely to prevent disordered gaming

In August of 2021, China imposed severe restrictions on children’s online gaming time. We argue that such a policy may seem useful on the surface but does not reflect the current evidence concerning prevention of disordered gaming. Videogame play is normal for children worldwide, and like other leisure activities can lead to benefits for the majority and problems for a minority. Problematic or disordered play results from the interaction of multiple risk factors that are not addressed by draconian policy measures. Identifying these factors through stakeholder-engaged research and current evidence will be much more likely to succeed in preventing disordered gaming and promoting youth wellbeing

Problematic mobile phone use and smartphone addiction across generations: the roles of psychopathological symptoms and smartphone use

Contemporary technological advances have led to a significant increase in using mobile technologies. Recent research has pointed to potential problems as a consequence of mobile overuse, including addiction, financial problems, dangerous use (i.e. whilst driving) and prohibited use (i.e. use in forbidden areas). The aim of this study is to extend previous findings regarding the predictive power of psychopathological symptoms (depression, anxiety and stress), mobile phone use (i.e. calls, SMS, time spent on the phone, as well as the engagement in specific smartphone activities) across Generations X and Y on problematic mobile phone use in a sample of 273 adults. Findings revealed prohibited use and dependence were predicted by calls/day, time on the phone and using social media. Only for dependent mobile phone use (rather than prohibited), stress appeared as significant. Using social media and anxiety significantly predicted belonging to Generation Y, with calls per day predicted belonging to Generation X. This finding suggests Generation Y are more likely to use asynchronous social media-based communication, whereas Generation X engage more in synchronous communication. The findings have implications for prevention and awareness-raising efforts of possibly problematic mobile phone use for educators, parents and individuals, particularly including dependence and prohibited use

Risks and resilience in immigrant youth adaptation: Who succeeds in the Greek school context and why?

Positive immigrant youth adaptation in the school context is a sign that development and acculturation are proceeding well. It is also a predictor of positive adult outcomes. Significant diversity has been observed in the adaptive success of immigrant youth, revealing a mixture of risk and paradox. In this article, I draw on data from a three-wave longitudinal project, the Athena Study of Resilient Adaptation, to examine the question of who among immigrant youth succeeds in the Greek school context and why. The study focused on immigrants from Albania and ethnic Greeks from the former Soviet Union. Findings from this study do not support the well-known immigrant paradox, where immigrant youth adaptation is positive and at times better than that of their non-immigrant peers. Instead, immigrant youth adaptation in the school context was worse than that of their Greek peers, both concurrently and over time, and especially with respect to core developmental tasks. Moreover, neither immigrant generation nor ethnic group significantly differentiated these results. Immigrant youth's personal and social capital contributed to individual differences in their adaptation. It is argued that these results may reflect societal-level influences, such as the low tolerance for diversity in Greek society and the almost complete lack of institutionalized educational support. © 2015, © 2015 Taylor & Francis

Resilience among immigrant youth: The role of culture, development and acculturation

The resilient adaptation of immigrant youth in host societies is consequential for their wellbeing and for the prosperity of society. Significant diversity is observed in their adaptation. The key question of this article is “Who among immigrant youth does well and why?”. The adaptation of immigrant youth is examined in a developmental context, through the lens of culture, integrating acculturation and social psychological variables. Culture has been largely neglected in the study of resilience. However, both the definition of positive adaptation and the resources promoting it are to a large extent culture-bound. This argument becomes particularly relevant in the context of migration. Immigrant youth have to navigate between the often-conflicting values and developmental goals of their home and host cultures, in a discriminatory context. This review suggests that culture, development and acculturation are highly intertwined. A cultural developmental science approach would contribute to a better understanding of immigrant youth resilience. © 2018 Elsevier Inc