The Social Media Disorder Scale

AbstractThere is growing evidence that social media addiction is an evolving problem, particularly among adolescents. However, the absence of an instrument measuring social media addiction hinders further development of the research field. The present study, therefore, aimed to test the reliability and validity of a short and easy to administer Social Media Disorder (SMD) Scale that contains a clear diagnostic cut-off point to distinguish between disordered (i.e. addicted) and high-engaging non-disordered social media users.Three online surveys were conducted among a total of 2198 Dutch adolescents aged 10 to 17. The 9-item scale showed solid structural validity, appropriate internal consistency, good convergent and criterion validity, sufficient test-retest reliability, and satisfactory sensitivity and specificity. In sum, this study generated evidence that the short 9-item scale is a psychometrically sound and valid instruments to measure SMD

Why We Can’t Stop: The Impact of Rewarding Elements in Videogames on Adolescents’ Problematic Gaming Behavior

This study explored the association between rewarding elements in videogames and adolescents’ problematic gaming behavior, evaluating the extent to which individual vulnerabilities amplify this relationship. In a two-cohort-design the impact of rewarding elements on adolescents’ problematic gaming was investigated: the first cohort consisted of 2708 secondary school students (53.9% male, M = 13.9 SD = 1.20), and the second cohort of 1616 (54.2% male, M = 14.7 SD = 1.28). As the type of games that participants were playing differed over time, the second cohort was treated as a replication of the first one. Results revealed that random, social, and contingencies rewards were associated with adolescents’ problematic gaming in both cohorts. Games including these rewards were associated with an increased risk for problematic game-play. Moreover, results indicated that the association between contingencies rewards and problematic gaming behavior was stronger for adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, while the association between social rewards and problematic gaming was stronger for adolescents with social problems. This study contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms that can explain why certain adolescents, particularly those with ADHD and/or socially vulnerable, are riskier to develop problematic gaming. These insights can contribute to a more tailored prevention and treatment approach aiming at problematic gaming among adolescents

The influence of parents and peers on adolescents’ problematic social media use revealed

Nowadays, parents, caretakers, teachers and researchers have an increasing interest in the development and consequences of problematic social media use, especially among adolescents. A growing body of research investigates factors that may influence the development of problematic social media use. This study examined the role of the broader context of parental (time spent with parents and family support), peer (peer support and peer pressure), and individual factors (perceived self-control) in the development of adolescents' risky and problematic social media use (ref = normative), as well as the moderating role of self-control by using a longitudinal design. Adolescents (N = 1384) aged 11–19 years (Mage = 14.1, SD = 1.03) were included and completed a self-report questionnaire twice (6-month interval). A Multinomial Logistic Regression showed that parent and peer factors predicted risky social media use, but not problematic use of social media. Adolescents’ level of self-control did not modify these relationships. However, low self-control did increase the odds of developing risky or problematic social media use directly. In conclusion, this study provides preliminary evidence that general parent and peer factors can help to prevent risky social media use, but to a lesser extent problematic use of social media. For the latter, the individual factor self-control, however, seems to play a role

Problematic smartphone use and the quantity and quality of peer engagement among adolescents: A longitudinal study

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has recently attracted a lot of attention, especially among adolescents. The knowledge about the role peer engagement might play in the development of PSU is still limited. We aimed to investigate the bidirectional relationships between PSU, the quantity of online (i.e., passive and active social media messaging on smartphone) and offline peer engagement (i.e., intensity of face-to-face meeting with friends) and the quality of peer engagement (i.e., perceived competence in close friendships) among adolescents. Data from a three-wave longitudinal study among 2100 Dutch high school students (56.7% boys) was used. Cross-lagged models indicated that: (1) perceived competence in close friendships at T1 negatively predicted PSU at T2 and PSU at T2 negatively predicted perceived competence in close friendships at T3; (2) there were positive and reciprocal cross-lagged correlations between PSU and passive social media messaging on smartphone; (3) there were positive and reciprocal cross-lagged correlations between intensity of face-to-face meeting with friends and active social media messaging on smartphone. This implies that adolescents who perceive a low competence in close friendships and/or intensively check their smartphone for messages from their peers may be particularly vulnerable to developing problematic smartphone use over time

The bidirectional relationships between fear of missing out, problematic social media use and adolescents’ well-being: A random intercept cross-lagged panel model

Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a societal problem, which impacts adolescents' well-being. Fear of missing out (FoMO) has been suggested as a core risk factor predicting both PSMU and adolescents' well-being. However, longitudinal research on the directionality of these relationships is scarce. The present study aims to fill this knowledge gap by testing the bidirectional relationships between FoMO, PSMU and adolescents’ life satisfaction in the total sample, as well as for girls and boys separately. This study used four-waves annual longitudinal data collected from 2015 to 2019 among Dutch adolescents aged 11–15 years (n = 1419, Mage = 12.5 ± 0.60, 45.9% girls). We applied random intercept cross-lagged panel model(s) to separate within-person level effects from between-person level effects. On the within-person level, findings suggested a unidirectional relationship whereby FoMO increased PSMU during mid-adolescence, but not vice versa. Moreover, low life satisfaction predicted an increase in FoMO during early adolescents. These findings underline that FoMO can be considered a risk factor of PSMU, and that low life satisfaction may be a risk factor for developing FoMO. These insights should be considered in intervention programs developed to effectively prevent unhealthy internet use in adolescents

An Implicit Measure of Sexual Double Standard Endorsement in Emerging Adults: Reliability and Validity Aspects

Psychometric characteristics were investigated of an Implicit Association Test to assess implicit endorsement of the sexual double standard (SDS-IAT) in emerging adults. The reliability of the SDS-IAT was investigated focusing on internal consistency across different phases of the test. Convergent validity of the SDS-IAT was evaluated against the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards in Youth, an explicit measure of SDS, and against gender investment. Divergent validity was evaluated against the personality characteristics of extraversion, neuroticism, and social desirability proneness. Gendered patterns were examined. Attenuation-corrected alphas demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, with alphas ranging for.65–.70. A modest level of explicit SDS endorsement was found in both female and male participants. In line with their explicit SDS level, a modest level of implicit SDS endorsement was found in male participants, whereas a reverse implicit SDS was found among young women. In agreement with our theoretical expectations, we found low convergent validity in multitrait-multimethod analysis of the SDS-IAT with a measure of explicit SDS endorsement, and with general level of investment in gender ideals. Similarly, divergent validity analysis revealed absence of significant correlations with the conceptually unrelated concepts of extraversion, neuroticism, and social desirability proneness, except for extraversion in female participants. The present findings suggest that implicit SDS endorsement can be assessed using the SDS-IAT. The finding that explicit and implicit SDS approvals differ in young female participants, while they align in young male participants, warrants further research

Adolescent use of social media and associations with sleep patterns across 18 European and North American countries

Objective: Over the past decade, concurrent with increasing social media use (SMU), there has been a shift toward poorer sleep among adolescents in many countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the cross-national associations between adolescent SMU and sleep patterns, by comparing 4 different categories of SMU (nonactive, active, intense, and problematic use). Design, setting, and participants: Data were from 86,542 adolescents in 18 European and North American countries that participated in the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged study. Measurements: Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to examine cross-national associations between 4 SMU categories and adolescent sleep duration, bedtime and social jetlag derived from self-reported data. Results: For all countries combined, nonactive SMU was associated with longer sleep, earlier bedtimes, and less social jetlag, compared to active SMU, although the differences were minor. By comparison, intense and problematic SMU were associated with less sleep and later bedtimes on both school and nonschool days, and greater social jetlag, compared to active SMU. While findings were relatively consistent between countries, some differences were observed, suggesting that the national and cultural context may be important in interpreting results. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both intense and problematic SMU are associated with poorer sleep patterns in adolescents across most countries. Further research is needed to identify effective policies, programs, and messaging to promote the healthy use of social media and prevent potential negative impacts on adolescent sleep

From greenwashing to screenwashing? : How the tech industry plays around with children’s future

In this viewpoint, we introduce the term ‘screenwashing’, which describes the phenomenon whereby social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, pretend to be more socially responsible than they actually are. That is, social media platforms pretend to be thoughtful about children’s health and the prevention of problematic social media use, but this often turns out to be nothing more than “a lick of paint”. We describe how features like the one-hour notification on TikTok and Instagram are considered screenwashing and why we believe so. Screenwashing, an unethical practice, has the po- tential to mislead parents and young users. Consequently, we advocate for increased government intervention to protect our youth from the potential hazards associated with problematic social media use

The influence of parents and peers on adolescents’ problematic social media use revealed

Nowadays, parents, caretakers, teachers and researchers have an increasing interest in the development and consequences of problematic social media use, especially among adolescents. A growing body of research investigates factors that may influence the development of problematic social media use. This study examined the role of the broader context of parental (time spent with parents and family support), peer (peer support and peer pressure), and individual factors (perceived self-control) in the development of adolescents' risky and problematic social media use (ref = normative), as well as the moderating role of self-control by using a longitudinal design. Adolescents (N = 1384) aged 11–19 years (Mage = 14.1, SD = 1.03) were included and completed a self-report questionnaire twice (6-month interval). A Multinomial Logistic Regression showed that parent and peer factors predicted risky social media use, but not problematic use of social media. Adolescents’ level of self-control did not modify these relationships. However, low self-control did increase the odds of developing risky or problematic social media use directly. In conclusion, this study provides preliminary evidence that general parent and peer factors can help to prevent risky social media use, but to a lesser extent problematic use of social media. For the latter, the individual factor self-control, however, seems to play a role

Predicting Adolescents’ Problematic Social Media Use From Profiles of Internet-Specific Parenting Practices and General Parenting Dimensions

Although both Internet-specific and general parenting have been linked to adolescents’ problematic social media use, until now they have been investigated as separate predictors of this behavior. As specific parenting practices occur in the broader general parenting context, this study examined how different Internet-specific parenting practices (Internet-specific rule setting, reactive restrictions towards Internet use, and co-use) and general parenting dimensions (responsiveness and autonomy-granting) co-occur, and act together in predicting adolescents’ problematic social media use. Four-wave data of 400 adolescents (T1: M age = 13.51 years, SD = 2.15, 54% girls) were used. Latent profile analysis identified three parenting profiles: Limiting and less supportive (13.5%), Tolerant and supportive (25.5%), and Limiting and supportive (60.8%). Membership to Tolerant and supportive predicted lower scores on prospective problematic social media use than membership to the other profiles. Besides, membership to Limiting and supportive predicted lower scores on problematic social media use than membership to Limiting and less supportive. No robust moderation effects of adolescents’ age and gender were found. These findings suggest that a supportive general parenting context rather than Internet use restrictions should be the focus when considering the prevention of adolescents’ problematic social media use.</p