Emerging adults’ digital technology engagement and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Chase, Gregory E.; Brown, Morgan T.; Jensen, Michaeline

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1023514

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 59 publications

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“…It may also be that the same types of behaviors may be perceived differently when delivered face-to-face versus virtually. Since subjective perceptions of digital interactions often better predict self-reported adjustment than objective assessments (Chase et al, 2022), future research would do well to explore EA’s perceptions of naturalistic text message and face-to-face interactions alongside objective text content (e.g., through mixed methods qualitative interviews; Fletcher et al, 2018) and in-person interaction tasks in order to better inform interventions targeting parenting behaviors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dyadic parent–college student digital interaction styles.

Jensen¹,

Navarro²,

Brown³

et al. 2023

Journal of Family Psychology

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Parents and their emerging adult children are highly connected via mobile phones in the digital age. This digital connection has potential implications for the development of autonomy and sustained parent–child relatedness across the course of emerging adulthood. The present study uses the qualitatively coded content of nearly 30,000 U.S. parent–college student text messages, exchanged by 238 college students and their mothers and fathers over the course of 2 weeks, to identify distinct dyadic parent–emerging adult digital interaction styles across dimensions of responsiveness and monitoring. Results reveal that digital interaction styles are largely consistent across age, gender, and parent education as well as reflective (i.e., texting patterns of parents and emerging adults mirror one another), with little evidence of overparenting profiles. Results also show that those college students who are reciprocally disengaged in text messaging with their parents perceive their parents as less digitally supportive. However, no styles were associated with perceived parental pressure to digitally engage. Findings suggest that the mobile phone is likely a valuable tool to maintain connection with few risks for undermining the privacy and autonomy of emerging adults.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dyadic parent–college student digital interaction styles.

Jensen¹,

Navarro²,

Brown³

et al. 2023

Journal of Family Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Digitally Mediated Racial-Ethnic Socialization Among Black/African American Emerging Adults and Their Caregivers

Jensen,

Martin Romero,

Brown

et al. 2023

Journal of Adolescent Research

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The present study explores the ways Black/African American emerging adult college students (ages 18–20) and their caregivers engage in racial-ethnic socialization via mobile communication technologies, within the context of a minority-serving 4 year university in the Southeastern US. Qualitative integrative analysis of focus groups ( N = 12 Black/African American emerging adults, 67% female, 33% male) and text message content analysis ( N = 11 emerging adults and their 12 caregivers; 82% female, 9% male; 9% undisclosed gender identity) enabled us to understand emerging adults’ subjective experiences of digital RES alongside objective observation of digital RES within the content of all caregiver-emerging adult text messages exchanged over the course of 3 months. Findings suggest that digital racial-ethnic socialization messages are infrequent and largely implicit, that caregivers and emerging adults flexibly cross between social networks and digital platforms to communicate, and that one unique affordance of digital communication is the ability for caregivers and emerging adults to engage in support seeking and provision in real-time. The present study informs future research on how cultural transmission can continue across distance and development with the use of modern communication technologies.

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How Does Digital Integration Influence the Mental Health of Low-Income Populations?

Wen,

Tian

2024

Healthcare

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Background: In recent years, the growing prevalence of digital technology has transformed every aspect of life, including mental health care and support. Digital integration—referring to both access to digital technology and the utilization of digital tools in daily life—has the potential to alleviate existing health inequalities, a phenomenon that has been labeled the ‘digital divide’. It is, therefore, imperative to gain an understanding of the mental health dynamics of vulnerable groups in the context of the digital age if we are to develop effective policies and interventions. Objectives: The present study aimed to expand the existing knowledge base on the impact of digital integration on the mental health of low-income populations, with a specific focus on its association with social participation and the contextual variations observed between urban and rural settings. Methods: A total of 930 Chinese urban and rural low-income residents (≥18 years old) were included in the study using data from the Comprehensive Social Survey of Urban and Rural Low-Income Populations in Hubei Province, China, 2022. Multiple linear regression, generalized propensity score matching, causal step regression, and bootstrap methods were adopted to assess the direct impact of digital integration on the mental health of low-income populations, as well as to test the mediating role of social participation. Results: Digital integration was positively associated with the mental health of low-income populations, particularly reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression among low-income individuals, which remains robust even after accounting for potential selective bias. Social participation played a significant mediating role in the relationship between digital integration and the mental health of low-income populations. Heterogeneity analyses indicated that while digital integration has been demonstrated to markedly enhance mental health outcomes among urban low-income groups, this effect has not been observed in rural low-income populations. Conclusions: The present study contributes to the growing understanding of digital integration as a pathway to reducing mental health inequalities. It is imperative that targeted interventions be implemented to enhance digital integration and, in turn, improve mental health outcomes in low-income communities, particularly in rural areas, where the impact is less discernible.

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Emerging adults’ digital technology engagement and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 3 publications

References 59 publications

Dyadic parent–college student digital interaction styles.

Dyadic parent–college student digital interaction styles.

Digitally Mediated Racial-Ethnic Socialization Among Black/African American Emerging Adults and Their Caregivers

How Does Digital Integration Influence the Mental Health of Low-Income Populations?

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