Internet Addiction: A Closer Look at Multidimensional Parenting Practices and Child Mental Health

Abstract

This study aimed to examine how both psychosocial variables (authoritative, authoritarian, and shaming, and parent-child relationships) and psychological symptoms were associated with Internet addiction, while controlling for the sociodemographic variable (child gender). A national proportionately stratified random sample of 6,233 fourth-grade primary school students in Taiwan participated in the study. Hierarchical regression models were performed to test the research hypotheses. The results show that psychological symptoms, authoritarian parenting, and shaming were positively associated with Internet addiction, whereas authoritative parenting and positive parent-child relationship were negatively associated with Internet addiction. Girls had lower levels of Internet addiction than boys. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the direct effects of child mental health status, multidimensional parenting practices, and family relationship on Internet addiction in children, and the importance of early individual-and family-based prevention and intervention in addressing related public health concerns of Internet addiction in children. The cultural perspectives of parenting and implications of these findings are discussed.

Multidimensional Correlates of Parental Self-Efficacy in Managing Adolescent Internet Use among Parents of Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

“…We found that adolescents’ ODD symptoms and Internet addiction were negatively associated with parental efficacy, whereas parental care was positively associated with parental self-efficacy in managing adolescent Internet use after accounting for several covariates. Our findings are consistent with transactional theory [ 4 ], which holds that children may play an active role in influencing parental behavior and self-efficacy, whereas parenting behaviors may also influence children’s externalizing behaviors and risks of Internet addiction [ 31 ]. Finally, the present study highlights the need for family-based interventions among adolescents with ADHD and the importance of recognizing signs and symptoms of Internet addiction, empowering and providing parents with parenting resources and tools, and improving parental self-efficacy.…”

“…According to transactional theory [ 48 ], a set of ongoing interactions between a child and parent results in the modification of each other’s behaviors. Although parenting behaviors influence children’s externalizing behaviors and risks of Internet addiction [ 31 , 49 ], children may also play an active role in influencing parental behaviors and self-efficacy. The results confirmed our hypothesis that the level of adolescent Internet addiction was negatively associated with parental self-efficacy in managing adolescent Internet use.…”

“…Previous research has documented that parental behaviors play a vital role in predicting children’s and adolescents’ psychological and behavioral adjustment [ 29 ]. For example, Hsieh and coworkers found that parents’ physical and psychological neglect and authoritarian parenting and shaming were positively associated with children’s Internet addiction, whereas authoritative parenting and positive parent–child relationships were negatively associated with children’s Internet addiction [ 30 , 31 ]. Although complex associations between parents’ and children’s behaviors were mostly studied in parental influence and view children as passive recipients of parental behaviors [ 32 ], children may actively influence parental behavior and self-efficacy.…”

Social Networking Addiction Among Hong Kong University Students: Its Health Consequences and Relationships With Parenting Behaviors

“…This counterintuitive finding may actually reflect a reverse causality, i.e., parents simply engage in more restrictive behaviors after observing their children's addictive use of SNSs. Previous studies showed inconsistent findings where parental restrictive mediation was found to be positively ( 79 , 80 ), negatively ( 41 , 81 ), or insignificantly ( 82 ) related to their children's addictive use of Internet. Researchers have proposed that the association between parental mediation strategies and their children's behavior may be further moderated by other factors ( 37 , 82 – 84 ).…”

Education for Parents of Children with Gadget Addiction

“…Formally speaking, internet addiction is the excessive use of time spent on internet activities that can cause a decrease in the psychological condition of individuals (both mental and emotional), behavioral disorders, and negative impacts on social interactions, work and daily life. Many children spend time with gadgets rather than socializing, making children in the current era prefer to use gadgets as their "playground" rather than playing outside with friends (Hsieh et al, 2018).…”