Mobile Phone Addiction and Risk-Taking Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Objectives: The mobile phone (MP) is an indispensable digital device in adolescents’ daily lives in the contemporary era, but being addicted to MP can lead to more risk-taking behavior. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. To address the gaps in the literature, the present study examined the idea that MP addiction is associated with reduced self-control, which further associates with increased risk-taking behavior. In addition, this study also investigated the moderation effect of adolescent sex in the association between MP addiction and self-control. Methods: A three-wave longitudinal study, each wave spanning six months apart, was conducted in a sample of Chinese adolescents (final N = 333, 57.4% girls). Results: Results of the moderated mediation model suggest that after controlling for demographic variables and baseline levels of self-control and risk-taking behavior, MP addiction at T1 positively predicted increased risk-taking behavior at T3 through reduced self-control at T2 for girls but not for boys. Conclusions: Theoretically, these findings contribute to the understanding about the working processes in the association between MP addiction and risk-taking behavior in adolescents. Practically, the results implied that boosting self-control appeared as a promising way to reduce girls’ risk-taking behavior, particularly for those who are addicted to MPs.

Core self-evaluation, mental health and mobile phone dependence in Chinese high school students: why should we care

“…Mobile phones can make them avoid contact with others to the greatest extent, and in this way can compensate for the lack of information obtained due to the narrow social network [ 36 , 37 ]. The anonymity of using social software on mobile phones can enable them to escape the negative emotions in real life, and moderate use of mobile phones can regulate negative emotions and obtain a sense of happiness [ 38 , 39 ]. Besides, using the extensive functions of mobile phones for entertainment can make individuals temporarily divert their attention from stress and competition and avoid problems [ 40 , 41 ].…”

Longitudinal association between poor parental supervision and risk‐taking behavior: The role of self‐control and school climate

“…Student sex (0 = female , 1 = male ), student age, and mother's and father's education (1 = primary school , 2 = middle school , 3 = undergraduate , 4 = graduate student ) were included as covariates in all the analyses because their significant associations with risk‐taking behavior have been demonstrated in previous studies (Dou, Wang et al, 2020; Figner et al, 2009).…”

“…In line with this theory, a growing body of research has demonstrated that adolescents with low levels of self‐control are more prone to substance use (Oliva et al, 2019), alcohol abuse (Palm et al, 2021), and aggression (Neaverson et al, 2020). In contrast, adolescents with high levels of self‐control may show more ability to inhibit impulses and delay gratification, resulting in less risk‐taking behavior (Dou, Lin et al, 2020; Dou, Wang et al, 2020; Gottfredson, 2018; Holmes et al, 2019). Consistent with this view, Farley and Kim‐Spoon's (2017) study suggested that parents with less awareness of adolescents' whereabouts were detrimental to adolescents' development of self‐control, thus increasing the risk of drug abuse.…”

Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Fear of Missing Out Scale

“…Smartphone addiction was measured using a Chinese version of the MPAI [ 30 , 31 ]. 17 items (e.g., You always feel that there is not enough time to use your smartphone) were rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always), with higher scores indicating higher addiction severity.…”