Child and Youth Development

Open Access: No

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the relationships between parental mediation and Internet addiction, and the connections to cyberbullying,
substance use, and depression among adolescents.

Method: The study involved 1808 junior high school students who completed a questionnaire in Taiwan in 2013.

Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis results showed that adolescents who perceived lower levels of parental attachment were more
likely to experience Internet addiction, cyberbullying, smoking, and depression, while adolescents who reported higher levels of parental
restrictive mediation were less likely to experience Internet addiction or to engage in cyberbullying. Adolescent Internet addiction was
associated with cyberbullying victimization/perpetration, smoking, consumption of alcohol, and depression.

Conclusion: Internet addiction by adolescents was associated with cyberbullying, substance use and depression, while parental restrictive
mediation was associated with reductions in adolescent Internet addiction and cyberbullying.

Relevance

This study found that “the Internet-addicted group reported greater levels of online pornography and violence content exposure than the non-addicted group.” Moreover, “adolescents with an Internet addiction had greater levels of online content risks (online pornography/violence exposure), online contact risks (cyberbullying victimization/perpetration and online sexual solicitation
victimization/perpetration), and health risks” – such as smoking, alcohol use, low self-esteem, and depression – “compared with adolescents who were not addicted to the Internet.”

Citation

Chang, F. C., Chiu, C. H., Miao, N. F., Chen, P. H., Lee, C. M., Chiang, J. T., & Pan, Y. C. (2015). The relationship between parental mediation and Internet addiction among adolescents, and the association with cyberbullying and depression. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 57, 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.11.013