Children's excessive digital media use, mental health problems and the protective role of parenting during COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107559Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Israeli children and their parents reported high rates of digital media use and mental health difficulties during COVID-19..

  • Digital media addiction, but not the frequency of use, was linked to emotional, behavioral, and academic difficulties.

  • Negative parenting and behavioral dysregulation increased the risk of digital media addiction.

  • Programs intending to reduce youth digital media addiction should focus on the quality of the parent–child relationship.

Abstract

COVID-19's outbreak in March 2020 and the social distancing measures that followed it changed the lives of children worldwide. Studies assessing the pandemic's implications for children have reported an alarming increase in the use of digital media (DM) and warned of its adverse impacts on children's functioning and development. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between excessive and problematic DM use and emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning among Israeli adolescents during COVID-19 and to identify adolescents at elevated risk of developing problematic DM use. Three hundred forty-seven Israeli parent–child dyads (M age = 11.81, SD = 1.41) separately completed measures assessing children's DM use (time and addiction), functioning (academic, social, emotional, and behavioral), behavioral dysregulation, and the parents' parenting practices. The results showed that DM addiction, but not DM use, was related to children's emotional, behavioral, and academic difficulties. Moreover, the results indicated that negative parenting and behavioral dysregulation increased the risk of DM addiction, which in turn increased emotional, behavioral, and academic difficulties. The results underscored parents' role in preventing problematic DM use and highlighted the need to treat DM use and problematic DM use as distinct constructs.

Keywords

Digital media
Parent–child relationship
Screen addiction
Emotional and behavioral difficulties
COVID-19

Data availability

The data that has been used is confidential.

Cited by (0)

We would like to thank Yehuda Pollak, Ph.D. for his wise advice throughout the project.

View Abstract