Achievement perceived, parenting, internet use and adolescent behavior

Abstract

The intensive use of the Internet can contribute to the development of serious psychosocial dysfunctions in adolescents. The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationships between achievement perceived with the leisure use of the internet, parenting, and externalized and internalized problems during adolescence (aggressiveness reactive, proactive, physical and verbal, affiliation with deviant peers and emotional instability). The sample is made of 762 adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (M = 13.69, SD = 1.40), with 52.8% of males and 47.2% of females. The use of internet in leisure time is between 0-98 hours per week. Hence the population has been distributed in quartiles. The variables have been obtained through standardized tests. Statistical analyzes are descriptive and predictive methodology. The analyses carried out have allowed us to obtain three conclusions. First, the number of hours of internet for recreational purposes is related to worse achievement perceived of the adolescent. Second, it has been found that adolescents who use Internet intensively greater perceived permissiveness of the parents and a lower support and communication with them. These adolescents present an increased risk of joining deviant peers and have higher rates of emotional instability and aggressiveness (reactive, proactive, and physical and verbal). Third, more punitive parenting, aggressiveness and affiliation with deviant peers boost the intensive use of the internet. This empirical research corroborates the need for adequate training aimed at fostering parental-child support and communication to educate the rational and responsible use of the Internet by both parents and adolescents.