Bidirectional effects of Internet-specific parenting practices and compulsive social media and Internet game use

Abstract

Introduction: This two-wave prospective study investigated the bidirectional relation between Internet-specific parenting (reactive restrictions, Internet-specific rules, and frequency and quality of communication about Internet) and adolescents' symptoms of social media disorder (SMD) and Internet gaming disorder (IGD). In addition, we investigated whether this relation was different for boys and girls. Methods: A sample of 352 adolescents (48.9% boys, Mage = 13.9, SDage = 0.74, range: 11-15) completed questionnaires at two waves. Zero-inflated cross-lagged analyses in Mplus were performed to predict the level of IGD and SMD symptoms by Internet-specific parenting practices and vice versa, while controlling for age, level of education, and outcome at T1. Results: More frequent parent-adolescent communication about Internet predicted more IGD (β = 0.26, p =.03) and SMD symptoms among boys, and more restrictive rules predicted fewer SMD symptoms among girls (β =-0.23, p =.08). More IGD symptoms predicted more reactive rules (β = 0.20, p =.08) among boys and girls and a higher frequency (β = 0.16, p =.02) and lower quality of communication (β =-0.24, p