Association between Electronic Media Use and Internalizing Problems: The Mediating Effect of Parent–Child Conflict and Moderating Effect of Children’s Age

• Published in: Behavioral sciences Vol. 13; no. 8; p. 694
• Main Authors: Geng, Shuliang, Xu, Ke, Liu, Xiaocen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adjustment; Age; Analysis; Anxiety; Behavior; children; Children & youth; electronic media; Families & family life; Hypotheses; internalizing problems; Mental depression; Parents & parenting; parent–child conflict; Social networks; System theory; Teenagers; China
• ISSN: 2076-328X; 2076-328X
• DOI: 10.3390/bs13080694

In today’s digital world, children are exposed extensively to electronic media, making it an integral part of their daily lives. However, excessive use of electronic media during childhood has been associated with various internalizing problems. Moreover, parent–child conflict and children’s age may be closely associated with children’s problem behaviors. The current study employed a cross-sectional design and conducted a questionnaire survey of 711 parents to examine the association between children’s electronic media use and their internalizing problems. Furthermore, this study probed the mediating role of parent–child conflict within this association and the moderating effect of children’s age. The results of structural equation modeling showed a positive correlation between children’s use of electronic media and their internalizing difficulties. Parent–child conflict served as a mediating factor in this association. Results also showed that the association between parent–child conflict and internalizing problems becomes more pronounced as children grow older. These findings imply that parents should encourage their children to develop healthy habits in using electronic media while fostering positive relationships. Parents should also be mindful of the psychological changes as children age and provide guidance to help them become proficient digital citizens.