Citation

White-Gosselin C, Poulin F. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 2024; 56(1): 61-69.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/cbs0000326

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The pervasiveness of social media in the lives of young adults raises concerns about the potential of problematic use. Social media addiction is likely to affect positive and negative aspects of the relationships quality with mothers and fathers but mechanisms explaining these associations remain unknown. Participants in this study (N = 435; Mage = 19.17; SD = 0.30) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and reported their symptoms of anxiety, depression, and the quality of the relationship with mothers and fathers (i.e., conflict, satisfaction, equality). Considering important confounding variables, results of a path analysis model show that the level of social media addiction is related to high conflict, low satisfaction and low equality with father, and high conflict and low equality with mother. Moreover, social media addiction is positively linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Finally, anxiety and depression mediate the links between social media addiction and conflict, satisfaction and equality with the mother, and conflict and satisfaction with the father. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying the associations between social media addiction and the relationship with parents in young adults. Theoretical explanations and practical implications are proposed in discussion. Future research should use a longitudinal design to support this mediating effect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

Addiction; Anxiety; Emerging Adulthood; Family Relations; Internalization; Internet Addiction; Major Depression; Parents; Relationship Quality; Social Media