Parental phubbing and adolescent problematic internet use: the mediating roles of parent-child relationship and autonomy

The Internet has become a significant component of daily life, exerting a considerable influence on family dynamics and adolescents' adaptation. Predictive factors and mechanisms underlying problematic internet use among adolescents still require further in-depth research. Consequently, the current study aims to investigate the correlation between parental phubbing and problematic internet use in adolescents, while also exploring the potential roles of parent-child relationship and adolescent autonomy in it. A total of 539 Chinese adolescents (M = 13.38, SD = 0.98) were recruited to complete a comprehensive set of questionnaires. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between parental phubbing and problematic internet use among adolescents. Moreover, the mediating effects of the parent-child relationship and adolescent autonomy were statistically significant, with two distinct paths identified: a chain mediating effect and a simple mediating effect of the parent-child relationship. These findings substantiate a plausible mechanistic model that underlies problematic internet use among adolescents, thereby affirming the applicability of the techno-microsystem theory and the context-process-outcome model in theoretically explaining the intergenerational transmission of problematic media use. Additionally, research has found that Chinese fathers exhibit significantly higher levels of phubbing compared to mothers, but the mechanisms through which both parents influence adolescent internet usage issues remain the same. Based on the findings, practical implications are proposed in the field of prevention and intervention.