About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 24. Technology, Media & Child Development

Abstract

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Background: While digital technology provides significant benefits and opportunities, problematic Internet use (PIU) has emerged as a growing concern, particularly during adolescence—a developmental stage marked by increased vulnerability to social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Despite growing awareness, research on effective PIU prevention strategies remains limited. Identifying longitudinal risk and protective factors that influence PIU is crucial for developing targeted prevention efforts. Thus, this meta-analysis aimed to synthesize longitudinal studies to identify key risk and protective factors predicting the development of PIU among adolescents and quantify their overall impact, offering valuable insights for prevention and intervention strategies.

Methods: Following a comprehensive screening of 3,080 studies from ten databases (nine in English, one in Chinese), this meta-analysis included data from 1,393,365 adolescents (Mean baseline age = 14.51) across 145 longitudinal studies conducted in Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North America. We analyzed 1,162 effect sizes using a multilevel meta-analytic approach, accounting for the dependence of multiple effect sizes within individual studies. Cross-lagged regression coefficients were estimated to identify longitudinal risk and protective factors that contribute to the development of PIU and to quantify the strength of their causal relationships.

Results: A total of 52 risk factors and 29 protective factors were identified. Resilience (β = -0.19, p < 0.05) emerged as the strongest protective factor, followed by social-emotional competencies such as self-management (β = -0.12, p < 0.01) and psychological capital (β = -0.07, p < 0.05). Positive relationships with teachers, peers, and parents also played a significant role in protecting adolescents from developing PIU. On the other hand, internalizing problems such as need frustration (β = 0.16, p < 0.05), psychological distress (β = 0.13, p < 0.05), and emotional dysregulation (β = 0.10, p < 0.05) were the strongest predictors of PIU. In addition, Internet-related factors such as maladaptive cognition (β = 0.14, p < 0.01) and Internet use gratification (β = 0.12, p < 0.01) also significantly predicted PIU development. Interestingly, externalizing problems were less predictive of PIU compared to internalizing issues. Furthermore, traditional parental control measures, such as limiting Internet use, had minimal effects on PIU prevention (β = -0.003, p = 0.85), while positive parental attitudes toward Internet use were significantly associated with lower adolescents’ PIU (β = -0.04, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this meta-analysis offers the most comprehensive synthesis of longitudinal risk and protective factors of PIU to date. While effect sizes were generally small, they were robust by controlling for adolescent baseline PIU level. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening protective factors such as resilience and social-emotional competencies, while addressing internalizing problems, maladaptive Internet-related cognitions, and Internet use gratification as key strategies for PIU prevention. The results further suggest a need to shift from restrictive Internet-use controls to resilient strategies that equip adolescents with the competencies to use technology responsively, such as social-emotional learning programs. These findings have important implications for parents, educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers in developing holistic approaches to adolescent digital well-being.

Author information

Author	Role
Ms. Hui Hu, The University of Hong Kong, Department of Social Work & Social Administration	Presenting author
Yinan Ji, Qingdao University of Technology, Department of Social Work	Non-presenting author
Juyeon Lee, The University of Hong Kong, Department of Social Work & Social Administration	Non-presenting author
Shuang Lu, University of Central Florida, School of Social Work	Non-presenting author
Yinkai Zhang, The University of Hong Kong, Department of Social Work & Social Administration	Non-presenting author

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