Bidirectional Within-Family Effects of Restrictive Mediation Practices and Adolescents' Problematic Social Media Use.

Much remains unknown about whether restrictive mediation is an effective parenting strategy to prevent or reduce problematic social media use among adolescents. Therefore, this study examined bidirectional within-family effects between two restrictive mediation practices (rule-setting and reactive restrictions) and problematic social media use using random-intercept cross-lagged panel modeling. Three-wave survey data collected among Dutch adolescents (T1: N = 1928, Mage = 13.31 years, SD = 0.91, 43.3% girl) with a 1 year-interval were used. Results showed that within-family changes in problematic social media use symptoms predicted subsequent within-family changes in perceived parental restrictive mediation. More specifically, an increase in symptoms predicted a decrease in rule-setting and an increase in reactive restrictions 1 year later. Within-family changes in perceived parental restrictive mediation practices did not predict within-family changes in problematic social media use symptoms, suggesting that the relation is unidirectional. However, concluding that limiting adolescents' Internet use is ineffective to prevent problematic social media use would be premature. Future research should investigate whether it may be an effective parenting strategy for a certain subgroup of adolescents or under certain circumstances.

Process Evaluation and Investigation of Cultural Adaptations for an Online Parent-Based Intervention Using a Mixed-Method Approach.

Most alcohol intervention research focuses on program efficacy, yet few studies have investigated the acceptability of a program's design and implementation to the target population or adapting existing alcohol interventions to different populations. To address these gaps in the literature, we (1) examined participant responsiveness to and implementation quality of FITSTART+, a web-app delivered parent-based alcohol intervention designed for incoming first-year college students in the United States, and (2) gathered feedback on how this intervention could be adapted to other populations of parents. A sample of U.S. parents of 17-20-year-old first-year college students (N = 109) participated in FITSTART+ during their child's first year of college and completed a survey about parents' responsiveness to the app and its quality. Next, a sample of non-U.S. parents of adolescents aged 13 to 19 (N = 44) participated in one of 11 focus groups in which they briefly explored the app and then discussed how it could be adapted to be applicable and culturally relevant for them and their context. Results revealed that U.S. parents rated the intervention's quality as high and parents were responsive to the web-app's content, but some did not visit one of the most critical aspects of the intervention (i.e., alcohol-related parenting resources). Non-U.S. participants provided a range of suggestions for adapting the intervention to their context, which varied by culture. Results identify areas for improvement, particularly regarding the use of alcohol-related parenting resources, in this intervention and for web-delivered PBIs more broadly.

Problematic social media use in childhood and adolescence.

At the time of writing, about 4.59 billion people use social media with many adolescents using their social media accounts across a myriad of applications and platforms. According to recent statistics, in 2022 individuals spent an average of 151 minutes on social media each day, illustrating the global relevance of social media (Dixon, 2022a,b). One of the pressing questions, internationally, is whether social media use is harmful and/or addictive. This question is of particular importance because many teenagers - and younger adolescents - spend considerable time on these platforms, which have increasingly become an integral part of their lives. Moreover, considering lifespan development, adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to specific features and advertisements shown to them on social media platforms. Growing prevalence of poor mental health in young people has led to recent recommendations in the United States to routinely screen for anxiety in 8-18 year olds, and for depression and suicide risk for adolescents between 12-18 years of age (US Preventive Services Task Force et al., 2022 a,b) - the conditions often accompanying problematic social media use. The present work not only provides insights into the current state of the literature but provides also recommendations.

From greenwashing to screenwashing?

In this viewpoint, we introduce the term 'screenwashing', which describes the phenomenon whereby social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, pretend to be more socially responsible than they actually are. That is, social media platforms pretend to be thoughtful about children's health and the prevention of problematic social media use, but this often turns out to be nothing more than "a lick of paint". We describe how features like the one-hour notification on TikTok and Instagram are considered screenwashing and why we believe so. Screenwashing, an unethical practice, has the potential to mislead parents and young users. Consequently, we advocate for increased government intervention to protect our youth from the potential hazards associated with problematic social media use.

24-month outcomes of an eHealth universal program for students and parents to prevent adolescent alcohol use: A cluster randomized controlled trial in schools.

Background: Parents play a critical role in delaying adolescent initiation of alcohol and other drug use. However, the majority of prevention programs focus on adolescents only. This study tested the acceptability and effectiveness of an eHealth universal program for students and parents to prevent adolescent alcohol use. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted between 2018 and 2020 with students from one grade level (aged 12-14 years) from 12 Australian secondary schools randomly allocated to the intervention or control conditions. Students accessed a web-based program in class and parents accessed the program online at their convenience. Data were collected via online questionnaires from students (N = 572) and parents (N = 78) at baseline, and 12- and 24- months post baseline. Multilevel, mixed effects regression models were used to analyse student data. Findings: More students in the control group reported having at least one standard alcoholic drink and engaging in heavy episodic drinking in the previous 12 months at both 12- and 24-month follow up compared to students in the intervention, however, these differences were not statistically significant. Students in the intervention group reported greater increases in alcohol-related knowledge, compared to the control students. Qualitative data from parents indicated that they found the program useful, however, the number of parents who enrolled in the research study (13.9 %) was low. Parent engagement increased following implementation of an interactive parent/adolescent homework task. Conclusions: Small sample size, low prevalence of alcohol use and parental engagement, and relatively short follow-up period may have contributed to lack of observed intervention effect, other than on alcohol-related knowledge. Parents who engaged with the program found it useful, however, implementation strategies that encourage parent-child interaction and communication may increase parent engagement for future programs.

Predicting Adolescents' Problematic Social Media Use From Profiles of Internet-Specific Parenting Practices and General Parenting Dimensions.

Although both Internet-specific and general parenting have been linked to adolescents' problematic social media use, until now they have been investigated as separate predictors of this behavior. As specific parenting practices occur in the broader general parenting context, this study examined how different Internet-specific parenting practices (Internet-specific rule setting, reactive restrictions towards Internet use, and co-use) and general parenting dimensions (responsiveness and autonomy-granting) co-occur, and act together in predicting adolescents' problematic social media use. Four-wave data of 400 adolescents (T1: M age = 13.51 years, SD = 2.15, 54% girls) were used. Latent profile analysis identified three parenting profiles: Limiting and less supportive (13.5%), Tolerant and supportive (25.5%), and Limiting and supportive (60.8%). Membership to Tolerant and supportive predicted lower scores on prospective problematic social media use than membership to the other profiles. Besides, membership to Limiting and supportive predicted lower scores on problematic social media use than membership to Limiting and less supportive. No robust moderation effects of adolescents' age and gender were found. These findings suggest that a supportive general parenting context rather than Internet use restrictions should be the focus when considering the prevention of adolescents' problematic social media use.

How Specific is Alcohol-Specific Self-Control? A Longitudinal Study of the Mediating Role of Alcohol-Specific Self-Control in the Relation Between General Self-Control and Adolescent Alcohol Use.

Although accumulating studies indicate that alcohol-specific self-control can be useful in predicting adolescent alcohol use, little is known about its specificity. This longitudinal study aimed to advance our understanding of domain-specific self-control by examining whether alcohol-specific self-control mediates the effect of general self-control on adolescent alcohol use or has generalizing effects by also mediating the effect of general self-control on other behavior requiring self-control (adolescent digital media use and smoking). Data from 906 adolescents aged 11-14 years who were enrolled in the Dutch study Prevention of Alcohol Use in Students were used. Data were collected using online questionnaires at four annual measurements. Structural equation modelling revealed that higher alcohol-specific self-control fully mediated the effect of higher general self-control on alcohol use. Alcohol-specific self-control did not mediate the effect of higher general self-control on digital media use, but did partially mediate the effect of higher general self-control on smoking. These results suggest that alcohol-specific self-control is domain-specific, but not necessarily substance-specific. The domain-specificity of alcohol-specific self-control provides evidence for its theoretical relevance for the explanation of adolescent alcohol use. It also suggests leverage points for intervention programs focusing on improving alcohol-specific self-control to reduce adolescent alcohol use.

Causal mediation analysis: From simple to more robust strategies for estimation of marginal natural (in)direct effects.

This paper aims to provide practitioners of causal mediation analysis with a better understanding of estimation options. We take as inputs two familiar strategies (weighting and model-based prediction) and a simple way of combining them (weighted models), and show how a range of estimators can be generated, with different modeling requirements and robustness properties. The primary goal is to help build intuitive appreciation for robust estimation that is conducive to sound practice. We do this by visualizing the target estimand and the estimation strategies. A second goal is to provide a "menu" of estimators that practitioners can choose from for the estimation of marginal natural (in)direct effects. The estimators generated from this exercise include some that coincide or are similar to existing estimators and others that have not previously appeared in the literature. We note several different ways to estimate the weights for cross-world weighting based on three expressions of the weighting function, including one that is novel; and show how to check the resulting covariate and mediator balance. We use a random continuous weights bootstrap to obtain confidence intervals, and also derive general asymptotic variance formulas for the estimators. The estimators are illustrated using data from an adolescent alcohol use prevention study. R-code is provided.

Examination of risk exposure models during COVID-19 in relation to youth life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms.

This study examined mediation of a negative COVID-impact on the relationship between risk exposure, and life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms in youth (aged 9-18). Four operationalizations of risk exposure were applied; an Additive versus a Cumulative Risk Model (ARM and CRM), risk clusters and the most salient risk factors. Results showed that a stronger negative COVID-impact is related to lower life satisfaction, more internalizing symptoms and higher additive and cumulative risk. ARM and CRM's effect on lower life satisfaction is mediated through negative COVID-impact, though not for internalizing symptoms. Clusters of risk factors and risk factors within clusters significantly related to a stronger negative COVID-impact are the clusters 'Individual factors' (low self-control), 'Parenting' (negative mother-child interaction and low parental responsiveness), 'Maternal mental health' and 'Demographic factors' (low SES and high paternal education). From all significant risk factors, low self-control, low parental responsiveness, negative mother-child interaction and low SES were most salient.

Rules, role models or overall climate at home? Relative associations of different family aspects with adolescents' problematic social media use.

AIM: This study aimed to enhance knowledge on which aspects of the family context are most relevant in identifying at-risk/problematic social media users among adolescents. Therefore, we examined the relative contribution to adolescents' at-risk/problematic social media use (SMU) of general and Internet-specific family factors related to three different family (sub)systems: parent-child (Internet-specific rule-setting, reactive restrictions towards Internet use, co-use, adolescents' involvement in rule-setting and positive parenting), parent (parental screen time, phubbing, stress, anxiety and depression) and family (family functioning, family intactness and SES) (sub)system. METHODS: Questionnaire data came from 403 adolescents (M = 13.51, SD = 2.15) and 396 parents (M = 46.59, SD = 5.29) who participated in wave 1 of the Dutch 'Digital Family project'. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses showed that only factors related to the parent-child subsystem remained significant in predicting being an at-risk/problematic social media user when examining predictors related to the parent-child, parent and family (sub)system simultaneously. Specifically, general and Internet-specific parenting practices contributed to the prediction above and beyond each other. Positive parenting and Internet-specific rule-setting seem protective, while parental reactive restrictions towards Internet use could be a risk factor. Positive parenting showed the largest effect size. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that parental behaviors directed towards the child should be a focus of attention in prevention of adolescents' problematic SMU. In addition, our findings highlight the importance of untangling restrictive mediation (impulsive, in the moment, attempts to limit SMU versus communicating clear rules in advance) when examining its effects.

Youth Sensitivity in a Pandemic: The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Sensitivity, Internalizing Problems, COVID-19 and Parenting.

The personality trait sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is an established risk factor for the development of internalizing problems. Highly sensitive adolescents react stronger to environmental cues including parenting environment and stressful life events. The aim of the current study was to examine if the perceived impact of COVID-19, mediates the link between SPS and internalizing problems. In addition, it was tested if parenting style moderates the mediating effect of perceived COVID-19 impact between SPS and internalizing problems among adolescents. The study had a cross- sectional design and data were collected between April-July 2020 during the first lockdown in the Netherlands. Participants were 404 adolescents aged 9-18 years (Mage = 13.49). Questionnaires were administered online to assess SPS (Highly Sensitive Child Scale), parenting style (Parenting Style Inventory-II), internalizing problems (Patient Health Questionnaire-4) and COVID-19 pandemic impact (COVID-19 impact scale). The SPSS macro PROCESS was used to test the mediation model of perceived COVID-19 impact and the moderated mediation model with parenting style as a moderator. A relationship was found between SPS and internalizing problems which is partly mediated by the COVID-19 impact. The moderating effect of parenting style was not found. These findings provide insight into the effect the pandemic has had on highly sensitive adolescents. Further research is needed to develop and test interventions to support sensitive youth and thus possibly prevent the development of internalizing problems.

A Qualitative Study on Children's Digital Media Use and Parents' Self-interest.

This qualitative study provides insight into the role of parents' self-interest in digital media use of children in different age groups. We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with fathers/mothers of children aged 3-16 years who were recruited via targeted sampling. A deductive and inductive content analysis was applied. Results show that parents' self-interest in letting children use digital media includes being able to do other tasks without being bothered, having some me-time, managing children's behavior, avoiding discussions, having moments to use digital media themselves and spending quality-time together. In addition, we found that the manner in which parents let children use digital media out of self-interest seems to depend on age. With younger children, parents initiate digital media use or set times at which children are allowed to use digital media. With older children, parents use a passive manner by omitting restrictive responses to their children's media use. Current findings can be used to inform interventions aimed at reducing children's screen time.

Validation of the Social Media Disorder Scale in Adolescents: Findings From a Large-Scale Nationally Representative Sample.

Large-scale validation research on instruments measuring problematic social media use (SMU) is scarce. Using a nationally representative sample of 6,626 Dutch adolescents aged 12 to 16 years, the present study examined the psychometric properties of the nine-item Social Media Disorder scale. The structural validity was solid, because one underlying factor was identified, with adequate factor loadings. The internal consistency was good, but the test information was most reliable at moderate to high scores on the scale's continuum. The factor structure was measurement invariant across different subpopulations. Three subgroups were identified, distinguished by low, medium, and high probabilities of endorsing the criteria. Higher levels of problematic SMU were associated with higher probabilities of mental, school, and sleep problems, confirming adequate criterion validity. Girls, lower educated adolescents, 15-year-olds, and non-Western adolescents were most likely to report problematic SMU. Given its good psychometric properties, the scale is suitable for research on problematic SMU among adolescents.

Adolescents' Alcohol Use: Does the Type of Leisure Activity Matter? A Cross-National Study.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between structured, unstructured, and family leisure activities on the frequency of adolescent alcohol intake across three different countries (Spain, Peru, and The Netherlands). The self-control of adolescents was also investigated as a moderator in the relationship between leisure activities and alcohol consumption. METHODOLOGY: This research involved 4608 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 from three countries (Spain, Peru, and The Netherlands). In Spain and Peru, data was collected through a self-report questionnaire which was part of the Your Life project. In The Netherlands, a self-questionnaire was used, collected by the University of Utrecht. A multiple logistic regression was performed for each country. RESULTS: The results showed that participation in unstructured leisure activities increased the likelihood of drinking more frequently and more heavily in all three countries. Structured leisure activities, in general, did not have a significant predictive effect on alcohol consumption in any of the countries. Family leisure activities reduced the risk of engaging in yearly alcohol use and yearly binge drinking among adolescents, especially in The Netherlands and Spain. The protective effect of family leisure and unstructured leisure risk on yearly alcohol use applied especially to Dutch adolescents with a low level of self-control. DISCUSSION: The article emphasizes the need for parents to engage in leisure activities with their child; participation in unstructured activities is not to be encouraged.

Pre-Intervention Effects of a Community-Based Intervention Targeting Alcohol Use (LEF); The Role of Participatory Research and Publicity.

This study explores the impact of the 'pre-intervention effects' of a community-based intervention. This refers to participatory research processes and parallel publicity in the media on changes in alcohol use and relevant mechanisms (rules and norms about alcohol, accessibility of alcohol in a formal setting) among adolescents before any intervention is implemented. The aim was to investigate the contribution of these processes (i.e., pre-intervention effects) to changes in intervention-targeted factors before any actual intervention was implemented. In a quasi-experimental study, data were collected twice by means of self-report among adolescents living in two municipalities (control and experimental condition). A regression analysis showed negative pre-intervention main effects on adolescents' perceived accessibility of alcohol in a formal setting. Moreover, among adolescents aged 15 years and older, the normative decline in strictness of rules and norms was less steep in the experimental condition compared to the control condition. Additionally, adolescents aged 14 years and younger in the experimental condition reported more weekly drinking compared to their peers in the control condition. No differential effects across gender were found. To conclude, applying a co-creational approach in the development of an intervention not only contributes to more effective interventions in the end, but the involvement of and discussions in the community when planning the intervention contribute to changes in targeted factors. This implies that public discussions about the development of intervention strategies should be considered as an essential feature of co-creation in community-based interventions.

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the parental rules toward adolescent drinking questionnaire: Two factors are better than the original one.

The parental rules toward drinking questionnaire (PRQ; Van der Vorst et al., 2005) assesses strictness toward adolescent drinking situations. The aim of the current study was to address a gap in the literature on the psychometric testing and evaluation of the factor structure of the PRQ. The current sample consisted of Dutch adolescents (N = 2922) who participated in a randomized control trial with three intervention groups (parent, student, and parent + student) and a control. PRQ and frequency of alcohol use (past month and year) were measured at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2). Results from Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses revealed two reliable factors: (a) rules about normative drinking situations and (b) rules about non-normative drinking situations (both αs ≥ 0.88). Regression analyses conducted to examine the prospective effects of the interventions revealed that both parent conditions predicted increases in strictness toward normative drinking situations relative to the control condition, while only the parent + student condition affected the original PRQ (single factor). Further, the normative subscale predicted increases in drinking (past month and year), as did the original PRQ. Significant effects with the normative subscale indicate that rules toward these drinking situations are ones that account for the effects in the original PRQ, and that the original PRQ can mask effects. The results illustrate that the PRQ is multidimensional. The effects of the normative subscale suggest that intervention efforts should focus on preventing drinking situations that parents normally permit their adolescents to engage in.

Social Media Use and Adolescents' Sleep: A Longitudinal Study on the Protective Role of Parental Rules Regarding Internet Use before Sleep.

The popularity of social media use among adolescents has raised concerns about the potentially harmful effects of social media use on adolescents' sleep. Since longitudinal research considering this relationship is scarce, the present two-wave longitudinal study of 2021 secondary school students (Mage = 13.86, SD = 1.25) examined whether frequency of social media use and problematic social media use predicted adolescents' bedtime and quality of sleep. Moreover, the protective role of parental rules regarding Internet and smartphone use one hour before sleep was examined. The findings indicated that strict parental rules about Internet and smartphone use before sleep might prevent negative consequences of social media use on bedtime and sleep quality, but only among less engaged social media users. Once adolescents are highly engaged social media users, strict parental rules do not seem to prevent negative media influences on sleep. This implies that limiting Internet accessibility before bedtime can help prevent adolescents' sleep problems, but that regulation is less effective for adolescents who are already highly involved in social media use.

The relative relation between body satisfaction, body investment, and depression among dutch emerging adults.

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the biggest global health problems, especially among emerging adults (18 to 25). A negative body image is a well-known risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms. However, little is known about how different aspects of body image relate to depressive symptoms. Therefore, the current study explores the relation between body satisfaction, body investment, and depressive symptoms, moderated by sex and physical activity, among a non-clinical sample of emerging adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 410 Dutch emerging adults (Mage = 21.95 years, SD = 1.98, 80.60% women) within a convenience sample was used within a hierarchical multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that a higher body satisfaction and more body investment were related to fewer depressive symptoms. This relation was somewhat stronger for body investment than for body satisfaction. Furthermore, the relation between lower body satisfaction and more depressive symptoms was stronger for participants with a lower level of physical activity. No other moderation effects were found. LIMITATIONS: This results should be seen within the light of their limitations. This study used cross-sectional data and therefore no causal relations can be determined. Also, the sample was biased in which mostly highly educated females participated. CONCLUSIONS: However, this research is unique for adding different concepts of body image in one model. The findings propose that interventions regarding depressive symptoms among emerging adults should focus, next to body satisfaction, on the emotional investment in the body and the enhancement of physical activity.

Parental alcohol-specific rules effectively reduce adolescents' tobacco and cannabis use: A longitudinal study.

AIMS: The current study aimed to longitudinally examine the direct and indirect effects (via alcohol use) of parental alcohol-specific rule-setting on adolescent tobacco and cannabis use. Based on the gateway hypothesis, we expected parental alcohol-specific rules to affect adolescent tobacco and cannabis use through adolescent alcohol use. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: A longitudinal design including three waves and 906 Dutch adolescents (Mage = 13.51 years, SD = 0.60) was used to apply zero-inflated Poisson models (ZIP). MEASUREMENTS: Self-report questionnaires measured adolescents' perceived rules about alcohol at T1, cigarette use at T1 and T3 (frequency of life-time and current smoking), cannabis use at T1/T3 (frequency of yearly and monthly use) and frequency of monthly alcohol use at T1/T2. FINDINGS: Stricter alcohol-specific rules at T1 predicted lower incidence and prevalence rates of cigarette (life-time: ß = -0.20, p < .00; current: ß = -0.21, p = .04) and cannabis use (monthly: ß = -0.43, p = .02; yearly: ß = -0.28, p = .19) two years later (T3). This direct effect was no longer significant when alcohol use at T1 was controlled for. Moreover, a significant indirect effect of alcohol-specific rules at T1 on tobacco and cannabis use T3 via monthly alcohol use T2 was found. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrated that strict rules regarding alcohol may not only reduce alcohol but subsequently also other substance use such as tobacco and cannabis. Thus, interventions targeting the prevention of alcohol use, which appears to serve as a gateway, also affects the involvement in other substances.