Dou Kai, Li Yan-Yu, Wang Meng-Li, Yuan Xue-Qing, Liang Wei-Xuan
1Department of Psychology and Research Center of Adolescent Psychology and Behavior, School of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
3Mental Health and Artificially Intelligent Intervention Research Center of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China.
J Behav Addict. 2025 Sep 2. doi: 10.1556/2006.2025.00074.
Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a concerning public health issue among adolescents. Existing literature has paid attention to the role of singular family risk on PSMU, but how cumulative family risks affect the trajectory of PSMU needs to be further explored.
The current study employed a five-wave longitudinal design that lasted for three years (each time interval: 6, 6, 12, and 12 months) to reveal the longitudinal mechanism between cumulative family risks and the trajectory of PSMU, examining the mediating roles of escape and relationship motivations. This study investigated 1,973 adolescents (Mage = 14.51, SDage = 1.49; age range: 11.95-17.45 years old; 47.4% females; 40% middle school) from southern China at wave 1, and the final sample size was 882 at wave 5.
PSMU among Chinese adolescents presented with a stable tendency. In addition, cumulative family risks positively predicted the initial level (B = 0.21, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001) but not the slopes of PSMU. Moreover, escape motivation mediated the association between cumulative family risks and the trajectory of PSMU (Bintercept = 0.10, SE = 0.01, 95%CI = [0.076, 0.118]; Blinear slope = -0.03, SE = 0.01, 95%CI = [-0.040, -0.019]; Bquadratic slope = 0.004, SE = 0.001, 95%CI = [0.002, 0.006]).
Findings suggest that adolescents who experience cumulative family risks may be more likely to develop PSMU, potentially via the drive to escape from real life. A favorable family environment may be conducive to mitigating adolescent escape motivation and PSMU.
问题性社交媒体使用（PSMU）是青少年中一个令人担忧的公共卫生问题。现有文献关注了单一家庭风险对PSMU的作用，但累积家庭风险如何影响PSMU的轨迹仍有待进一步探索。
本研究采用了为期三年的五波纵向设计（每次时间间隔为6、6、12和12个月），以揭示累积家庭风险与PSMU轨迹之间的纵向机制，检验逃避和关系动机的中介作用。本研究在第一波调查了来自中国南方的1973名青少年（年龄中位数=14.51，标准差年龄=1.49；年龄范围：11.95-17.45岁；47.4%为女性；40%为中学生），第五波的最终样本量为882。
中国青少年的PSMU呈现出稳定的趋势。此外，累积家庭风险正向预测PSMU的初始水平（B = 0.21，标准误 = 0.02，p < 0.001），但不预测其斜率。此外，逃避动机介导了累积家庭风险与PSMU轨迹之间的关联（截距B = 0.10，标准误 = 0.01，95%置信区间 = [0.076, 0.118]；线性斜率B = -0.03，标准误 = 0.01，95%置信区间 = [-0.040, -0.019]；二次斜率B = 0.004，标准误 = 0.001，95%置信区间 = [0.002, 0.006]）。
研究结果表明，经历累积家庭风险的青少年可能更有可能发展为PSMU，可能是通过逃避现实生活的驱动。良好的家庭环境可能有助于减轻青少年的逃避动机和PSMU。
