IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i17p12967-d1227131.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Problematic Smartphone Use among College Students in China during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mediation Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Zongyu Liu

    (School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China)

  • Shuzhen Wang

    (School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China)

  • Xiuhan Zhao

    (School of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China)

Abstract

Background: Problematic smartphone use has increasingly become the focus of attention in recent years. Although it has been noted that parental psychological control is significantly correlated with teenagers’ social anxiety and problematic smartphone use, little is known about how these factors may interact with college students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether social anxiety mediates the association between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use. Methods: a total of 534 Chinese college students aged 17–25 years (male 59.0%, female 41.0%) participated in the study (M = 20.40, SD = 1.72). The Parental Psychological Control questionnaire, the Social Phobia Inventory, and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale were used to evaluate parental psychological control, social anxiety, and problematic smartphone use, respectively. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis. Results: the results showed that (1) social anxiety was positively correlated with problematic smartphone use among college students, (2) parental psychological control has a significant correlation with college students’ social anxiety, (3) college students’ social anxiety was positively related with problematic smartphone use, and (4) social anxiety plays a mediation role in the association between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use. Conclusions: in conclusion, social anxiety plays a mediating role in the relationship between parental psychological control and problematic smartphone use, and reducing parental psychological control is an effective intervention means to directly or indirectly reduce college students’ problematic smartphone use. In addition, attention should be paid to parenting styles, and measures should be taken to increase social interaction among college students so as to reduce their problematic smartphone use.

Suggested Citation

  • Zongyu Liu & Shuzhen Wang & Xiuhan Zhao, 2023. "Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Problematic Smartphone Use among College Students in China during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mediation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-16, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12967-:d:1227131
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/17/12967/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/17/12967/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wen-Xia Tong & Bo Li & Shan-Shan Han & Ya-Hui Han & Shu-Qiao Meng & Qiang Guo & You-Zhi Ke & Jun-Yong Zhang & Zhong-Lei Cui & Yu-Peng Ye & Yao Zhang & Hua-Lan Li & He Sun & Zhan-Zheng Xu, 2022. "Current Status and Correlation of Physical Activity and Tendency to Problematic Mobile Phone Use in College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Shuang Lin & Chengfu Yu & Jun Chen & Jing Sheng & Yousong Hu & Lin Zhong, 2020. "The Association between Parental Psychological Control, Deviant Peer Affiliation, and Internet Gaming Disorder among Chinese Adolescents: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-13, November.
    3. So-Young Park & Sonam Yang & Chang-Sik Shin & Hyunseok Jang & So-Youn Park, 2019. "Long-Term Symptoms of Mobile Phone Use on Mobile Phone Addiction and Depression Among Korean Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-11, September.
    4. Guan Yang & Guang-xin Tan & Yue-xiang Li & Hai-ying Liu & Song-tao Wang, 2019. "Physical Exercise Decreases the Mobile Phone Dependence of University Students in China: The Mediating Role of Self-Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Carmen Viejo & Mercedes Gómez-López & Rosario Ortega-Ruiz, 2018. "Adolescents’ Psychological Well-Being: A Multidimensional Measure," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-22, October.
    6. Daniel T. L. Shek & Diya Dou, 2020. "Perceived Parenting and Parent-Child Relational Qualities in Fathers and Mothers: Longitudinal Findings Based on Hong Kong Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-20, June.
    7. Mengyao Shi & Xiangyu Zhai & Shiyuan Li & Yuqing Shi & Xiang Fan, 2021. "The Relationship between Physical Activity, Mobile Phone Addiction, and Irrational Procrastination in Chinese College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-12, May.
    8. Yi-Ying Wu & Wen-Huei Chou, 2023. "A Bibliometric Analysis to Identify Research Trends in Intervention Programs for Smartphone Addiction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-16, February.
    9. Jesús Muyor-Rodríguez & Francisco Caravaca-Sánchez & Juan Sebastián Fernández-Prados, 2021. "COVID-19 Fear, Resilience, Social Support, Anxiety, and Suicide among College Students in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-14, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabella Romano & Mark A. Ferro & Karen A. Patte & Ed Diener & Scott T. Leatherdale, 2020. "Measurement Invariance of the Flourishing Scale among a Large Sample of Canadian Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Marta Malinowska-Cieślik & Joanna Mazur & Hanna Nałęcz & Agnieszka Małkowska-Szkutnik, 2019. "Social and Behavioral Predictors of Adolescents’ Positive Attitude towards Life and Self," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Zhiqiang Ren & Jianyi Tan & Baoying Huang & Jinqun Cheng & Yanhong Huang & Peng Xu & Xuanbi Fang & Hongjuan Li & Dongmei Zhang & Yanhui Gao, 2022. "Association between 24-Hour Movement Behaviors and Smartphone Addiction among Adolescents in Foshan City, Southern China: Compositional Data Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-13, August.
    4. Diya Dou & Daniel T. L. Shek & Ka Ho Robin Kwok, 2020. "Perceived Paternal and Maternal Parenting Attributes among Chinese Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-19, November.
    5. Xiong, Sicheng & Zhang, Anqi & Zhang, Bin & Xu, Yi, 2023. "Patterns of smartphone addiction in adolescents and their association with multiple ecological factors: A latent profile analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    6. Dorica Sajber & Dora Maric & Jelena Rodek & Damir Sekulic & Silvester Liposek, 2019. "Toward Prevention of Doping in Youth Sport: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Correlates of Doping Tendency in Swimming," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Hao Li & Xiong Gan & Xin Li & Ting Zhou & Xin Jin & Congshu Zhu, 2022. "Diathesis stress or differential susceptibility? testing the relationship between stressful life events, neuroticism, and internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-12, January.
    8. Qiao Liang & Chengfu Yu & Qiang Xing & Qingqi Liu & Pei Chen, 2021. "The Influence of Parental Knowledge and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction on Peer Victimization and Internet Gaming Disorder among Chinese Adolescents: A Mediated Moderation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, March.
    9. Qiongwen Zhang & Daniel T. L. Shek & Yangu Pan, 2021. "Parent-Child Discrepancies in Perceived Parent-Child Communication and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    10. Chang Wei & Jingjing Li & Chengfu Yu & Yanhan Chen & Shuangju Zhen & Wei Zhang, 2021. "Deviant Peer Affiliation and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents: Depression as a Mediator and Sensation Seeking as a Moderator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-10, August.
    11. Wei Tu & Hui Jiang & Qingqi Liu, 2022. "Peer Victimization and Adolescent Mobile Social Addiction: Mediation of Social Anxiety and Gender Differences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-12, September.
    12. Gengfeng Niu & Siyu Jin & Fang Xu & Shanyan Lin & Zongkui Zhou & Claudio Longobardi, 2022. "Relational Victimization and Video Game Addiction among Female College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Social Anxiety and Parasocial Relationship," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Yansong Li & Qilong Sun & Mingzhe Sun & Peishuai Sun & Qihui Sun & Xue Xia, 2021. "Physical Exercise and Psychological Distress: The Mediating Roles of Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Learning Burnout among Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, September.
    14. Guan Yang & Rulan Shangguan & Yuanyuan Ke & Songtao Wang, 2022. "The Influence of Acute Aerobic Exercise on Craving Degree for University Students with Mobile Phone Dependency: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, July.
    15. Mohsen Saffari & Jung-Sheng Chen & Hung-Ching Wu & Xavier C. C. Fung & Chih-Cheng Chang & Yen-Ling Chang & Ruckwongpatr Kamolthip & Marc N. Potenza & I-Ching Lin & Chung-Ying Lin, 2022. "Effects of Weight-Related Self-Stigma and Smartphone Addiction on Female University Students’ Physical Activity Levels," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-11, February.
    16. Zhang, Qi & Ma, Xiaofeng, 2024. "The associations between destructive parenting practice and addiction behaviors in internet and smartphone: A three-level meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    17. Pilar Ridao & Isabel López-Verdugo & Carmen Reina-Flores, 2021. "Parental Beliefs about Childhood and Adolescence from a Longitudinal Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.
    18. Mònica González-Carrasco & Marc Sáez & Ferran Casas, 2020. "Subjective Well-Being in Early Adolescence: Observations from a Five-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-20, November.
    19. Xiao-Pan Xu & Qing-Qi Liu & Zhen-Hua Li & Wen-Xian Yang, 2022. "The Mediating Role of Loneliness and the Moderating Role of Gender between Peer Phubbing and Adolescent Mobile Social Media Addiction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-10, August.
    20. Xu Chen & Ling Li & Gangwu Lv & Hui Li, 2021. "Parental Behavioral Control and Bullying and Victimization of Rural Adolescents in China: The Roles of Deviant Peer Affiliation and Gender," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-13, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:12967-:d:1227131. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.