Prediction of Social Media Addiction Among Female Adolescents Based on Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Parental Psychological Control

Abstract

Background: Conflictual parent-adolescent interactions and parental psychological control to limit adolescents’ activities make them avoid their parents and then try to fill this emotional gap in other settings such as social media and networks. Objectives: The present study aimed to predict social media addiction among female adolescents based on parent-adolescent conflict and parental psychological control. Materials and Methods: Participants in this study were 412 female adolescents in Ahvaz city, who were divided into two groups: (1) with social media addiction (206 persons); and (2) without social media addiction (206 persons). The participants completed the Social Media Addiction Scale, Parent-Adolescent Conflict Scale, and Psychological Control Scale-Youth Self-Report. The data were analyzed with SPSS 25 software. Results: Discriminant analysis showed that the levels of parent-adolescent conflict (conflict with the father and mother) and parental psychological control were significantly different between the two groups of adolescents (i.e., with and without social media addiction). Furthermore, parent-adolescent conflict and parental psychological control, either alone or together, could predict social media addiction among adolescents. Conclusions: Conflict between parents and adolescents and parental psychological control can gradually push adolescents toward addiction to social media. Accordingly, it is important to pay attention to parent-adolescent conflict and parental psychological control in order to prevent social media addiction among adolescents.