Multidimensional predictors of adolescents’ nonacademic digital media use in the U.S. : Insights from a bioecological perspective
Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
4-2024
Abstract
Using the revised bioecological model, we examined whether three broad factors predict adolescents’ nonacademic media use, with the exception of TV: (a) process factors that highlight a child’s fundamental and proximal interactional activities (e.g., eating meals together); (b) person factors (e.g., age, sex, ethnicity); and (c) contextual factors that delineate a child’s immediate physical and social environments (such as family, school, and community). By analyzing a nationally representative cohort (N = 22,454) of U.S. parents/primary caregivers who completed surveys regarding their children, we identified specific process-person-contextual factors that predict adolescents’ nonacademic screen time. Factors that positively predict screen time include, e.g., age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, anxiety. Those that negatively predict screen time include, e.g., sleep, physical activity, father’s physical health, mother’s mental health, eating meals together, sharing ideas with parents, the child’s active participation in school activities and community service, school safety, and emotional support for parents. Further, we found one age-related developmental process; the beneficial impact of meal sharing on media use was more pronounced in younger adolescents. This underscores the importance of exploring not only individual characteristics but also the broader process and contextual factors that shape adolescents’ nonacademic media use.
Keywords
Adolescents, Media use, Screen time, Mobile devices, Smartphones, Computers, Bioecological model, Process-person-context-time model, National survey of children's health
Discipline
Applied Behavior Analysis | Cognitive Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Journal of Children and Media
Volume
18
Issue
2
First Page
178
Last Page
197
ISSN
1748-2798
Identifier
10.1080/17482798.2024.2334933
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Citation
YANG, Hwajin, YANG, Sujin, YANG, Yingjia, & TANG, Qin Ying Joann.(2024). Multidimensional predictors of adolescents’ nonacademic digital media use in the U.S. : Insights from a bioecological perspective. Journal of Children and Media, 18(2), 178-197.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/4126
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2024.2334933
