Predictors of problematic cell phone use among Costa Rican adolescents

Main Article Content

Rolando Pérez-Sánchez, Ph. D.
Matías Dodel, Ph. D.

Abstract

(analytical)
This study aimed to research the effects of family support and peer group support, along with the life satisfaction, on the problematic use of cell phones among costa rican adolescents. Based on data from the national survey Global Kids Online, structural equation models were developed in order to predict the problematic use of cell phones of adolescents investigated in this study (M=14.8, n = 530). The main findings indicate that peer support has a positive and direct correlation with the problematic use of the cell phone, while the perception of the life satisfaction is correlated in the opposite direction, functioning as a protective factor. Peer and family support have an indirect protective effect against the problematic use of cell phones, stronger in the case of family support.


Keywords: Problematic use of the cell phone; family support; peer groups support; life satisfaction; adolescence; Global Kids Online.

Article Details

How to Cite
Predictors of problematic cell phone use among Costa Rican adolescents. (2024). Revista Latinoamericana De Ciencias Sociales, Niñez Y Juventud , 21(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.11600/rlcsnj.21.1.5525
Section
Monográfico: Infancias y Juventudes en Centroamérica
Author Biographies

Rolando Pérez-Sánchez, Ph. D., Universidad de Costa Rica

Psicólogo Social. Doctor en Psicología Social, JWG Universidad de Frankfurt, Alemania. Profesor Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica. 0000-0001-6321-2543. H5: 9. Correo electrónico: rolando.perez@ucr.ac.cr

Matías Dodel, Ph. D., Universidad Católica del Uruguay

Sociólogo. Doctor en Sociología, Universidad de Haifa, Israel. Profesor Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Católica del Uruguay. 0000-0002-1724-9609. H5: 13. Correo electrónico:
matias.dodel@ucu.edu.uy

How to Cite

Predictors of problematic cell phone use among Costa Rican adolescents. (2024). Revista Latinoamericana De Ciencias Sociales, Niñez Y Juventud , 21(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.11600/rlcsnj.21.1.5525

References

Arnarsson, A., Nygren, J., Nyholm, M., Torsheim, T., Augustine, L., Bjereld, Y., Nielsen, L., & Bendtsen, P. (2019). Cyberbullying and traditional bullying among Nordic adolescents and their impact on life satisfaction. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 48(5), 502-510. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494818817411

Best, H., & Wolf, Ch. (2015). Regression analysis and causal inference. Sage.

Billieux, J., Maurage, P., López-Fernández, O., Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). Can disordered mobile phone use be considered a behavioral addiction? An update on current evidence and a comprehensive model for future research. Current Addiction Reports, 2, 154-162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-015-0054-y

Cabello-Hutt, T., Cabello, P., & Claro, M. (2018). Online opportunities and risks for children and adolescents: The role of digital skills, age, gender and parental mediation in Brazil. New Media & Society, 20(7), 2411-2431. https://doi.org/gc92vs

Cabello, P., Claro, M., Lazcano, D., Cabello-Hutt, T., Antezana, A., & Ochoa, J. (2019). Global Kids Online: Chile. Chilean children's internet use and online activities: A brief report. https://bit.ly/3hvx18T

Calmeiro, L., Camacho, I., & De Matos, M. (2018). Life satisfaction in adolescents: The role of individual and social health assets. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 21(E23), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2018.24

Cantril, H. (1965). The patterns of human concerns. Routledge. Casale, S., Fioravanti, G., Benucci, S., Falone, A., Ricca, V., & Rotella, F. (2022). A meta-analysis on the association between self-esteem and problematic smartphone use. Computers in Human Behavior, 134, 107302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107302

Cavanaugh, A. M., & Buehler, C. (2016). Adolescent loneliness and social anxiety: The role of multiple sources of support. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33(2), 149-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407514567837

Coyne, S. M., Rogers, A. A., Zurcher, J. D., Stockdale, L., & Booth, M. (2020). Does time spent using social media impact mental health?: An eight year longitudinal study. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.106160

Duru, E., & Balkis, M. (2018). Exposure to school violence at school and mental health of victimized adolescents: The mediation role of social support. Child Abuse & Neglect, 76, 342-352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.11.016

Fischer-Grote, L., Kothgassner, O. D., & Felnhofer, A. (2021), The impact of problematic smartphone use on children's and adolescents' quality of life: A systematic review. Acta Pædiatrica, 110(5), 1417-1424. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15714

Fridh, M., Lindstróm, M., & Rosvall, M. (2015). Subjective health complaints in adolescent victims of cyber harassment: moderation through support from parents/friends - a Swedish population-based study. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 949. https://doi.org/ 10.1186/s12889-015-2239-7

Fu, L., Wang, P., Zhao, M., Xie, X., Chen, Y., Nie, J., & Lei, L. (2020). Can emotion regulation difficulty lead to adolescent problematic smartphone use? A moderated mediation model of depression and perceived social support. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104660

Gariepy, G., Honkaniemi, H., & Quesnel-Vallee, A. (2016). Social support and protection from depression: systematic review of current findings in Western countries. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(4), 284-293. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.115.169094

Ghosh, P. (2020). Smartphone addiction: A new disorder or just a hype. Indian Journal of Mental Health, 7(2), 1-5.

Global Kids Online. (2022, septiembre). Children's rights in the digital age. http://globalkidsonline.net/

Hayes, A. F. (2009). Beyond Baron and Kenny: Statistical mediation analysis in the new millennium. Communication Monographs, 76(4), 408-420. https://doi.org/dtshrq

Hefner, D., Knop, K., Schmitt, S., & Vorderer, P. (2018). Rules? Role model? Relationship? The impact of parents on their children's problematic mobile phone involvement. Media Psychology, 22(1), 82-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2018.1433544

Hooper, D., Coughlan, J., & Mullen, M. (2008). Structural equation modelling: Guidelines for determining model fit. The Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 6(1), 53-60.

Inchley, J., Currie, D., Young, T., Samdal, O., Torsheim, T., Augustson, L., Mathison, F., Alemán-Díaz, A., Molcho, M., Weber, M., & Barnekow, V. (Eds.) (2016). Growing up unequal: Gender and socioeconomic differences in young people's health and well-being. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/326320

Kardefelt-Winther, D., Heeren, A., Schimmenti, A., van Rooij, A., Maurage, P., Carras, M., Edman, J., Blaszczynski, A., Khazaal, Y., Billieux, J. (2017). How can we conceptualize behavioural addiction without pathologizing common behaviours? Addiction, 112(10), 1709-1715. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13763

Kim, J.-H. (2022). Parental support and problematic smartphone use: A serial mediating model of self-esteem and fear of missing out. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7657. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137657

Livingstone, S., Mascheroni, G., & Staksrud, E. (2018). European research on children's internet use: Assessing the past and anticipating the future. New Media & Society, 20(3), 1103-1122. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816685930

Masaeli, N., & Billieux, J. (2022). Is problematic Internet and smartphone use related to poorer quality of life? A systematic review of available evidence and assessment strategies. Current Addiction Report, 9, 235-250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-022-00415-w

Panova, T., & Carbonell, X. (2018). Is smartphone addiction really an addiction? Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(2), 252-259. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.49

Pérez-Sánchez, R. (2019). Niñas, niños y adolescentes en la Internet: informe primera encuesta Kids Online Costa Rica. Universidad de Costa Rica; Fundación Paniamor. bit.ly/3WTKUh2

Reinecke, L., Klimmt, C., Meier, A., Reich, S., Hefner, D., Knop-Huelss, K., Rieger, D., & Vorderer, P. (2018). Permanently online and permanently connected: Development and validation of the Online Vigilance Scale. PLoS ONE 13(10), e0205384. https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205384

Runarsdottir, E. M., & Vilhjalmsson, R. (2019). Ethnicity and adolescent well-being in the context of families, friends, and neighborhoods. Journal of Youth Studies, 22(10), 1345- 1360. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2019.1578873

Å kaÅ™upová, K., Ólafsson, K., & Blinka, B. (2016). The effect of smartphone use on trends in European adolescents' excessive Internet use. Behaviour & Information Technology, 35(1), 68-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2015.1114144

Thomée, S. (2018). Mobile phone use and mental health: A review. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75, 582-583. Unicef. (2017). Niños en un mundo digital: estado mundial de la infancia 2017. https://www.unicef.org/media/48591/#le/SOWC_2017_SP.pdf

van Deursen, A. J. A. M., Bolle, C. L., Hegner, S. M., & Kommers, P. A. M. (2015). Modeling habitual and addictive smartphone behavior: The role of smartphone usage types, emotional intelligence, social stress, self-regulation, age, and gender. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 411-420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.039

Wentzel, K. R., Russell, S., & Baker, S. (2016). Emotional support and expectations from parents, teachers, and peers predict adolescent competence at school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(2), 242-255. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000049

Willis, G. (2005). Cognitive interviewing. Sage. https://doi.org/d82jhv

Zhou, T. (2019). Understanding social influence on mobile social networking sites: A social support perspective. Information Development, 35(2), 220-229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266666917738042

Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52(1), 30-41. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2