Jul 2026· Journal des adolescens· 0 citations· 34 references
Medicine
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Despite the growing centrality of digital communication in family life, little is known about its role in parent-adolescent relationships, especially when parents and adolescents share a household. This review was designed to synthesize U.S.-based research on digital communication and relationship quality in these families across theoretical foundations, conceptualizations, measurements, and associations.
Methods
We conducted systematic searches following the PRISMA guidelines in four online databases: Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Based on the predefined eligibility criteria, the search yielded 10 studies. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed.
Results
Across studies spanning multiple disciplines, digital communication was most often conceptualized and measured as frequency of use across different modalities (text messaging, voice calls, social media), while parent-adolescent relationship quality was captured along cognitive and emotional dimensions. Findings on the association between digital communication and relationship quality were inconsistent. This inconsistency appeared to stem in part from how the constructs were defined and measured, and from the use of frequency-based approaches that aggregated communication serving different purposes.
Conclusion
This review demonstrates that digital communication plays a distinct supplementary role in parent-adolescent relationships, bridging physical and emotional distance rather than replacing face-to-face interaction. Its influence is shaped less by how often communication occurs and more by its purpose, the modalities used, adolescents' device ownership, and the gender composition of the dyad. By synthesizing how parent-adolescent digital communication has been theorized, conceptualized, and measured, this review provides a foundation for future research on digitally mediated family life.
Objective: Problematic screen use (PSU) in adolescence has been linked to impaired well-being, but its associations with parent–adolescent relationship quality remain insufficiently characterized. This study examined whether PSU levels were associated with positive relationship, negative relationship, and openness dimensions in mother– and father–adolescent relationships.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 196 adolescents aged 11–18 years who presented to a pediatric outpatient clinic. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Child–Adolescent Digital Addiction Scale, and the Parent–Adolescent Relationship Quality Scale. Group differences were evaluated using appropriate non-parametric statistical methods.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 14.29±2.21 years, and 59.7% were female. Positive relationship with mother scores differed significantly across PSU groups (p=0.029), with post hoc analysis indicating a difference primarily between healthy users and adolescents in the digital addiction group. Negative relationship with mother scores also differed significantly (p<0.001), with healthy users scoring lower than those in the excessive use and digital addiction groups. Paternal openness (p=0.007), positive relationship with father (p = 0.038), and negative relationship with father (p=0.012) also varied significantly across groups, whereas maternal openness showed a borderline association (p=0.055).
Conclusion: Higher PSU was associated with poorer parent–adolescent relationship quality, particularly in the domains of conflict and positive relational functioning. These findings suggest that assessment of adolescent PSU should incorporate family relational processes, especially trust-based communication and parent–adolescent conflict.
Bilal Yılmaz, Elif Küçük· Turkish Journal of Pediatric...· 0 citations
Background Adolescent problematic internet use (PIU) has been linked to family processes, including intergenerational patterns. Although parent–child communication is often considered protective, whether it buffers intergenerational risk or functions independently remains unclear. Methods In this cross-sectional dyadic study, 824 Japanese high school students (aged 15–20, M = 16.7, SD = 0.8) and their biological parents completed parallel online questionnaires assessing PIU and communication via a commercial research panel (Macromill). Hierarchical regressions examined direct, moderating, and discrepancy effects, controlling for parent demographics. Results Parental PIU was positively associated with adolescent PIU (β = 0.53, p < .001). Higher mean-level communication—the average of parent and adolescent reports—was associated with lower adolescent PIU (parental acceptance: β = −0.08, p < .05; low perceived barriers to consultation: β = −0.13, p < .001), but did not moderate the parent–adolescent PIU association (both p > .20). Adolescents' own reports of low perceived barriers to consultation (β = −0.51) were far more strongly associated with adolescent PIU than parents' reports (β = 0.10, ns); response surface analysis indicated asymmetric informant weighting (a3 = 0.61, p < .001) rather than a non-linear discrepancy effect (a4 = −0.01, ns). Discrepancies in parental acceptance were unrelated to adolescent PIU. Findings were unchanged after controlling for parent sex and age. Conclusions Parent–child communication is an independent protective factor rather than a buffering mechanism. Adolescents' own perceptions of help-seeking barriers, more than discrepancies per se, were associated with risk, meriting attention in future research pending longitudinal, multi-method replication.
INTRODUCTION
Prior research has examined the role of interpersonal relationships in adolescents' problematic use of the internet (PUI). However, studies that examine the distinct contributions of various interpersonal relationships (i.e., with mothers, fathers, teachers, and peers) to adolescent PUI at the within-person level remain lacking. Thus, this longitudinal study was conducted to address this research gap by incorporating both between- and within-person perspectives and potential sex differences.
METHODS
The study recruited 598 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.47 years at Wave 1, SD = 0.53; 54.52% girls) who participated in five waves of data collection across 2.5-years. Multilevel model was constructed to examine the between- and within-person associations between various sources of interpersonal relationships and adolescent PUI.
RESULTS
The findings demonstrated that improved relationships with teachers and peers were related to lower levels of PUI at the between- and within-person levels, whereas no such association was found for parent-adolescent relationships. In addition, the associations between interpersonal relationships and adolescent PUI were not moderated by sex at either the between- or within-person level.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings underscore the need to examine the distinct associations between multiple sources of interpersonal relationships and PUI among Chinese adolescents. The results revealed that positive interpersonal relationships, especially those with teachers and peers, may be an effective compensatory strategy for preventing and intervening in adolescent PUI.
Xiaomin Geng, Jiale Xiao, Dandan Li et al.· Journal des adolescens· 0 citations
This study examines digital communication patterns between single parents and Generation Z children and their role in maintaining family resilience. The study involved four single-parent families as informants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using a holistic interactive approach. To ensure research ethics, all participants’ identities were anonymized. The findings indicate that parent–child digital communication is predominantly practical, selective, and oriented toward everyday coordination. Routine communication through text messages and phone calls helps maintain connectedness by facilitating daily monitoring, coordinating academic and household activities, and expressing simple forms of care. Communication intended to maintain relationships is evident in brief supportive messages, whereas emotionally expressive communication occurs less frequently, as both parents and children tend to be selective in discussing personal or psychological issues. Despite the limited intensity of emotional communication, consistent digital interactions contribute to relationship stability and effective family functioning. Family resilience is supported through the combination of children’s independence, parental responsibility, and regular communication that enables everyday coordination and mutual support. These findings suggest that in single-parent families, digital communication functions primarily as a flexible and adaptive mechanism for maintaining family relationships and supporting resilience in daily life.
Suciati Suciati· The International Journal of...· 0 citations
This study developed and validated the Parent–Child Internet Communication Scale (PCICS), a dyadic measure assessing internet-related communication between parents and adolescents. Drawing on parental mediation theory (Livingstone & Helsper, 2008) and Schaefer's (1965) two-dimensional model of parent–child relationships (acceptance–rejection; psychological autonomy–control), items were generated to capture whether internet-related concerns can be openly shared and constructively discussed within the family. Existing measures have focused mainly on mediation behaviors or general communication quality without capturing bidirectional dyadic perceptions. Data were collected from 824 parent–adolescent pairs via a web-based survey in Japan. Factor analyses supported a multidimensional structure: the child version (PCICS-C) yielded two factors (Parental Acceptance, Low Perceived Barriers to Consultation), and the parent version (PCICS-P) yielded three, adding Dialogic Parental Involvement. Metric invariance was confirmed across informants for the two shared subscales, and reliability was satisfactory throughout. Concurrent validity was supported by associations with problematic internet use (PIU) and attachment security. Child-reported low perceived barriers to consultation were negatively associated with PIU, suggesting that adolescents' sense of being able to discuss internet concerns openly may lower PIU risk. Parental acceptance, however, showed weaker associations with adolescent PIU than child reports, suggesting parents' subjective sense of acceptance does not always translate into adolescent-perceived support. These findings underscore the value of assessing internet-related family communication from both perspectives. The PCICS was designed to measure open, bidirectional communication and facilitate constructive family dialogue in intervention contexts; the observed perception gaps illustrate one clinically meaningful application of this dyadic approach.
The digital age has transformed parenting practices, with an increasing reliance on digital devices for managing children’s behavior, particularly as calming tools. This study addresses the growing phenomenon of digital parenting, highlighting its implications on child development and family dynamics. Despite the benefits of digital media, concerns persist regarding its overuse for emotional regulation, which may impede children’s self-regulation skills and parent-child interactions. This study aims to explore the evolution of research on digital parenting using bibliometric analysis. A comprehensive dataset was extracted from the Scopus database, focusing on publications from 2020 to 2024 within the Social Sciences domain. The inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed, open-access articles written in English. A systematic methodology ensured the analysis of performance metrics, trends, and co-authorship patterns. Results indicate a significant increase in scholarly attention to digital parenting, with 837 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Leading contributions emerged from journals such as Sustainability Switzerland and Education Sciences, with prolific authors and institutions from the United Kingdom and the United States dominating the field. The analysis underscores the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, reflecting contributions from education, media studies, and child development. This study offers valuable theoretical insights and practical recommendations, emphasizing balanced digital media use and informed parenting strategies to foster healthier family dynamics.
Rita Wong Mee Mee, Noor Hanim Harun, Lim Seong Pek et al.· International Journal of Inf...· 0 citations
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