How do Interpersonal Relationships Relieve Adolescents' Problematic Mobile Phone Use? The Roles of Loneliness and Motivation to Use Mobile Phones.

Rui Zhen,Xiao Zhou,Wei Hong,Ru-De Liu

doi:10.3390/ijerph16132286

Abstract

The current study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of how interpersonal relationships relieve adolescents’ problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and to examine the potential mediating roles of loneliness and motivation to use mobile phones. Four thousand five hundred and nine middle school students from four provinces in China were recruited to participate in the investigation. The results showed that the parent–child relationship but not the teacher–student relationship, had a direct and negative effect on PMPU. The parent–child relationship had indirect effects on PMPU through the mediators of loneliness, escape motivation and relationship motivation; the teacher–student relationship had indirect effects on PMPU only through the mediating factors of loneliness and escape motivation. Both parent–child and teacher–student relationships indirectly affected PMPU through a two-step path from loneliness to escape motivation. These findings highlight the more salient role of the parent–child relationship than that of the teacher–student relationship in directly alleviating PMPU and indicate that satisfying interpersonal relationships can buffer adolescents’ PMPU by lowering their loneliness and motivation to use mobile phones.

Highlights

Mobile phone use has been dramatically increasing in the world in the past decade, as mobile phones facilitate communication without imposing constraints due to physical proximity or spatial immobility [1] and enable users to engage in a wide range of online activities [2]
The parent–child relationship was significantly related to loneliness, escape motivation, relationship motivation and problematic mobile phone use (PMPU)
The teacher–student relationship was significantly associated with the other measures except for relationship motivation

Summary

Introduction

Mobile phone use has been dramatically increasing in the world in the past decade, as mobile phones facilitate communication without imposing constraints due to physical proximity or spatial immobility [1] and enable users to engage in a wide range of online activities [2]. People have enjoyed the benefits made possible by mobile phones; at the same time, concerns related to mobile phone use have arisen. One of these problems is problematic mobile phone use (PMPU), which refers to the uncontrolled and excessive use of mobile phones [2]. Studies recently found that PMPU has complex negative effects on individuals’ daily lives and may lead to depression [3], sleep problems [4] and other negative outcomes [5,6]. A study reported that the prevalence rate of

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