Influence of different parental mediation strategies on adolescents’ hedonistic smartphone use: Parent–adolescent reports

Abstract

Hedonistic smartphone usage refers to smartphone activities for instant gratification and pleasure; increased hedonistic use is associated with perceived stress, problematic smartphone usage, and smartphone addiction among adolescents. Parents naturally intervene in adolescents’ screen media use through various mediation strategies, including active mediation of safety, restrictive mediation, monitoring mediation, and technical mediation, to reduce potential negative impacts and online risks. This study aims to identify the relationship between parental mediation strategies and adolescents’ hedonistic smartphone use using the data from 447 adolescents and 432 parents. This study also explores the consideration of a new mediation technique, participatory learning mediation, in the parental mediation model. Multiple regression results revealed positive and negative associations between different parental mediation strategies and adolescents’ hedonistic smartphone use, with restrictive mediation having no effect.