Maria Isabella Austermann1, Rainer Thomasius1, Kerstin Paschke1. 1. German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence (DZSKJ), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The problematic use of social media (SM) is a rising phenomenon, especially in adolescents. It can be assessed by self-rating screeners such as the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS). However, young age or symptom denial might reduce adolescent assessment accuracy. Therefore, the development and validation of a parental scale (SMDS-P) is desirable. METHOD: A representative sample of 961 parents and corresponding frequently SM-using children aged 10 to 17 years participated in an online study. Factorial analyses were performed to determine item structure. Adolescents' SMDS self-reports, SM usage time, emotional dysregulation, and academic performance were used to assess validity. The SMDS-P cut-off value was calculated by ROC-analysis. RESULTS: A one-factorial structure of the SMDS-P could be confirmed. The internal consistency was good (Cronbach's α = 0.85, McDonald's ω = 0.88) and the accordance between parental and self-ratings moderate (kappa = 0.51). SMDS-P was positively associated with adolescents' self-ratings (r = 0.68), SM usage time (r = 0.26) and frequency (ϱ = 0.16) as well as with emotional dysregulation (r = 0.35) in a highly significant manner. CONCLUSIONS: SMDS-P offers a promising new approach to assess problematic SM usage in adolescence. Further studies including clinical validations are required.
BACKGROUND: The problematic use of social media (SM) is a rising phenomenon, especially in adolescents. It can be assessed by self-rating screeners such as the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS). However, young age or symptom denial might reduce adolescent assessment accuracy. Therefore, the development and validation of a parental scale (SMDS-P) is desirable. METHOD: A representative sample of 961 parents and corresponding frequently SM-using children aged 10 to 17 years participated in an online study. Factorial analyses were performed to determine item structure. Adolescents' SMDS self-reports, SM usage time, emotional dysregulation, and academic performance were used to assess validity. The SMDS-P cut-off value was calculated by ROC-analysis. RESULTS: A one-factorial structure of the SMDS-P could be confirmed. The internal consistency was good (Cronbach's α = 0.85, McDonald's ω = 0.88) and the accordance between parental and self-ratings moderate (kappa = 0.51). SMDS-P was positively associated with adolescents' self-ratings (r = 0.68), SM usage time (r = 0.26) and frequency (ϱ = 0.16) as well as with emotional dysregulation (r = 0.35) in a highly significant manner. CONCLUSIONS:SMDS-P offers a promising new approach to assess problematic SM usage in adolescence. Further studies including clinical validations are required.
Entities:
Keywords:
Internet-related disorder; adolescents; parental rating; questionnaire; social media disorder
Authors: Leonora G Weil; Stephen M Fleming; Iroise Dumontheil; Emma J Kilford; Rimona S Weil; Geraint Rees; Raymond J Dolan; Sarah-Jayne Blakemore Journal: Conscious Cogn Date: 2013-01-30