Adolescence in the digital age: understanding maladaptive online engagement through the lens of adverse childhood experiences

Abstract

Digital media are an important part of adolescents’ daily lives, but for some young people, online engagement can become maladaptive. This dissertation examined whether adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or serious problems within the family, school, and community, make adolescents more vulnerable to problematic social media use, online gaming, cyberbullying, and online trolling.

The research combined a large-scale meta-analysis of previous studies with three longitudinal studies that followed Chinese adolescents over time. Where possible, both adolescents and their parents reported on adolescents’ online engagement.

The findings show that adverse childhood experiences are linked to several forms of problematic digital use. Adolescents who had experienced more childhood adversity were more likely to report later problematic social media use and problematic online gaming. However, the expected longitudinal links with cyberbullying and online trolling were not found.

These findings are important because they show that different online problems do not necessarily develop in the same way. They also suggest that problematic digital use should not be viewed only as a matter of screen time or self-control. Prevention and support may be more effective when they also consider adolescents’ earlier life experiences, emotional needs, and their own perspectives.