Peer relationship mediates the effect of mobile phone functions on adolescent adaptation

Xiaochun Xie, Yun Tao, Aishu Liu and Li Lei

Children and Youth Services Review, 2020, vol. 108, issue C

Abstract: Numerous studies proved that mobile phone affects adolescents’ psychosocial development. The present study aimed to investigate the relation between mobile phone functions and adolescent adaptation, as well as the mediating role of peer relationship. Moreover, the present study also explored whether gender and education level moderated the mediating model. A sample of 2064 adolescents (1175 girls, mean age = 14.64 ± 1.95 years) participated the survey. Participants completed the questionnaires on perceived mobile phone functions, friendship quality, peer group identity, and adolescent adaptation. The results revealed that the pragmatic function of mobile phone not only positively predicted adolescent adaptation directly, but also through friendship quality and peer group identity. Symbolic function of mobile phone negatively predicted adolescent adaptation directly, as well as via friendship quality. Education level rather than gender moderated the mediating model. Comparing with senior high school students, the effects of mobile phone functions on adolescent adaptation were stronger among junior high school students.

Keywords: Mobile phone function; Friendship quality; Peer group identity; Adaptation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740919308801
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:108:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919308801

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104571

Access Statistics for this article

Children and Youth Services Review is currently edited by Duncan Lindsey

More articles in Children and Youth Services Review from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().