Adolescent Attachment to Parents and Peers and the Use of Instagram: The Mediation Role of Psychopathological Risk

Giulia Ballarotto, Barbara Volpi and Renata Tambelli
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Giulia Ballarotto: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via degli Apuli, 1, 00185 Rome, Italy
Barbara Volpi: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via degli Apuli, 1, 00185 Rome, Italy
Renata Tambelli: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Via degli Apuli, 1, 00185 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Several studies have shown an association between adolescents’ attachment relationships and social media use. Instagram is the social media platform most used by teenagers and recent studies have shown an association between Instagram use and increased psychopathological risk. The present study aims to verify whether psychopathological risk mediates the relationship between an adolescent’s attachment to their parents and peers and their Instagram addiction. N = 372 adolescents are assessed through self-report questionnaires evaluating Instagram addiction, the adolescents’ attachments to parents and peers, and their psychopathological risk. The Bergen Instagram Addiction Scale (BIAS) is developed by adapting the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale. Results show the validity and reliability of the BIAS, confirming a one-factor structure. Findings show that a worse attachment to parents and peers is associated with adolescents’ psychopathological risk, which is associated with Instagram addiction. This finding has important clinical implications. Being able to intervene in adolescents’ relationships with parents and peers and the ways in which adolescents feel in relation to others could allow for a reduction in adolescents’ psychological difficulties, involving reduced Instagram use as a vehicle for the expression of their psychopathological symptoms.

Keywords: instagram addiction; social network addiction; adolescence; attachment to parents; attachment to peers; psychopathological risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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