Parental Autonomy Support Prevent Digital Addiction by Reducing Adolescents’ Negative Identity Perceptions? A Longitudinal Study

Digital technologies provide numerous opportunities for adolescents but also pose risks such as overuse and addiction. This study examined the long-term effects of parental autonomy support (promotion of independence and promotion of volitional functioning) on adolescents’ digital addiction and negative identity perception. The study included 318 mid-adolescents ( M age = 16.68; 184 females, 134 males). The results showed that baseline promotion of independence and volitional functioning were negatively associated with digital addiction and negative identity perception at the 4-month follow-up. Furthermore, negative identity perception (T2) mediated the relationship between promotion of independence (T1) and promotion of volitional functioning (T1) with digital addiction (T2). These findings highlight the crucial role of parental autonomy support in reducing digital addiction and negative identity perception.