Family strains and online gains: Longitudinal relationship between harsh parenting and problematic internet use via relative deprivation and online basic psychological need satisfaction

Harsh parenting has been demonstrated as a risk factor for adolescent problematic internet use (PIU), while its relationships with distinct subtypes of PIU have been scarcely investigated. Aiming to provide evidence that harsh parenting predicts PIU subtypes through divergent mechanisms, the current study draws upon I-PACE model and compensatory satisfaction theory to investigate the longitudinal relationship between harsh parenting and three PIU subtypes via the mediating role of relative deprivation and online basic psychological need satisfaction (OBPNS). A sample of 475 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.640, SDage = .640, 57.89% female) participated in a two-wave panel survey with a one-year time lag. Participants completed self-reported measures of harsh parenting and relative deprivation at Wave 1, and the measure of OBPNS at Wave 2. Severity of PIU subtypes was measured across two waves. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that harsh parenting was positively related to PIU via relative deprivation and OBPNS. Furthermore, the model revealed different underlying mechanisms between harsh parenting and three PIU subtypes: problematic gaming was positively predicted by harsh parenting via relative deprivation and online competence satisfaction (β = .025, 95% CI = [.003, .043]), problematic social media use was positively predicted by harsh parenting via relative deprivation and online relatedness satisfaction (β = .016, 95% CI = [.001, .032]). However, relationships between harsh parenting and problematic information consumption were not significant. The current study provides a nuanced understanding of how harsh parenting fosters PIU subtypes through unique socio-cognitive mechanisms. These results underscored the necessity to distinguish subtypes of PIU in research on internet addiction. Clinical interventions should also be tailored in accordance with these divergent mechanisms to adapt to different subtypes.