Association between parent technology rules and loneliness among adolescents in the United States

The prevalence of adolescent loneliness nearly doubled between 2012 and 2018. Previous research has shown associations between social media and adolescent mental health. Parenting can affect this relationship, but this area remains understudied. This study was designed in collaboration with youth and aimed to understand the association between technology restrictions and loneliness in adolescents. This secondary analysis used data from a 2019 survey study among dyads of parents over 17 and children 13–18 years (<i>n</i> = 4,592). Parents were asked about technology restrictions, social media use, and demographics. Adolescents were asked about loneliness, social media use, and parent-adolescent relationship quality. Linear spline regression with a generalized linear model and stepwise regression were used to assess the relationship between technology restrictions and adolescent loneliness while controlling for covariates of interest. Results conveyed a nonlinear relationship, with an increase in reported loneliness with the addition of each restriction between 0 and 2 restrictions and a decrease in loneliness between 2 and 6 restrictions (<i>p&lt;</i>.001). Significant covariates included parent social media use and parent-adolescent relationship quality. Future studies should focus on mechanisms behind the association between technology use and loneliness and the influence of parental factors on adolescent loneliness. <b>Prior State of Knowledge</b>: Previous research has established that social media impacts adolescent mental health and parenting can affect this relationship, but this area remains understudied. Our study was designed with youth as stakeholders and experts, an approach which is lacking in extant literature. <b>Novel Contributions</b>: This manuscript represents a unique approach to incorporate youth perspectives while also providing them agency as co-authors. We highlight that parent media use and relationship with adolescent may play a larger role in adolescent loneliness than their own media use. <b>Practical Implications</b>: Our findings on the modest impacts of household media restrictions on adolescent loneliness can be considered by parents alongside current parental technology mediation recommendations.