Problematic Mobile Media Use as a Family Issue: A Latent Profile Analysis in Parent-Child Dyads

Current research primarily addresses children’s problematic mobile media use (PMMU) and its negative outcomes, leaving a gap in our understanding of how parents’ PMMU might contribute to a problematic media culture within the home. The study aimed to (a) identify family profiles based on PMMU by the child and parent simultaneously through latent profile analysis and examine their associations with (b) sociodemographic factors and (c) key indicators of family well-being, specifically child self-esteem, parental self-efficacy and parent-child conflict. Using a sample of 410 parent-child dyads, primarily mother-daughter pairs (42.4%), with preadolescent children (8-14 years; Mage = 11.5), we identified four profiles based on cross-sectional dyadic survey data; Families with high child PMMU (46.6%), families with low child PMMU (16.1%), media-balanced families (33.2%) and media-immersed families (4.2%). Results showed notable sociodemographic variations, including a higher prevalence of only-child families in the media-immersed group, and revealed that families with high child PMMU and media-immersed family profiles were linked to lower personal and relational well-being within the family. These findings emphasize the importance of family-centered approaches to PMMU prevention and intervention.