Problematic internet use in emerging adulthood to escape from maternal helicopter parenting: defensive functioning as a mediating mechanism
The increasing use of the Internet has raised concerns about its problematic use, particularly among emerging adults who grew up in a highly digitalized world. Helicopter parenting, characterized by excessive involvement, overcontrol, and developmentally inappropriate behavior, has been identified a...
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| Published in | Research in psychotherapy (Milano). Vol. 26; no. 3 |
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| Main Authors | , , , , |
| Format | Journal Article |
| Language | English |
| Published |
Italy
PAGEPress Publications, Pavia, Italy
08.11.2023
PAGEPress Publications |
| Subjects | |
| Online Access | Get full text |
| ISSN | 2499-7552 2239-8031 2239-8031 |
| DOI | 10.4081/ripppo.2023.693 |
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| Summary: | The increasing use of the Internet has raised concerns about its problematic use, particularly among emerging adults who grew up in a highly digitalized world. Helicopter parenting, characterized by excessive involvement, overcontrol, and developmentally inappropriate behavior, has been identified as a potential factor contributing to problematic Internet use (PIU). Under these circumstances, considering that emerging adults navigate their adult lives and strive to reduce their sense of being in-between, implicit emotion regulation strategies, such as defense mechanisms, may help comprehend PIU. The present questionnaire-based study investigated the associations between maternal and paternal helicopter parenting and PIU through defensive functioning among a community sample of 401 cisgender emerging adults (71.82% females; 82.04% heterosexuals; Mage=24.85, SD=2.52) living in Italy. About one-fourth (25.19%) reported PIU. Greater maternal, B=0.904, SE=0.235, p<.001, but not paternal, B=0.343, SE=0.188, p=.068, helicopter parenting was significantly associated with PIU through a less mature defensive functioning. Conversely, neither maternal, B=1.158, SE=0.722, p=.109, nor paternal, B=0.355, SE=0.731, p=.628, helicopter parenting had a direct association with PIU. The results suggest the importance for psychotherapists to incorporate individuals’ defense mechanisms and parent–child relationship history when designing tailored interventions for effective treatment of PIU. This emphasis is crucial because, in the context of a developmentally appropriate parenting style, relying on more mature defenses after psychotherapeutic intervention can lead to healthier adjustment among emerging adults. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest. Availability of data and material: the datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the present study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Contributions: all authors substantially contributed to the conception of the work, and acquisition and interpretation of data. NC and IMAB analyzed the data and drafted the manuscript, which was then revised critically for important intellectual content and approved for publication by all authors. NC and IMAB share the first authorship. Publisher’s note: all claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. Citation: Carone, N., Benzi, I.M.A., Muzi, L., Parolin, L.A.L., & Fontana, A. (2023). Problematic Internet use in emerging adulthood to escape from maternal helicopter parenting: defensive functioning as a mediating mechanism. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome, 26(3), 693. Ethical approval: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Milan – Bicocca and was conducted in line with the Ethical Code of the American Psychological Association, the Italian Association of Psychology, and the Declaration of Helsinki (2013). Informed consent: informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. |
| ISSN: | 2499-7552 2239-8031 2239-8031 |
| DOI: | 10.4081/ripppo.2023.693 |