SOCIAL MEDIA AND GAME ADDICTIONS AS PREDICTORS OF ADOLESCENT PARENT CONFLICT

Abstract

The use of technology, especially social media and digital games, has become an integral part of adolescents' lives, which can negatively affect the relationships of family members, especially between adolescents and parents. This study aimed to investigate the roles of social media and game addictions as technology-based addiction types in conflicts within adolescent-parent relationships. The study was conducted with 686 high school students in Eskişehir, Turkey. The study utilized personal information forms, the Adolescent-Parent Conflict Scale, the Social Media Addiction Scale for Adolescents, and the Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents to collect data. The results showed that both social media addiction and game addiction were positively and significantly correlated with adolescent-parent conflict. Moreover, both social media and game addictions significantly predicted adolescent-parent conflict. The findings suggest that excessive and inappropriate use of technology, particularly social media and games, may negatively affect adolescent-parent relationships, which can be detrimental to adolescents' mental health.