Gender differences in the longitudinal association between cumulative ecological risk and smartphone dependence among early adolescents: A parallel mediation model

Early adolescent smartphone dependence has emerged as a significant social and public health issue. Previous research showed that multiple ecological risks including family, school, and peer risk factors played important roles in early adolescent smartphone dependence. However, these studies have examined risk factors individually rather than examining the cumulative risk effect. Based on the Ecological Systems Theory and Risk-Protective Factor Theory, the present study focused on the longitudinal association between cumulative ecological risk and early adolescent smartphone dependence. We tested two mediating mechanisms of this association, namely social anxiety and self-compassion, and examined possible gender differences in these mediation processes. The study adopted a three-wave longitudinal design spanning one year, with a six-month interval between each wave. 357 secondary school students (Mage = 12.58 years, SD = 0.61, 52.1% girls) from two middle schools in China participated in this study. As expected, cumulative ecological risk positively predicted smartphone dependence one year later, and social anxiety and self-compassion were parallel mediators of this longitudinal association. Meanwhile, there were gender differences in the mediation model. The results provide a theoretical and empirical basis for the development of prevention and intervention strategies and public health policies to reduce the likelihood of early adolescents' smartphone dependence.