Prevention priorities for online challenges and harms in adolescence and assessment of smartphone distraction: an emotive-cognitive perspective

Throuvala, MA ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4617-5263, 2020. Prevention priorities for online challenges and harms in adolescence and assessment of smartphone distraction: an emotive-cognitive perspective. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

Preview

Text Melina A. Throuvala PhD thesis 2021.pdf - Published version Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

Evidence suggests that problematic use of gaming, the internet and social media among adolescents is on the rise and developing into global growing issues affecting multiple cognitive, emotional and behavioural domains. How are these experienced and conceptualized among students, parents and teachers?

The first part of this thesis comprised two systematic literature reviews on school-based interventions for internet addiction and excessive screen time. Findings indicated the need to focus prevention beyond time spent into harms and challenges faced in adolescence through mental health literacy and skill development and by incorporating parent and teacher media literacy training.

Five qualitative studies followed as a qualitative needs assessment investigation. The frst analyzed key adolescent motivations for online engagement and highlighted control as a new motivational factor driving engagement. This study led to the development of the control model of social media engagement, proposing individual, social and environmental pathways from normative to potentially problematic online behaviours. Additionally, adolescent online harms were conceptualised by stakeholders as running on a severity continuum from benefits to harms beyond addiction. Parent and teacher perspectives informed key recommendations for media literacy education.

The second part of the present thesis involved two quantitative studies, addressed smartphone distraction impacting students' academic performance through the design of the first psychometric instrument within smartphone use. The final study encompassed the assessment of a brief online randomized controlled trial to curb smartphone distraction and findings indicated the efficacy of the intervention and the reduction of potentially probematic smartphone-related psychological constructs.

The present thesis addresses critical priorities and recommendations for online harm reduction in adolescence. Dissemination of findings are timely for media literacy in schools in the UK and other countries with policy intentions to safeguard for young people's emotional health. Assessing smartphone distraction contributes to the understanding of this emergent disruptive construct contributing to initiatives to enhance students' academic performance and well-being within higher education and work environments.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Throuvala, M.A.
Date:	November 2020
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed in the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	16 Aug 2021 13:27
Last Modified:	16 Aug 2021 13:27
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/43989

Actions (login required)

Edit View

Statistics

Views

Downloads