Volume 18, Issue 4, 2025.

Educational psychology

Social psychology

• When Social Media Shapes Appearance Consciousness: Parental Mediation in Problematic Media Usage and Emotional Intelligence Profiles

  de Armas Cortés, E.; Martínez Torres, J.L.; Torralbas Oslé, J.E.

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  Volume 18, Issue 4, 2025.

  De Armas Cortés, E., Martínez Torres, J.L., Torralbas Oslé, J.E. (2025). When Social Media Shapes Appearance Consciousness: Parental Mediation in Problematic Media Usage and Emotional Intelligence Profiles, Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 18(4), 00-00. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2025.0406

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  • Background. Problematic social media use and emotional regulation difficulties have been associated with increased appearance-related concerns among adolescents. However, these associations may vary depending on the interaction of psychosocial factors and contextual influences such as parental mediation.

    Objective. To identify profiles based on adolescents’ levels of problematic social media use and online emotional intelligence, and to examine their relationship with appearance-related social media consciousness, considering the mediating role of parental mediation strategies and the moderating role of gender.

    Design. A total of 636 Cuban adolescents aged 12 to 15 participated in the study, the majority of whom were female (n = 351, 55.2%). Measures included validated scales of social media disorder, online emotional intelligence, parental mediation, and appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC). Latent Profile Analysis was used to identify profiles, followed by parallel multiple mediation and moderated mediation models using the PROCESS macro.

    Results. Four latent profiles were identified, reflecting different combinations of emotional competence and problematic use. Only active parental mediation emerged as a significant mediator between profiles and appearance-related social media consciousness (ASMC), with stronger effects among adolescents with lower emotional intelligence. No significant moderated mediation by gender was found, although girls reported higher exposure to mediation and more pronounced indirect effects in high-risk profiles.

    Conclusion. These findings emphasize that adolescents’ digital and emotional profiles shape how appearance-related risks develop in social media contexts. They underscore the protective value of active parental mediation and suggest that interventions should not only address problematic social media use but also promote emotional competencies and strengthen family involvement, offering practical guidelines for prevention programs and school-based interventions. 

    
    

    Keywords: problematic social media use/ emotional intelligence/ parental mediation/ adolescence/ appearance consciousness/ gender/ body image

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2025.0406

• Perceived Stress and Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Among Chinese Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress and the Moderating Role of Self-Control

  Guo, J.; Xie, X.; Zheng, F.; Wang, F.

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  Volume 18, Issue 4, 2025.

  Guo J., Xie Y., Zheng F., Wang F. (2025). Perceived Stress and Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Among Chinese Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress and the Moderating Role of Self-Control, Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 18(4), 00-00. DOI: 10.11621/pir.2025.0407

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  • Background. Previous research has established the significant role of perceived stress in contributing to Smartphone addiction, but the specific effects and mechanisms through which perceived stress influences smartphone application-based addiction (SABA) among young adults remain insufficiently understood.

    Objective. This study investigates the relationship between perceived stress and the smartphone application-based addiction (SABA) in emerging adulthood, focusing on the mediating role of psychological distress and the moderating role of self-control.

    Design. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,911 young adults in Southwest China, utilizing the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS).

    Results. Perceived stress positively predicted psychological distress (β = .47, t = 24.38, P < .001), psychological distress positively predicted Smartphone application-based addiction (β = .42, t = 7.04, P < .001), and perceived stress positively predicted smartphone application-based addiction (β = .65, t = 11.46, P < .001). Psychological distress was a mediating variable between the relationship between perceived stress and smartphone application-based addiction, with a mediating effect size of .19 (95% CI = [.13, .26]), accounting for 22.62% of the total effect. Self-control moderated the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress in young adults (β = -.13, t = -8.40, P <.001).

    Conclusion. Our findings reveal a positive correlation between perceived stress and SABA, with psychological distress serving as a mediator. The impact of perceived stress on SABA is more significant among individuals with lower self-control, indicating that targeted interventions for these groups may be particularly beneficial.

    Keywords: perceived stress/ Smartphone application-based addiction/ self-control/ psychological distress/ young adults

    DOI: 10.11621/pir.2025.0407