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The Association Between Parental Psychological Control and Problematic Technology Use

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID21737693
AuthorsJingyi Zhang (0000-0002-3147-8838, Nanjing Normal University), J H Zhang (0000-0002-8995-899X, Nanjing Normal University), Yalin Cai (Shihezi University), Ziyue Peng (Nanjing Normal University), Xinyu Wang (0009-0005-8004-6336, Nanjing Normal University), X Y Wang (0000-0002-8896-1521, Nanjing Normal University), Yuanxiao Ma (0000-0002-0743-1546, Nanjing Normal University, corresponding author)
Year2026
Pages15248380261456764-15248380261456764
Publication date2026-06-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTrauma Violence & Abuse (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1524-8380 • E-ISSN: 1552-8324
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/15248380261456764
PMID42350933
OpenAlexW7165878263
LanguageEN
References cited85

Problematic technology use (PTU) has increasingly been recognized as a pressing global public health concern. Parental psychological control, a developmentally inappropriate form of intrusive parenting, has been identified as an important familial risk factor for PTU. However, although a growing body of empirical research has examined this association, the findings have been inconsistent, and no systematic quantitative synthesis has yet been conducted. Accordingly, the present study aimed to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between parental psychological control and PTU. Following PRISMA guidelines, a three-level meta-analytic approach was employed to synthesize existing findings and examine potential moderators. The final simple comprised 69 studies, yielding 204 effect sizes based on 85,129 participants. The results revealed a significant positive association between parental psychological control and PTU ( r = .296, p

Injury prevention · Moderation · Parental control · Poison control · Psychological control · Psychological intervention · Suicide prevention · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Child Development and Digital Technology · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Impact of Technology on Adolescents

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