Daily use of digital technologies to feel better: Adolescents' digital emotion regulation, emotions, loneliness, and recovery, considering prior emotional problems

Article


Scott, Riley A., Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie J., Gardner, Alex A., Hawes, Tanya, Modecki, Kathryn L., Duffy, Amanda L., Farrell, Lara and Waters, Allison M.. 2024. "Daily use of digital technologies to feel better: Adolescents' digital emotion regulation, emotions, loneliness, and recovery, considering prior emotional problems." Journal of Adolescence. 96 (3), pp. 539-550. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12259
Article Title

Daily use of digital technologies to feel better: Adolescents' digital emotion regulation, emotions, loneliness, and recovery, considering prior emotional problems

ERA Journal ID6341
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsScott, Riley A., Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie J., Gardner, Alex A., Hawes, Tanya, Modecki, Kathryn L., Duffy, Amanda L., Farrell, Lara and Waters, Allison M.
Journal TitleJournal of Adolescence
Journal Citation96 (3), pp. 539-550
Number of Pages12
Year2024
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN0140-1971
1095-9254
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12259
Web Address (URL)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jad.12259
Abstract

Introduction
Adolescents report using digital technologies for emotion regulation (digital ER), with the aim of feeling better (i.e., improving emotions and reducing loneliness). In this 7-day diary study, we investigated associations of digital ER, emotions, and loneliness, and tested whether prior emotional problems moderated these associations.

Method
Participants were 312 Australian adolescents (Mage = 13.91, SD = 1.52; 44% boys). Daily surveys measured digital ER; end-of-day happiness, sadness, worry, anger, and loneliness; and peak sadness, worry, and anger. End-of day emotions were subtracted from peak emotions to calculate emotion recovery for sadness, worry, and anger. Participants were randomly selected from two symptom strata (high/low) defined by depression and social anxiety measures collected before the diary. Data were analyzed using multilevel path modeling. Cross-level interactions tested whether symptom strata moderated associations.

Results
Digital ER was associated with more recovery from peak to end-of-day sadness and worry, but also with increased sadness, worry, anger, and loneliness by the next end-of-day. Higher end-of-day loneliness was associated with increased next-day digital ER. Prior emotional symptoms were not a significant moderator of daily digital ER and emotion associations.

Conclusion
Adolescents who report more digital ER in a day show more recovery from the peak of negative emotion that day, but this recovery dissipates, with digital ER also associated with increased negative emotion and loneliness by the next day for all adolescents, regardless of prior symptom status. Lonelier adolescents use more digital ER by the next day, suggesting they need support to make social connections—online or offline.

Keywordsdaily diary; psychological health; loneliness; emotion regulation; emotion; digital technology use
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020470102. Communication technology and digital media studies
520101. Child and adolescent development
520199. Applied and developmental psychology not elsewhere classified
Byline AffiliationsGriffith University
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