Dysfunctional parenting and technological addictions: The role of parental psychological control [Parenting invalidante e dipendenze tecnologiche: Il ruolo del controllo psicologico genitoriale]

Recent studies have shown that dysfunctional parenting practices, such as psychological control, correlate with maladaptive outcomes in offspring. The objective of this study is to investigate the mechanisms underlying the emergence of a dependent use of new technologies. 311 participants, aged 18 to 26, completed some questionnaires. The results highlighted a relationship between psychological control and Internet, smartphone and social network addictions, through the mediation of susceptibility to control. This study contributes to the advancement of the literature regarding the combination of social and personal factors in the aetiology of new addictions and offers insights into the possibility of considering psychological control as a form of emotional abuse.