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PERCEIVED INTER-PARENTAL CONFLICT AND SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION IN PAKISTANI ADOLESCENTS: THE MODERATING ROLE OF EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE
1DR. WAHIDA ANJUM, 2DR. MARYAM GUL, 3MUHAMMAD USMAN IJAZ, 4 DR. SHAZIA HABIB, 5DR.
SHEHLA A.YASIN
Assistant Professor/ HOD, Department of Psychology, Lahore Leads University. Email address: hod.psy@leads.edu.pk/wahidaanjum@yahoo.com
1. Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, Lahore College for Women University,
Lahore. Email Address: mgulagha@gmail.com
2. Ph.D. Scholar at the Department of Media and Communication Studies, The Islamia University
of Bahawalpur IUB. Email Address: usmanijaz737@yahoo. com
3. Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, GC University Faisalabad. Email
address: shaziahabib@gcuf.edu.pk
4. Assistant Professor, Department of Gender and Development Studies, Lahore College for
Women University, Lahore. Email address: Shehlahmad@gmail.com
Abstract: The current study investigated the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between perceived inter-parental conflict and social media addiction among adolescents. The sample comprised 200 adolescents (calculated through online G. Power) studying in government and private colleges of Lahore city and is selected through purposive sampling technique. Their age ranges varied from 16-19 years (Mase = 18.00, SD = 1.21), with 56 percent male and 44 percent female adolescents. A demographic information sheet, perceived inter-parental conflict scale, emotional intelligence scale, and social media addiction questionnaire were used to collect the data. Psychometric properties of the scales showed a good level of Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between perceived inter-parental conflicts and social media addiction, while these constructs have an inverse relationship with emotional intelligence. Findings revealed that emotional intelligence significantly moderated the relationship between perceived inter-parental conflict and social media addiction among adolescents. This study will be helpful for the policymakers of academia, parents, and mental health professionals to deal with the problem of perceived inter-parental conflict and in turn social media addiction by enhancing the emotional intelligence of adolescents.
Keywords: Perceived inter-parental conflicts, emotional intelligence, social media addiction, adolescent
INTRODUCTION
Perceived inter-parental conflict is a person's subjective perception of conflict between their parents or parental figures. The intensity of family conflict can range from moderate disagreements to intense arguments to ongoing hostility (Kerig, 2001). Inter-parental conflict affects at least one million Australian children (Westrupp et al., 2015). While 35-36% of the mothers fought. In each wave, verbal conflict (10-13%) outweighed physical conflict (4-10%), with minor co-occurrence (1-3%) is reported. Westrupp et al. (2018) found that even one instance of inter-parental conflict in the first six years of life negatively affects a child's mental health. Olatunji and Idemudia (2021) found that all aspects of inter-parental conflict negatively affected teens' mental health and resulted into aggression.
The following theories discussed the multiple aspects of inter-parental conflicts and their harmful effects on children's well-being. For example, Emotional Security Theory (Cummings & Davies, 2010)
suggests that if children perceive inter-parental conflict as threatening, it can contribute to emotional insecurity, including behavior problems resulting in adjustment problems specifically in interpersonal relations. Attachment Theory, proposed by Bowlby (Bowlby, 1979) emphasizes that the quality of the parent-child attachment relationship influences subsequent development and relationships significantly. Secure attachment lays the groundwork for healthy emotional and social functioning, whereas insecure attachment can impede the formation and maintenance of relationships (McLeod, 2009).
Inter-generational Violence Theory (Liu et al., 2018) shows that childhood trauma or witnessing interparental violence increases the likelihood of adult violence. This idea emphasizes the intergenerational cycle of violence and the long-term effects of early exposure to violence. Control Theory (Braxton, 1990) states that social control affects delinquency. It comprises belief systems, social ties, and social institutions, and reducing anti-social behavior. Resource Theory (Atkinson et al., 2005) examines power and resource distribution in relationships that affect power dynamics and relational decision-making, including money, education, and social support. Resource inequality can cause conflict and dissatisfaction. Exosystemic Factor Theory (Ryan, 2001) emphasizes how community, culture, and societal standards affect well-being and relationships. While Social Isolation Theory (Machielse, 2017) examines that social isolation might harm mental and physical health and social relationships.
Social media addiction refers to the excessive or compulsive use of social media platforms, negatively affecting relationships, work, and mental health. Individuals addicted to social media frequently struggle to control their usage, neglect other essential activities, and exhibit withdrawal symptoms when attempting to reduce or cease social media engagement. Psychology has intensely focused on social media addiction as it is a susceptible, challenging, and complicated phenomenon. It impaired personal, social, educational, and occupational functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 1994; World Health Organization, 2019). The average social media devotee spends 80 hours per week, or 14 hours daily, on social networking sites (Griffiths, 2010). Based on DSM-5 criteria1 16% of German adolescents aged 13-18 years (Rehbein et al., 2015) were addicted to social media, compared to 8.5% of American adolescents (Gentile et al., 2011) and 1.2% of German adolescents. It is 4% in the Netherlands (Lemmens et al., 2011) and 10% in South Korea (Choi et al., 2009). Hamissi et al. (2013) found that 38.3% of students were internet addicts, 43.8% were light users, 15.9% were medium users, and 2.2% were severe users. Internet addiction is inversely connected with emotional intelligence in college students.
The Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective (Griffiths, 2010) examines how thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors cause and sustain social media addiction. Socio-Cultural elements influence the sociocultural perspective (Kardefelt - Winther, 2014). The Bio-Psycho-Social model (Goldberg, 2022) considers biological, psychological, and social elements. Self-Determination Theory (Ryan, 2009) examines psychological requirements and motivation. Uses and Gratifications Theory (Ruggiero, 2000) examines media use. Flow theory (Salisbury & Tomlinson, 2016), characterized by concentrated immersion and a sensation of control, is the best state for engagement and enjoyment. The Self-Regulation Theory (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014) emphasizes self-regulation in addictive behaviors.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is recognizing, understanding, and managing one's and other's emotions. It requires self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and successful communication. Petrides et al. (2007) defined emotional intelligence as mood and emotion control that boosts emotional awareness and clarity. Mayer's (2007) Emotional Social Intelligence Model defines emotional intelligence as the ability to perceive, use, interpret, and control one's and other's emotions that integrates social cognition and emotion. The hierarchical Four-Branch Model of Emotional Intelligence (Cherniss &
Goleman, 2000) incorporates emotion perception, facilitation, comprehension, and management. The Emotional Competence Framework defines emotional intelligence as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management (Collie, 2020). Joseph and Newman's (2010) integrated Model of Emotional Intelligence incorporates emotional literacy and control, including empathy, communication, and control. Pool and Qualte (2012) show that emotional intelligence affects students and professionals' networks using the Trait Emotional Self-Efficacy Model (TESE) (Kanesan & Fauzan, 2019). Emotional intelligence involves understanding, managing, and communicating emotions, including complex interpersonal skills (Mayer et al., 2016).
LITERATURE REVIEW
Salami (2011) discovered a significant correlation between adolescents' personality, emotional intelligence, and psychological health. Emotional intelligence moderated the association between personality and psychological health. Bibi et al. (2013) revealed that emotional intelligence reduced workplace incivility and unproductive behaviors. Yozgat et al. (2013) found that public sector professionals with high emotional intelligence had lower workplace stress and better performance. He et al. (2021) studied 1270 Chinese adolescents and discovered that fundamental self-evaluation and loneliness mediated the relationship between parental conflict and social networking sites (SNSs) addiction. The association between parental conflict and SNSs addiction was sequentially mediated by core self-evaluation and loneliness. The multiple mediation analysis reveals that fundamental self-evaluation and loneliness can simultaneously and sequentially mediate the relationship between parental conflict and SNS addiction.
Yu and Luo (2021) found that 390 Hong Kong university students with social networking sites (SNSs) had longer sleeping latency, more sleep disturbance, poorer academic performance, lower life satisfaction, and higher depression than those without SNSs. SNA risk increased with perceived inter-parental conflict and online behavior limits. Internet addiction was positively associated with inter-parental conflict and partially mediated by rejection sensitivity in 1,007 adolescents. High school-connected teens had a stronger indirect connection. High inter-parental conflict and high school connectedness increase adolescents' rejection sensitivity, supporting the attachment theory (Tao et al., 2022).
Jarrar et al. (2022) randomly sampled 400 Kampala-based 18-25-year-old Ugandans. They found that emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with social media addiction, Iqbal et al. (2021) found that emotional intelligence boosts academic performance directly and indirectly. Academic Social Networking Sites and emotional intelligence improved academic achievement during COVID-19. Naidu et al. (2023) examined 1067 18-25-year-olds (44.6% male, 55.4% female). Poor self-esteem and social anxiety raise fear of criticism, moderating the relationship between emotional intelligence and problematic internet and social media use.
Kaura and Saini (2020) studied 200 teenagers randomly recruited from Government Senior Secondary schools in Ludhiana. Most boys were "high-level" social media users, while girls were "low-level." Emotional Intelligence domains and levels showed no gender differences. However, social media use positively correlates with "empathy" and "overall" Emotional Intelligence. Yekefallah et al. (2019) studied 325 Qazvin University of Medical Sciences students. Moderate and severe Internet Addictions were 12% and 0.3%, respectively. 31.4% of students were normal Internet users, while 56.3% were mildly addicted. Internet addiction and emotional intelligence were also negatively correlated. Internet, EI, and social media use substantially predicted IA prevalence at all severity levels.
Kircaburun et al. (2019) found that Emotional Intelligence was indirectly linked to problematic social media usage (PSMU) and problematic online gaming via mindfulness, rumination, and depression in 470
teenagers. Farid et al. (2022) demonstrated that social media addiction improves general anxiety disorder with tremendous and robust interactions in 340 participants. Social media addiction correlates poorly with emotional intelligence. Social media moderately enhances emotional intelligence. Social media preoccupation predicts generalized anxiety disorders more than emotional intelligence. Van Deursen et al. (2015) found that continuous smartphone use causes smartphone addiction in 386 respondents. Process-related smartphone use greatly influences addiction and habituation. Social media increases smartphone addiction. Social stress and self-regulation promote smartphone addiction, but emotional intelligence does not. Aziz et al. (2022) found an association between social media and emotional intelligence in Malaysian secondary school students during COVID-19. Video games did not affect emotional intelligence either. Psychological capital and organizational citizenship behavior in Indian manufacturing and service industries were positively associated with Pradhan et al. (2016). Psychological capital influences organizational citizenship behavior through emotional intelligence.
THE RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
Extensive literature is available on perceived inter-parental conflicts, emotional intelligence, social media addiction and connecting with other variables such as psychological well-being, psychological capital, stress, emotional problems, and mental health issues with multiple populations globally. However, the connection between these study variables (inter-parental conflicts, emotional intelligence, and social media addiction) is under reported and has yet to be explored. Therefore, the current study intended to fill the literature gap. Furthermore, it aimed to investigate the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the association between perceived inter-parental conflicts and social media addiction among adolescents.
OBJECTIVES
1. To investigate the relationship between perceived inter-parental conflict, emotional intelligence, and adolescent social media addiction.
2. To illustrate the predictors of social media addiction among adolescents.
3. To explore the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between perceived inter-parental conflict and social media addiction among adolescents.
4. To find out the difference in the levels (low and high) of perceived inter-parental conflict and emotional intelligence on social media addiction among adolescents.
HYPOTHESES
1. Perceived inter-parental conflict will positively relate to social media addiction.
2. Emotional intelligence will negatively relate with social media addiction.
3. Perceived inter-parental conflict and emotional intelligence will predict emotional intelligence among adolescents.
4. Emotional intelligence will moderate the relationship between inter-parental conflict and adolescent social media addiction.
5. There will be a significant difference in low and high scores for predictive and outcome variables.
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Participants (N = 200) were approached through a purposive sampling technique, and an online G-Power calculator determined the sample size. The personal information of volunteer participants is reported in the following table number 1:
Table 1
Socio- Demographic Characteristics of the Study Participants (N = 200)
Variable Categories f Variable Categories F
Age M = 18.00, SD = 1.21 Group: Humanities FA 200
Gender Male 182 Relationship Status Single 190
Female 98 Committed 10
College Private 140 Living with Parents 170
Government 60 In Hostel 30
Table one shows the personal characteristics of the study participants, such as age, gender, education, and living status.
MEASURES
The following measures were used to collect the data:
FORM OF PERSONAL DATA CHARACTERISTICS
All demographic information was recorded on the personal information characteristic form, including age, gender, level of education, and all others.
PERCEPTION OF INTER-PARENTAL CONFLICT SCALE (PIPCS; GRYCH ET AL., 1992)
The children's perception of the inter-parental conflict scale (Grych et al., 1992) consisted of 48 items having seven dimensions, including frequency (sample item: I often see my parents arguing. Item numbers: 1, 9, 14, 17, 26, and 34), intensity (sample item: When my parents argue, they yell a lot. item number: 4, 12, 21, 30, 35, 37, and 42), Resolution (sample item: Even after my parents stop arguing they stay mad at each other. Item number 2, 10, 18, 27, 38, and 45), Threat (sample item: I get scared when my parents argue. Item number: 6, 15, 23, 32, 39, and 44), Coping Efficacy (sample item: I do not know what to do when my parents have arguments. Item number: 5, 13, 22, 31, 43, and 48), Content (sample item: My parents frequently argue about. Item number: 3, 19, 28, and 36), and Conflict Properties (item number 1, 2, 12, 18, 26, 27, 35, and 38), and Self-Blame (item number: 8, 16, 25, 40, and 47). It has reverse scored items 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 18, 22, 26, 27, 38, 35, 8, and 47. It has three possible answers ranging from 1 = valid, 2 = true, and 3 = false. Mean scores established cutoffs: high scores indicate high perceived inter-parental conflicts, and low scores indicate low perceived conflicts. In the current study, the cumulative scores of PIPCS were applied instead of subscales. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale on the current sample is found satisfactory.
BRIEF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SCALE (BEIS; DAVIES ET AL., 2010)
Brief Emotional Intelligence Scale (Davies et al., 2010) is a 10-item scale measuring the following five domains: Appraisal of own emotions (Item number 1 and 2), Appraisal of others' emotions (Items 3 and 4), Regulation of own emotions (Item 5and 6), Regulation of others' emotions (Item number 7 and 8), and Utilization of emotions (Item number 9 and 10). It has a five-point Likert- type response format ranging from 1 = strongly disagreeing, 2 = disagreeing, 3 = neutral, 4 = agreeing, and 5 = strongly agreeing. All items are positively worded and have no inverse coding. The cut off scores is determined through the mean of the current sample. High scores on the scale measure high emotional intelligence, and low scores mean low emotional intelligence of the individuals. Cronbach's Alpha reliability
coefficient of the scale on the current sample is found to be satisfactory. In the current study, the cumulative scores of BEIS were applied instead of subscales.
SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION QUESTIONNAIRE (SMAQ; SAHIN, 2018)
Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (Sahin, 2018) is an 8-item unidimensional scale measuring the signs of behavioral addiction. It used a 7-point Likert- type scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = somewhat disagree, 4= = neutral, 5 = somewhat agree, 6 = agree, and seven strongly agree. The mean score is used to determine the cutoff point, with high scores denoting a high level of social media addiction and low scores meaning a low amount of social media addiction. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale on the current sample is reported to be satisfactory. In the current study, the cumulative scores of SMAQ were applied instead of subscales.
PROCEDURE
The Ethical Review Committee of Lahore Leads University gave the formal permission to conduct the study after ensuring the ethical parameters according to APA 7th edition. Written approval from the higher authorities to collect the data from the government and private colleges was taken before approaching the study participants. Verbal and written informed consent was obtained from the participants after introducing the study's purpose. A booklet containing the demographic variable sheet, perceived inter-parental conflict, emotional intelligence, and social media addiction scales were distributed among the group and individual volunteer participants and collected on the same day. The paper-pencil method was used to collect the data. It took 20-25 average minutes to complete the one booklet. Participants were thanked for their cooperation. Data were screened to detect the missing values and patterns, including floor and ceiling effects, before entering into the software of the SPSS-24 version resulting in discarded of ten forms. Descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, person product moment correlation analysis, linear regression, and moderation analysis were used.
RESULTS
This study aimed to determine the relationship between adolescents' perceptions of inter-parental conflict, emotional intelligence, and social media addiction. To determine the factors that predict social media addiction. To investigate the moderating effect of emotional intelligence in the association between perceived inter-parental conflict and social media addiction. In addition, differences between low and high scores of the predictive variables (perceived-inter-parental conflict and emotional intelligence) on the outcome variable (social media addiction) were investigated. The results are presented in the tables below:
Table 2
Psychometric Properties of the Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict, Emotional Intelligence, and Social Media Addiction Scales
Variables k a M SD Actual Potential Skew Kurt
Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict 48 .89 53.31 10.06 25-88 0-96 .31 1.61
Emotional Intelligence 10 .88 34.74 5.62 20-48 10-50 -.09 -.29
Social Media Addiction 8 .90 23.71 4.02 14-35 8-40 .04 .34
Note: Skew = Skewness, Kurt = Kurtosis
Psychometric properties, internal consistencies, and normality assumptions of the scales were reported in Table 2. It showed that the internal consistencies of the scales were ranged between good
to excellent. The skewness and kurtosis values were within the limited range and fulfilled the normality assumption.
Table 3
Inter-relations between Inter-Parental Conflict, Emotional Intelligence, and Social Media Addiction among Adolescents (N = 200)
Variables Emotional Intelligence Social Media Addiction
Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict -.36** .35***
Emotional Intelligence -.29***
Social Media Addiction ----
Note: ***p < .000, **p < .001
The findings of Table 3 showed that inter-parental conflict has a significant positive relationship with social media addiction while inversely related to emotional intelligence. Results of Pearson Product Moment Correlation supported hypothesis number one and two.
Table 4
Predictors of Social Media Addiction Among Adolescents (N = 200)
Predictor Variables B SE ß t p
(Constant) 20.10 2.39 8.40 .000
Perceived Inter-parental conflicts -.03 .03 -.09 -1.09 .001
Emotional Intelligence .16 .06 .22 2.66 .003
In Table 4 the results of simple linear regression analysis with an entered method supported hypothesis number three, which indicated that inter-parental conflict and emotional intelligence R2 = 21, F (2, 98) = 3.66, p < .03 significantly predicted social media addiction and accounted for 21 % of cumulative variances which means 79 % are unknown variables that need to be investigated in future studies.
Table 5
Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence in Relationship between Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict and Social Media Addiction (N = 200)
Model 1 Model 2
Variables B ß SE B ß SE
Constant 1.25** .42** .63** .69**
Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict -.66** .69** -.02 .50** .69** .21
Emotional Intelligence .45** .48** .25 .67** .44** .67
Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict X Emotional Intelligence -.37** .39** -.58
R2 .25 .26
AR2 .06 .05
** p<.001.
Results of hierarchical regression analysis revealed the moderation analysis indicated that emotional intelligence played a moderating role in the relationship between perceived-inter-parental conflicts and social media addiction among adolescents. In model one, values of R2 = .25, which accounted for 25 percent of variances in the outcome variable with F (1, 199) = 4.96, p < .001. It indicated that perceived inter-parental conflict (6 = -.66***, p < .000) and emotional intelligence (6 = -.45**, p < .001). In model 2, R2 values of .26 show that predictors explained the 26 % variances in the outcome variable with F (2, 198) = 3.61, p < .001. it revealed that perceived-inter-parental conflict (6 = -.50**, p < .001) and emotional intelligence (6 = -.44**, p < .001).
Table 6
Low and High Scores of the Participants on Study Variables (N = 200)
Variables Low Scores High Scores Median
Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict 100 100 53
Emotional Intelligence 97 103 34
Social Media Addiction 89 111 23
Low and high scores of the perceived inter-parental conflict, emotional intelligence, and social media addiction with median scores are reported in Table 6.
Table 7
Independent Sample t-test in Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict and Emotional Intelligence among
Variables Low n = 74 High n = 126 95% CI Cohen's d
M (SD) M (SD) t (198) p LB UB
Perceived Inter-Parental Conflict 1.40 (.49) 1.56 (.49) -1.99 .002 -.32 -.01 0.23
Emotional Intelligence 1.37 (.48) 1.62(.48) -3.15 .002 -.41 -.09 0.33
Adolescents (N = 200)
The results of Table 7 revealed a significant difference in the high and low scores of the perceived inter-parental conflict and emotional intelligence by taking social media addiction as the outcome variable. Values of Cohen's d indicated that the effect size of the variables varied from low to medium. The findings of the independent sample t-test supported hypothesis number five.
Discussion
It is assumed that perceived inter-parental conflict will be positively related to social media addiction, and these variables will be inversely associated with emotional intelligence. Furthermore, perceived inter-parental conflict and emotional intelligence will predict emotional intelligence among adolescents. Emotional intelligence will moderate the relationship between inter-parental conflict and adolescent social media addiction. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in low and high scores in the perceived inter-parental conflict and social media addiction while taking emotional intelligence as an outcome variable among adolescents. The findings of the current study supported all these hypotheses. They added the values in the existing literature by introducing the differences, relationships, predictions, and moderating analyses between the study variables.
The findings of the currents study remained aligned with the previous literature such that Hess (2022) found that inter-parental conflict is strongly linked to decreased emotional warmth, negative communication, peer issues, and prosocial behavior in children and parents. The findings also imply that mothers' and fathers' parenting behavior mediates inter-parental conflict, resulting in less warm parenting and more negative communication, which affects children's social well-being. Parental bonding was favorable, while inter-parental conflict negatively affected adolescents' self-efficacy (Parsa et al., 2014). Vahedi et al. (2018) explained that work-life conflicts resulting in marital constrains and interparental conflicts increased the social media addiction among adolesents (Wang et al., 2021). However, Harold et al. (2007) explained that children in households with high inter-parental conflict and hostility develop attributional mechanisms impairing long-term academic success. Hwang et al. (2023) concluded that parenting styles and inter-parental conflicts were different in Korean, Chinese, and Asian students so their habits of social media addiction. Geurts et al. (2022) propose preventing adolescents' problematic SMU by focusing on parental behaviors towards the child. Findings also underscore the necessity of untangling restrictive mediation (impulsive, at-the-moment attempts to limit SMU versus providing precise norms in advance) when studying its impacts. Bani-Hamad and Jaradat (2022) found that individuals with social media addiction scored high on perceived interparental scales as compared to non-addicted.
The findings of the current study were also conformed the findings of previous literature (Gooty et al. 2014) which showed that individuals with better ability-based emotional intelligence utilize emotion-focused coping to deal with work-related anger, guilt, joy, or pride. As Naseem (2018) observed a substantial positive link between happiness and life satisfaction and negatively associated stress among telecommunications workers. Stress strongly influenced life satisfaction, while high-EQ employees reported low stress and low-EQ employees reported high stress. Sharma et al. (2016) observed stressmediated nursing staff work-family conflict and psychological well-being. However, nurses' emotional intelligence moderated their stress and psychological well-being in Uttarakhand, India. In the same way, Sural et al. (2019) discovered that the trait of emotional intelligence was directly and indirectly linked to problematic social media use through two motives: expressing or portraying a more popular self and passing the time. Arrivillaga et al. (2022) found that perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and a serial mediation model were essential mediators of emotional intelligence and problematic social media use. Lower emotional intelligence increased perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and internet addiction among adolesents. Barbara (2021) found that emotional intelligence partially mediated the PSMU-alexithymia relationship. Social media use and emotional intelligence were strongly correlated (Madaan et al., 2020). Eskandari et al. (2020) revealed that emotional impulse control, media awareness, and real-world interactions predict social media addiction. Sundvik and Davis (2022) found that the trait of emotional intelligence moderates the link between social networking addiction and depression. Sechi et al. (2021) polled Italian university volunteers online and found that emotional intelligence and self-esteem prevent online addiction.
Results of the current study were also strengthening the findings of previous researchers such as Liu et al. (2022) investigated 1,202 11-18-year-olds and found a significant relationship between the cumulative socio-environmental risk score, mobile social networking, mobile games, mobile information acquisition, and mobile short-form video addiction. Kuss and Griffiths (2011) stated that Social Networking Sites (SNSs) were primarily used for social objectives and maintaining offline networks. Extraverts use social media for social betterment, while introverts use it for social compensation. Low conscientiousness and high narcissism were also associated with higher consumption. SNS use decreases social group participation, academic accomplishment, and relationship problems, which may indicate addiction.
CONCLUSION
The current study explored the relationship between study variables and investigated the predictors of social media addiction. It was also the intention to investigate the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between perceived-inter parental conflicts and social media addiction. It intended to unfold the differences between perceived-inter-parental conflict, emotional intelligence, and social media addiction among adolescents. The findings supported the hypotheses that perceived-inter parental conflicts has a significant positive relationship with social media addiction and inverse relationship with emotional intelligence. Perceived-interparental conflict and emotional intelligence predicted the social media addiction and emotional intelligence moderate the relationship of perceived inter parental conflicts and social media addiction. moreover, the high and low socres on the predictive variables significantly differ while considering the outcome variable. In a nutshell there is a dire need to reduce the inter-parental conficlt and strengthen the emotional intelligence among adolesents to reduce the challnges of social media addiction.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY
The current study may provide insight to the policymakers, parents, academia, mental health professional, and researchers in the cultural context of Pakistan to provide the appropriate support and interventions for adolescents experiencing perceived inter-parental conflict, low emotional intelligence, and social media addiction. It may involve promoting healthy family dynamics, enhancing emotional intelligence skills through education and training, fostering digital literacy and responsible social media use, and providing mental health resources and counseling services.
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