Family Context, Identity and Internet Use: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Group of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic

Literature has demonstrated the adaptive function of identity development and family context toward manifestation of problem behaviors in adolescence. The present research investigates: a) the influence of dysfunctional family dynamics on the Internet use; b) the impact that psychological and physical sensations - following excessive Internet use - can have on the quality of family relationships. The research involved 150 Italian students (65 males and 85 females) aged between 14 and 20 years (M =15.99, S.D = 1.94). The research lasted for 1 school year. Participants completed: an anamnestic questionnaire; the Family Assessment Device (FAD) in order to value the family functioning; and a self-report constructed ad hoc questionnaire, named “Adolescents and Digital Technologies” to measure frequency of use of social networks and Internet, the motivation for the use of social networks, the physical and psychological sensation perceived following their use. Data show the influence of gender and age on the general use of Internet; the influence of gender on psychological and physical sensations experienced by adolescent participants while using the Internet; and the predictive role of the family emotional involvement on Internet use. Family is a context for learning models and values that affect the wider social and regulatory context, and for this reason it is considered the privileged context in which to intervene to reduce behavioral problems of adolescents.