Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41548197›Full record

SynthesisJournal of adolescence2026

A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies on Youth Internet Behavior Using the Positive Youth Development Frameworks.

Maneela Sirisety, Ravi Shanker Datti, Nidhi Mishra, Ashutosh Tewari, Swathi Akkaraju, Revathi Sampathirao

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of adolescence, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maneela SirisetyDepartment of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, India.ORCID 0000-0003-4567-6947
Ravi Shanker DattiDepartment of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, India.ORCID 0000-0002-8353-3384
Nidhi MishraDepartment of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, India.
Ashutosh TewariDepartment of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, India.
Swathi AkkarajuDepartment of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam, India.
Revathi SampathiraoDepartment of Education, College of Arts, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Etcherla, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPositive youth development (PYD) is a strength-based approach that promotes positive outcomes to support the well-being of youth. With digital technology becoming central to adolescents' lives, understanding how PYD is related to internet behaviors is crucial. The current study addresses this growing need by systematically reviewing the studies that examined how PYD-related constructs are associated with youth internet behaviors over time.

methodThis systematic review synthesized findings from 10 longitudinal studies identified from 794 screened records that examined the association between PYD-related variables and youth internet behaviors. Following PRISMA guidelines, the methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for cohort studies. A narrative synthesis approach was employed to integrate findings.

resultFindings indicate that high PYD attributes, developmental assets, and school assets were shown to negatively predict problematic internet behaviors, including internet addiction, internet gaming disorder, and cyberbullying victimization, both concurrently and longitudinally. Importantly, these associations were rarely direct. Positive mediators and moderators strengthened the protective effects of PYD, whereas adverse psychological states and contextual risks weakened these associations.

conclusionThis review highlights that PYD functions mainly as a protective developmental resource operating through indirect and conditional pathways in digital contexts. However, the literature remains heavily focused on risk-oriented internet outcomes, with limited attention to positive forms of digital engagement. Conceptual inconsistencies in PYD operationalization and a strong geographic concentration of studies further underscore the need for more robust, theoretically integrated, and cross-cultural longitudinal research.

Indexed as

Adolescent BehaviorAdolescent DevelopmentInternetInternet UseAdolescentCrime VictimsCyberbullyingDigital MediaHumansInternet Addiction DisorderLongitudinal Studiescyberbullying victimizationdevelopmental assetsinternet addictioninternet gaming disorderpositive youth development

Identifiers

PMID41548197
PMCPMC13044875

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.