Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42484996›Full record

ArticleJournal of adolescence2026

Bidirectional Longitudinal Associations Between Problematic Social Media Use and Emotional Symptoms in Adolescents: Results From a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model.

Chiara Remondi, Antonino La Tona, Laura Salerno, Rita Aiello, Valeria Donisi, Silvia Poli, Elide Francesca De Caro, Elisa Delvecchio, Agostino Brugnera

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of adolescence, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Chiara RemondiDepartment of Psychology and Health Sciences, Pegaso Telematic University, Naples, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2521-1408
Antonino La TonaDepartment of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6223-0106
Laura SalernoDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3801-7006
Rita AielloDepartment of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Valeria DonisiDepartment of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8283-5260
Silvia PoliDepartment of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9801-6013
Elide Francesca De CaroDepartment of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5675-8775
Elisa DelvecchioDepartment of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3519-5445
Agostino BrugneraDepartment of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4066-4552

Funding

Italian Ministry of University and Research (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca) J53D23008110006Εuropean Union-NextGenerationEU, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) PRIN 2022 D.D. 104
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionProblematic social media use (PSMU) and emotional symptoms are consistently associated during adolescence; however, the directionality of this relationship remains debated.

methodsThe present study examined the bidirectional longitudinal associations between PSMU and emotional symptoms in a large sample of Italian adolescents using a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM), which disentangles stable between-person differences from within-person changes over time. A total of 1562 adolescents (baseline M

resultsAt the between-person level, adolescents who consistently reported higher levels of PSMU also reported persistently higher levels of emotional symptoms, indicating a stable dispositional association between the two constructs. At the within-person level, higher-than-usual levels of PSMU were concurrently associated with higher-than-usual levels of emotional symptoms. Most notably, significant bidirectional spill-over effects emerged: within-person increases in PSMU predicted subsequent increases in emotional symptoms, and increases in emotional symptoms predicted subsequent increases in PSMU. Emotional symptoms also demonstrated significant carry-over effects across waves.

conclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of disaggregating within-person and between-person effects and support the conceptualization of the association between PSMU and emotional symptoms as a dynamic feedback loop during adolescence.

Indexed as

Adolescent BehaviorAffective SymptomsEmotionsInternet Addiction DisorderSocial MediaAdolescentDigital MediaFemaleHumansItalyLongitudinal StudiesMaleMedia ExposureSelf Reportadolescenceemotional symptomslongitudinal studyproblematic social media userandom intercept cross‐lagged panel model

Identifiers

PMID42484996
PMCPMC13643606

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