Problematic social media use and adverse childhood experiences: A systematic review.

Background and aims: Problematic social media use (PSMU) is highly prevalent among young people today and is associated with numerous negative outcomes. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have increasingly been identified as a risk factor for the development of PSMU. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between ACEs and PSMU, as well as the mediators and moderators that have been investigated in this association. Methods: The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. The literature search was performed in the following databases: Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Google Scholar. The quality of the studies was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-sectional Studies. Results: A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. The vast majority of them showed a positive association between ACEs and PSMU. The results highlighted some cognitive and emotional processes that mediate the relationship between ACEs and PSMU, which were examined in 12 studies, while three studies examined the presence of moderators. Discussion and conclusions: ACEs represent an important risk factor for the development of PSMU. While existing studies have already highlighted the presence of mediators that help explain this relationship, more studies should be directed toward examining moderators, particularly demographic variables and protective factors. In addition to ACEs, the role of positive childhood experiences could also be examined as a protective factor.