Parental Monitoring and Open Communication Strategies as Predictors of Adolescents' Social Media Use and Adjustment among undergraduates in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The increasing immersion of children and young adults in social media has heightened concerns about their psychosocial adjustment, underscoring the critical role of parental monitoring and communication. This study investigated how parental involvement, through monitoring and open communication, predicts social media use and adjustment among undergraduates in Anambra State, Nigeria. A correlational survey design was employed. Data were collected from 269 undergraduates (134 males, 135 females), aged 17 to 24 years, purposively selected from two public universities. The 24-item Parental Monitoring and Communication Questionnaire (PMCQ), culturally adapted and revalidated by experts, was used for data collection. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, simple linear regression, and multiple regressions via SPSS version 25. Parental monitoring negatively predicted social media use (β = –0.29, R² = .084, p < .001) and positively predicted adolescent adjustment (β = 0.34, R² = .116, p < .001). Similarly, open communication negatively predicted social media use (β = –0.23, R² = .053, p < .001) and positively predicted adolescent adjustment (β = 0.31, R² = .096, p < .001). When combined, parental monitoring and open communication explained 11.6% of the variance in social media use and 17.2% in adolescent adjustment (p < .001), confirming their joint predictive strength. The findings reinforce the importance of autonomy-supportive parenting practices in the digital age. Implications include the need to enhance parents’ digital literacy, promote culturally sensitive communication, and encourage school-family collaboration. It is recommended that parenting workshops, school engagement programs, and policy frameworks be developed to support parents in guiding responsible social media use among Nigerian youth.

Keywords
  • Parental Monitoring
  • Open Communication
  • Marital Adjustment
  • Social Media
Lisensing Information
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite
Nwikpo, M. N., Eluemuno, A. I., Ezeonwumelu, V. U., & Alaribe, C. O. (2025). Parental Monitoring and Open Communication Strategies as Predictors of Adolescents’ Social Media Use and Adjustment among undergraduates in Anambra State, Nigeria. Journal of Counseling and Educational Research, 2(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.63203/jcerch.v2i1.174
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
References
  1. Adigwe, I., & van der Walt, T. (2020). Parental mediation of online media activities of children in Nigeria: A parent child approach. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 2, 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2020.100041
  2. Alabi, A., & Kabiru, J. (2024). The impact of social media on family relationships: A study of Jahi, Abuja. *British Journal of Mass Communication and Media Research, 4 (1). https://doi.org/10.52589/BJMCMR-NYGWLLJ9 (https://abjournals.org/bjmcmr/papers/volume-4/issue-1/the-impact-of-social-media-on-family-relationships-a-study-of-jahi-abuja/)
  3. Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1989). Attachments beyond infancy. American Psychologist, 44(4), 709–716. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.4.709
  4. Amobi, T. I., Oloruntola, S., & Obia, V. (2020). Parental mediation of mobile and social media engagement of teens in Lagos State, Nigeria. SAU Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(2), 19–35. Published 2020
  5. Barnes, H. L., & Olson, D. H. (1985). Parent-adolescent communication and the circumplex model. Child Development, 56(2), 438–447. https://doi.org/10.2307/1129732
  6. Barry, C. T., & Kim, H. (2023). Parental monitoring of adolescent social media use: Relations with adolescent mental health and self-perception. Current Psychology, 43, 2473–2485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04434-2.
  7. Beyens, I., Keijsers, L., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2024). Development, validity, and reliability of the parent-adolescent communication about adolescents’ social media use scale (PACAS). Journal of Children and Media, 18(2), 159–177.https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2023.2299828
  8. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York, NY: Basic Books.
  9. Boer, M., Stevens, G. W. J. M., Finkenauer, C., & van den Eijnden, R. J. J. M. (2023). Predicting adolescents’ problematic social media use from profiles of internet specific parenting practices and general parenting dimensions. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52, 45–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01816-4
  10. Branje, S. (2018). Development of parent–adolescent relationships: Conflict interactions as a mechanism of change. Child Development Perspectives, 12(3), 171–176. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12278
  11. Cardoso-Leite, P., Buchard, A., Tissieres, I., Mussack, D., & Bavelier, D. (2021). Media use, attention, mental health, and academic performance among 8 to 12-year-old children. *PLOS ONE, 16*(11), e0259163. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259163 (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259163).
  12. Dodemaide, P., Merolli, M., Hill, N., Joubert, L (2022). Do Social Media Impact Young Adult Mental Health and Well-Being? A Qualitative Study, The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 52, Issue 8, December 2022, Pages 4664–4683, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac078
  13. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
  14. Ezeonwumelu, V. U., Nwikpo, M. N., Offor, U. I., & Stanley, U. M. (2025). Frequency of social media engagement as correlates of university undergraduates' academic procrastination in Anambra State. Journal of Theoretical and Empirical Studies in Education, 10(2),
  15. Ezeonwumelu, V. U., Nwikpo, M. N., Okoro, C. C., & Ekanem, E. I. (2021). Social media addiction and time management skills of university students in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Global Journal of Social Science Studies, 7(1), 24–34. https://doi.org/10.20448/807.7.1.24.34
  16. Flamant, N., Haerens, L., Mabbe, E., Vansteenkiste, M., & Soenens, B. (2020). How do adolescents deal with intrusive parenting? The role of coping with psychologically controlling parenting in internalizing and externalizing problems. Journal of Adolescence, 84, 200–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.09.003ScienceDirect+2
  17. Goodman, R. (1997).The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 581–586. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x
  18. Hilty DM, Stubbe D, McKean AJ, et al. A scoping review of social media in child, adolescents and young adults: research findings in depression, anxiety and other clinical challenges. BJPsych Open. 2023;9(5):e152. doi:10.1192/bjo.2023.523
  19. Jaycox, L. H., Murphy, E. R., Zehr, J. L., Pearson, J. L., & Avenevoli, S. (2024). Social media and suicide risk in youth. JAMA Network Open, 7 (10), e2441499. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.41499 (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2825340).
  20. James, P. A., & Kur, J. T. (2020). Parental Mediation of Childrens Risky Experiences with Digital Media. The Journal of Society and Media, 4(2), 298–318. https://doi.org/10.26740/jsm.v4n2.p298-318
  21. Lund, L., Sølvhøj, I.N., Danielsen, D. et al. Electronic media use and sleep in children and adolescents in western countries: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 21, 1598 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11640-9
  22. Mahmoud, H. A., & Shafik, S. A. (2020). The effect of social media on family relationships. IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science, 9 (6), 47–57.(https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jnhs/papers/vol9-issue6/Series-3/G0906034757
  23. Mbachu, C. O., Agu, I. C., & Eze, I. (2020). Exploring issues in caregivers and parent communication of sexual and reproductive health matters with adolescents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. BMC Public Health, 20, 77. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8058-5
  24. Meng, Z., Min, K., Ma, R., Yang, J., Zhang, H., & Li, Q. (2025). The mediating effect of parental monitoring in the association between parent–child relationship harmony and smartphone addiction. BMC Public Health, 25, Article 1184. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22366-3.
  25. Metzger, A., Ice, C., & Cottrell, L. (2012). But I trust my teen: Parents' attitudes and response to a parental monitoring intervention. AIDS Research and Treatment, 2012, Article ID 396163. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/396163
  26. Nwikpo, M. N., Anierobi, E. I., Okeke, A. N., & Ifejiofor, A. P. (2020). The prevalence of weapon-carrying/use amongst senior secondary school students in Anambra State, Nigeria. African Journal of Human Development and Lifespan (AJHDL), 2, 288–104.
  27. Nwikpo, M. N., Anierobi, E. I., & Okeke, A. N. (2021). Constraints to effective digital parenting by Nigerian mothers: A study of young mothers from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. Journal of Educational Psychologists, 14 (1), 188 - 202
  28. Nwikpo, M. N., & Offordueze, O. A. (2022). Prevalence, causes, and consequences of premarital cohabitation and academic performance of undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. International Journal of Management, Social Sciences, Peace and Conflict Studies, 5(4), 45–60
  29. Nwikpo, M. N., Ezeonwumelu, V. U., Eluemuno, A. I., & Anierobi, E. I. (2022). Weapon possession and use: Rural-urban and school-type differences in the motivating factors and degree of involvement of in-school adolescents in Anambra State, Nigeria. Journal of Theoretical and Empirical Studies in Education, 7(1), 139–153
  30. Nwikpo, M. N., Ezeonwumelu, V. U., Eluemuno, A. I., & Oyeyemi, A. A. (2025). The role of fan page romantic ideals in reinforcing problematic dating app use among emotionally sensitive undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Anambra State, Nigeria. Unizik Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies, 19(3), 42–59
  31. Offor, U. I., Ezeonwumelu, V. U., Nwikpo, M. N., & Chinyeaka, E. K. (2024). Social media use as a predictor of suicide ideation among university undergraduates in Anambra State. Journal of Theoretical and Empirical Studies in Education, 9(1), 1–16.
  32. Savci, M., & Aysan, F. (2017). The role of impulsivity in the relationship between problematic Internet use and psychological symptoms. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 4(1), 21–37. https://doi.org/10.15805/addicta.2017.4.1.0025
  33. Shpancer, N. (2020). Parent–adolescent communication in adolescence and its relationship to adolescent well being: A systematic review. Journal of Family Psychology, 34(2), 134–152. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000470
  34. Stattin, H., & Kerr, M. (2000). Parental monitoring: A reinterpretation. Child Development, 71(4), 1072–1085. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.0021Ukaegbu, M. I., Nengi, M., & Ibiene, S. J. (2022). Effects of social media on family bond and cohesion: A study of Port Harcourt residents, Rivers State. *Greener Journal of Social Sciences, 12*(1), 25–33
  35. Wang, Q., Pomerantz, E. M., & Chen, H. (2007). The role of parents' control in early adolescents' psychological functioning: A longitudinal investigation in the United States and China. Child Development, 78(5), 1592–1610. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01085.x
  36. Yu, D.J., Wing, Y.K., Li, T.M.H. et al. The Impact of Social Media Use on Sleep and Mental Health in Youth: a Scoping Review. Curr Psychiatry Rep 26, 104–119 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-024-01481-9

Issue

Downloads

PDF

Statistic

Abstract Views
: 30 times
PDF
: 40 times

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.