The Association Between Parental Psychological Control and Problematic Technology Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Trauma Violence Abuse. 2026 Jun 25:15248380261456764. doi: 10.1177/15248380261456764. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Problematic technology use (PTU) has increasingly been recognized as a pressing global public health concern. Parental psychological control, a developmentally inappropriate form of intrusive parenting, has been identified as an important familial risk factor for PTU. However, although a growing body of empirical research has examined this association, the findings have been inconsistent, and no systematic quantitative synthesis has yet been conducted. Accordingly, the present study aimed to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between parental psychological control and PTU. Following PRISMA guidelines, a three-level meta-analytic approach was employed to synthesize existing findings and examine potential moderators. The final simple comprised 69 studies, yielding 204 effect sizes based on 85,129 participants. The results revealed a significant positive association between parental psychological control and PTU (r = .296, p < .001). Moderator analyses further indicated that the strength of this association varied by publication year, age, educational stage, maternal educational attainment, and dimensions of parental psychological control. The present findings support a robust positive association between parental psychological control and PTU. By clarifying both the overall effect size and key moderators, this study advances theoretical understanding and informs the development of evidence-based interventions to reduce maladaptive digital behaviors.

PMID:42350933 | DOI:10.1177/15248380261456764