Technology has become an integral part in lives of young adults' who spend hours on online activities. This study aims to investigate the impact of sources of entertainment, subjective norms and moral foundations on gaming addiction in Pakistani youth. A sample of 385 online gamers aged 17–23 years completed an online assessment battery comprising the Anticipated Enjoyment Scale, Moral Foundations Questionnaire, Subjective Norms Scale, and Gaming Addiction Scale. Regression analysis indicated moral foundations to be a significant predictor of gaming addiction, presenting 9% variance. Anticipated enjoyment through social subjective norms presented a strong mediation impact on gaming addiction (indirect: a₁b₁ = .051, 95% CI [.018, 0.133]), whereas moral foundations showed a direct effect (β = .24, p < .001). These findings are important for reviewing sociocultural aspects of collectivistic society. These concepts can be utilized to improve gaming experience and promote moral values by through appropriate gaming content.
Educational pathways are associated with educational attainment and health-risk behavior in young adulthood, but less is known about the role of self-regulation in these associations. Using nationally representative data from 36,517 young adults aged 18-25, this study examined associations among parental education, educational disruptions, educational attainment, health-risk behavior, and locomotion, an action-oriented regulatory mode. Higher parental education was associated with higher educational attainment (β = .24, p < .001) and lower health-risk behavior (β = −.07, p = .042), whereas greater educational disruptions were associated with lower educational attainment (β = −.21, p < .001) and higher health-risk behavior (β = .08, p = .016). Locomotion moderated the positive association between parental education and educational attainment (ΔR2 = .002, p = .038) and between educational disruptions and health-risk behavior (ΔR2 = .024, p = .038). Overall, findings indicate that locomotion may represent a context-sensitive self-regulatory characteristic associated with adaptive outcomes.
Young people increasingly imagine their futures within social environments in which algorithmically mediated platforms shape the visibility of people, lifestyles, occupations, and representations of success. This conceptual article introduces Wrong Railing, a provisional framework explaining how platform-mediated representations may reshape the criteria through which young people evaluate future trajectories. Wrong Railing describes aspirational reorientation in which visibility, temporal acceleration, and symbolic recognition gain increased weight, potentially redirecting developmental investment. The framework identifies four mechanisms: aspirational exposure, comparative future-making, identity recalibration, and behavioral reorientation. It also introduces proleptic comparison involving anticipated trajectories rather than only present attributes or outcomes. importantly, ‘wrong’ denotes a potential misalignment between how a trajectory is valued and the competencies, resources, uncertainties, opportunities, and developmental requirements involved in pursuing it. The framework specifies boundary conditions and contextual moderators and remains falsifiable rather than reperesenting an empirically established developmental process.
Adolescents in Uganda continue to experience high levels of risky sexual behaviours despite existing school‑based sexuality education programmes, with limited evidence on the effectiveness of peer‑led approaches. This study examined the effectiveness of peer‑led sexuality education on sexual behaviours among secondary school adolescents in Masaka City, Uganda. A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT), reported in accordance with CONSORT guidelines, was conducted among 912 students from eight secondary schools in Masaka City, Uganda. The intervention group received an eight‑week peer‑led sexuality education programme. Data were collected at baseline, post‑intervention, and three‑month follow‑up. The intervention significantly increased sexual abstinence (aOR = 2.070; p < 0.001) and reduced multiple sexual partnerships (aOR = 0.460; p < 0.001), alcohol/drug use (aOR = 0.440; p = 0.001), and unprotected sex. Peer-led sexuality education is an effective strategy for improving adolescent sexual behaviours. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention.
Despite aggression being a hallmark of adolescent conduct disorder (CD), its neurocognitive mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigated neurocognitive functioning in adolescents with CD versus healthy controls, specifically examining its link to aggression severity. Sixty male adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, including 30 individuals with CD and 30 healthy controls matched for age and screened for normal intellectual functioning, were assessed using tasks from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Aggression severity was evaluated using the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Adolescents with CD showed significantly higher aggression levels and poorer performance on several neurocognitive measures compared with controls. In addition, higher aggression scores were associated with poorer performance across multiple cognitive domains in the overall sample, including attentional performance, visual memory, decision related measures, and emotion recognition accuracy. The association between aggression severity and neurocognitive differences highlights the clinical relevance of neurocognitive assessment in characterizing CD.
Urban youth unemployment is a major challenge in Somaliland, threatening socioeconomic stability and sustainable development. Despite its importance, nationally representative evidence on its determinants remains limited. This study examines the determinants of urban youth unemployment in Somaliland. The study analyzed nationally representative data from the (SLDHS, 2020) for 1,181 urban youth aged 15–29 years (n = 1,181) using logistic regression, with Probit and Linear Probability Models as robustness checks. Bank account ownership (OR = 16.95), mobile phone ownership (OR = 16.01), higher educational attainment (OR = 3.15), greater household wealth (OR = 5.74), and internet use (OR = 2.56) were positively associated with employment, whereas mobile financial transaction use (OR = 0.093) was negatively associated with employment, possibly reflecting greater reliance on remittances among unemployed youth. Urban youth employment is associated with educational attainment, financial inclusion, digital access, and socioeconomic conditions.
There is extensive research on the bidirectional relation between empathy for others’ negative emotions (e.g. suffering) and prosocial behavior. However, no studies have examined the bidirectional relation between empathy for others’ positive emotions (e.g. joy) and prosocial behavior directed toward friends and strangers during early adolescence. A one-year longitudinal study included 384 adolescents (56.5% female; M age = 12.63 years). Results revealed a bidirectional relation between empathy and prosocial behavior. Positive affective empathy predicted later prosocial behavior toward strangers, while prosocial behavior toward strangers predicted changes in both negative and positive cognitive empathy. Similarly, positive cognitive and affective empathy predicted later prosocial behavior toward friends, which in turn was associated with increased cognitive empathy both positive and negative over time. This study provides a unique perspective for deepening our understanding of how positive and negative empathy relate to and influence different types of prosocial behavior during this stage of development.
The impressions of individuals who express schadenfreude in intimate, one-on-one relationships are not yet fully understood. Prior research has mainly examined schadenfreude toward protagonists in fictitious scenarios; however, the results obtained using this method do not necessarily reflect real-world schadenfreude. This study focuses on the actual past experiences of Japanese emerging adults (N = 192, 18–29 years old) and investigated (a) how a person expressing schadenfreude thinks the listener perceives them, and (b) the listener’s actual impression of the person expressing schadenfreude. These results suggest that dislike-based schadenfreude toward the misfortune of close others is most likely to be shared. The expressers believed that expressing schadenfreude would not damage their impressions, and listeners tended to rate the expressers as slightly active, lively, and dignified. Thus, schadenfreude appears to be shared in intimate relationships without promoting strong positive impressions or worsening them in real-world situations.
Performing stunts among adolescent bicyclists is associated with an increased risk of cycling-related injuries. This study aimed to develop a multilevel program and establish a pilot study protocol among adolescent bicyclists. The program was developed using the six-step Intervention Mapping (IM) framework in Isfahan, Iran, through a multidisciplinary planning group. A needs assessment integrating literature review and qualitative research identified behavioral and environmental determinants of performing stunts. Twenty-four change objectives were developed and linked to theory-based behavior change methods and practical applications. The Safe Cycling program was designed as a 10-session targeting students, parents, and school health coaches. A validated questionnaire was developed, and a pilot study protocol was established to assess intervention outcomes. IM facilitated the systematic development of a theory- and evidence-based cycling safety program tailored to the local context and provided a structured foundation for pilot testing and future evaluation.
This article focuses on analyzing the family dimension of young ex-combatants in Colombia, with the purpose of unveiling their relationships and bonds. The interpretation is framed from the voice of those who implement public policy (Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization professionals). The research followed a qualitative method with an exploratory-descriptive approach, and highlights the logic of systemic, complex, and social constructionist paradigms. The results indicate that young ex-combatants prefer not to return to their places of origin for security reasons and due to fragmented family relationships, facing significant challenges in establishing solid emotional bonds. As conclusions, some families facilitate the association of young people with armed groups, and thus their life stories may motivate this decision. However, welcoming families facilitate the reestablishment of bonds, provide security, and encourage a successful life project away from illegal armed groups.
The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the phenomenon of transphobic bullying, specifically distinguishing between psychological consequences for victims and predisposing factors for perpetrators. Following a search of Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, Eric database, 53 out of 258 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were selected. Results showed that young transgender and gender-diverse victims subjected to violence and bullying experienced severe outcomes, including anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, substance use, self-harm, and school absenteeism. Regarding perpetrators, research identified specific risk factors: neuroticism, social reputation concerns, and aggressive family socialisation patterns associated with gender bashing. This contribution emphasizes the significant negative impact on victims and the variables influencing perpetrators, providing a crucial theoretical basis for future studies aimed at developing interventions to prevent and combat transphobic bullying.
Teenage pregnancy remains a major global public health challenge with serious health and socioeconomic consequences for adolescent girls. Although widely studied worldwide, evidence from fragile and politically unrecognized settings remains limited. Somaliland is characterized by high fertility, early marriage, low contraceptive use, and limited policy frameworks addressing reproductive health inequalities. This study examined socioeconomic inequality in teenage pregnancy among adolescents aged 15–19 years using data from the 2020 SLDHS. A sample of 258 adolescents was analysed using the concentration index and Wagstaff decomposition methods. The weighted prevalence of teenage pregnancy was 15.03% (95% CI: 9.80%–20.26%). The concentration index (CI = −0.1844) indicated that teenage pregnancy was disproportionately concentrated among poorer adolescents. Educational attainment (30.49%), age at first marriage (27.44%), current age (19.27%), marital status (18.16%), and household wealth (17.49%) were the main contributors to the observed inequality. Addressing poverty, education, delayed marriage, and reproductive health information is essential.
This study aimed to better understand the relationships among inhibition and attentional control, academic achievement, and the display of high-aggressive behaviors among 154 adolescents aged 11–17 years. Results show that inhibition and attentional control, indexed by response accuracy and Intraindividual Reaction Time Variability in the Go/No-Go cognitive task, commission errors, and academic achievement in science, mathematics, and reading, significantly were associated with high-aggression problems. Participants with high-aggressive behaviors exhibited slower central tendency reaction times and longer distribution tails in the second block, indicating more trials with exceptionally delayed responses reflected as a higher τ parameter in an ex-Gaussian model. The two-fold implications are the provision for further research in this field and the evidence-informed practical implications for school-based interventions, focusing on attentional and inhibitory control, teaching, and learning for academic achievement.
This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of the Family Digital Resilience Program (FDRP), a culturally adapted, family-based preventive counseling intervention, in reducing electronic sexual harassment (ESH) among Jordanian adolescents aged 12–15. Drawing on social cognitive and family systems theories, the 8-week program targeted parental self-efficacy, parent-child communication, and digital literacy through group sessions with 160 parent-child dyads randomized to intervention (n = 80) or waitlist control (n = 80). Assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up used validated scales. Results showed significant reductions in ESH incidence (d = −0.58 at follow-up), with improvements in secondary outcomes mediated primarily by enhanced parental self-efficacy. Findings support scalable family-centered approaches for online child protection in Arab contexts, emphasizing sustained resilience over short-term awareness.
“Mattering”—or feeling noticed, significant, and valued for the value we add—is central to adolescent self-concept development. School sports teams often provide spaces that cultivate this sense of mattering. In this qualitative study, conducted over two academic years (2019–2021) at a U.S. high school, we examined the nexus of mattering and athletic participation with 17 Black adolescent boys through individual interviews and focus groups. Participants highlighted the importance of athletic involvement for feeling valued for adding value, particularly by teammates and coaches, which extended to a broader sense of significance within the school community. Yet mattering sometimes coexisted with feelings of being used or exploited by teachers and coaches—what we call forms of “partial mattering”—when the physical talent of Black boys garners celebration and appreciation while their intellect and humanity remain overlooked. We conclude with insights for theory, research, and practice, emphasizing strategies to bolster Black boys’ self-concept by fostering their “comprehensive mattering.”
Healthy behaviour reduces the risk of many serious physical and mental illnesses among individuals. Literature confirms a negative relationship between financial literacy and unhealthy behaviours like smoking, excessive alcohol, and gambling. This paper is an attempt to understand how financial literacy relates to health behaviour among Indian youth. Data was collected using an online questionnaire from 501 participants, and probit analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that higher financial literacy was associated with lower engagement in e-cigarette, marijuana, and drug use, as well as binge eating, and was also linked to greater physical activity and a higher likelihood of maintaining a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). However, no significant association was found between financial literacy and cigarette smoking or alcohol consumption. These findings highlight the potential role of financial literacy and other psychological and behavioural determinants in promoting healthier lifestyles among young adults in India.
Digital media devices function as both bridges and barriers within family interactions. From a family systems perspective, this qualitative study explores the role of digital media in family interactions through qualitative media diaries and unstructured interviews with seventeen families with preadolescent children (ages 9–13). Employing reflexive thematic analysis and a symbolic interactionist approach, findings reveal the nuanced relational- and situational-specific ways digital devices gain symbolic value, contribute to, and are entangled in family interactions. Three non-exhaustive symbolic categories emerged across different types of digital-related interactions (i.e. interaction-oriented and co-present digital media use): ritual/routine-based practices, spontaneous moments, and practical applications. These varied along a continuum from deeply connecting to neutral or disruptive. The study demonstrates how various digital tools are woven into in family interactions, offering insights into the nuanced ways digital media shape and are shaped by relational dynamics across different family (sub)systems.
This study used a combination of text mining, network text analysis and graph theory to analyse enrolment patterns and identify factors that influence students' academic choices at a Tanzanian university. Data were collected from 1244 students, comprising 910 arts and 334 science students. The computational approach enabled the exploration of the structural relationships between myths, locality and socio-cultural influences that shape academic decisions. One prominent misconception is that STEM disciplines require exceptional academic ability, which discourages many students from pursuing science-related careers. Urban students were more likely to choose STEM programmes due to their greater access to educational resources. In contrast, rural students tended to favour the more traditionally perceived 'safer' fields, such as business, education and the social sciences. Family expectations and perceptions of career stability further reinforce these choices. By integrating computational methods, this study reveals complex enrolment dynamics that are often overlooked by conventional descriptive approaches.
Despite the rapid rise of generative AI chatbot adoption in higher education, limited evidence exists regarding its possible consequences on college students' well-being and functioning. This study explored the impact of frequent/excessive generative AI chatbot use on the academic, social, and mental health outcomes among college students and tested whether academic- and social-related harms mediate the association between the usage and mental health problems. College students (N = 560) studied in Beijing (25.2%) and Hong Kong (74.8%) completed an online survey between June and August 2023. Most participants used ChatGPT. Frequent/excessive generative AI chatbot use was positively correlated with academic stress and loneliness. Furthermore, academic stress fully mediated the association between excessive generative AI chatbot use and anxiety. The findings suggest that frequent/excessive generative AI chatbot use may be associated with academic and social-related harms among college students and underscore the critical importance of fostering balanced and healthy engagement with these tools.
Anger in adolescents is an indicator of mental health disorders. The aim of the study was to analyze the internal structure of the Pathological Anger Scale (DAR-7 and DAR-5 versions), its reliability, the invariance of the measurement in adolescents in Mexico and Peru, and its relationship with the frustration of basic psychological needs. 802 adolescents aged 11 to 16 participated, selected through non-probability sampling. An analytical-factorial strategy based on ESEM and CFA was used with the WLSMV estimation method. The DAR-5 has a more robust unidimensional structure than the DAR-7 and is invariant between both countries. Direct associations between pathological anger and the frustration of autonomy, competence, and relatedness were confirmed in both samples. In adittion, reliability was adequate (α > .79; ω > .84). In conclusion, the DAR-5 is a psychometrically robust, valid, and cross-culturally equitable instrument, allowing for its use with adolescents in Peru and Mexico.
