Moderating effects of general need frustration on the association between electronic screen use and adolescents’ socio-emotional problems

Self-determination Theory recognises the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs—competence, relatedness and autonomy—as essential nutriments for individuals’ optimal functioning and psychological wellbeing. The frustration of these needs is associated with a range of maladaptive coping mechanisms, including compulsive behaviours, often leading to poor socio-emotional outcomes. It is possible that adolescents’ electronic screen use is also driven by a similar mechanism. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating effects of general need frustration on the longitudinal relationship between electronic screen use and socio-emotional problems among adolescents. Baseline and follow-up data (6 months apart) were collected through online surveys from 877 adolescents (mean age = 21.8, 84.5% female). Moderated-mediation analyses were used to test the conditional indirect effect of ‘general need frustration’ on the relationship between ‘need satisfaction from screens’ (i.e., video games and social media) and ‘socio-emotional problems’ via ‘problematic screen use’. Findings revealed distinct patterns of this relationship across screen types. Need satisfaction from video games was positively associated with socio-emotional wellbeing, provided that gaming did not become a compulsive behaviour. Adolescents whose unmet life needs were fulfilled through gaming interactions showed increased vulnerability to both problematic gaming behaviour (β = 0.27; CI [0.05, 0.49]; p = 0.018) and socio-emotional problems (β = 0.36; CI [0.12, 0.61]; p < 0.004), particularly among those driven by intrinsic life aspirations (β = 0.27; CI [0.19, 0.34]; p < 0.001). In contrast, adolescents from need-supportive environments who engaged in compulsive social media use were more extrinsically motivated and more likely to develop socio-emotional problems over time (β = 0.27; CI [0.18, 0.36]; p < 0.001). These findings emphasise the importance of moving beyond generic screen time recommendations toward more nuanced, context-sensitive approaches when examining the relationship between screen use and socio-emotional problems in young populations. Parents, educators, and policymakers should focus on fostering environments that support adolescents' psychological needs in real life, while also encouraging balanced and mindful digital engagement that meets these needs in a healthier, sustainable manner.