The relationship between the use of information and communication technologies, family social capital and aggressiveness among adolescents

Context and relevance. The younger generation are the most active users of ICT, especially the Internet. However, excessive use of these technologies can lead to digital addiction, which in turn is associated with a number of negative consequences (leaving school, problems with learning and academic performance, social interaction, etc.), including aggression. Adolescents demonstrate aggression to people, animals who cannot fight back, shoot these scenes on video, and then post them on popular video hosting and social media communities on the Internet.
Objective. The study of the relationship between the use of ICT, family social capital and the aggressiveness among adolescents.
Study design. The study of the effects in the course of regression analysis between the use of ICT (the use of ICT, excessive use of ICT – obsessive use of the Internet), family social capital and aggressiveness among adolescents to we used moderation analysis. In order to increase the reliability of the results we obtained, we cleaned the data from side variables that may affect the results (level of education, religiosity, age, ethnicity and religious affiliation, gender).
Participants. To test the effects between the use of ICT (ICT, excessive use of ICT – obsessive use of the Internet), family social capital and the propensity of adolescents to cruelty, we surveyed 237 adolescents from different regions of the Russian Federation. Of these, 108 are male and 129 are female from 14 to 16 years old (M = 15; SD = 1,31).
Measurements. Methodology for assessing involvement in the use of ICT (A.N. Tatarko with collegues). Methods for diagnosing Internet addiction (V.L. Malygin). Methodology for assessing family social capital (D.I. Dubrov). Methodology for assessing aggressiveness by Buss & Durkee (adapted to Russian by P.A. Kovalev).
Results. Regression analysis of direct effects showed that the use of ICT significantly predicts adolescent aggressiveness. Moderation analysis of indirect effects showed that family social capital is a significant moderator of the relationship between the use of ICT and adolescent aggressiveness.
Conclusions. High level of family social capital is able to neutralize the links between the use of ICT and adolescent aggressiveness, making them insignificant. If adolescents feel that their relationship with their parents is trusting, with emotional warmth, and they can always count on parental attention and support and are ready to provide it to their parents themselves, then even with excessive use of ICT, they will not demonstrate aggression.

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