Traits, Emotional-Behavioral Issues and Technology: How Demographics Shapes Adolescent’s Psychology

Abstract

The current research investigated the predictive nature of the demographic factors such as age, gender, and class level on the narcissistic personality traits, emotional and behavioral issues, and the use of social media among adolescents. A cross-sectional, quantitative study design was employed and 239 students (13-19 years old) studying in the 9th and 10th grade in schools in Jhelum were used to collect the data. There was an administration of standardized measures, such as narcissism subscale, the Emotional and Behavioral Problems Scale (EBPS), and the Social Media Disorder (SMD) scale. The neural network analysis showed that the strongest predictors of emotional and behavioral issues and narcissism were gender and the class level, respectively, and age, in turn. The results have demonstrated the developmental and sociocultural roles of demographics in determining the psychological functioning and digital interactions of adolescents. The paper can add to the existing a mass of literature by providing evidence based on a Pakistani school setting and highlighting the necessity of gender sensitive mental health interventions and grade specific digital literacy programs.