Analysis of the Impact of Active Parental Intervention, Digital Literacy, Online Opportunities, and Self-regulation on Adolescents’ Online Usage

Since 2020, the world has been experiencing significant disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has brought about many changes in daily life, leading to the rapid advancement of digital technology. There is a growing interest in digital literacy and the ability to leverage digital skills. Rather than worrying about the risks for our children in the accelerated digitalization of daily life, it is crucial to focus on instilling proper digital literacy and self-regulation skills. This will enable our children to benefit from the various opportunities offered by a digitally based lifestyle. The purpose of this study is to derive the impact of active parental intervention, digital literacy, online opportunities, and self-regulation on adolescents’ online usage. To achieve this goal, an online survey using Instagram was conducted among middle and high school students from February 26 to March 12, 2022, for a period of two weeks. A total of 469 responses were collected and used for empirical analysis. SPSS and Smart PLS programs were employed for the analysis. The research findings revealed that active parental intervention has a static impact on digital literacy, online opportunities, and self-regulation. Digital literacy positively influences online opportunities and self-regulation, while self-regulation enhances online opportunities. Lastly, the relationship between active parental intervention and online opportunities shows that digital literacy and self-regulation mediate this relationship. This study is significant because it highlighted the importance of examining the influence of digital literacy and adolescents’ self-regulation abilities in the relationship between parental intervention and online opportunities.