Session 8

Children, Youth, and Adolescent Well-being in the Digital Age

P66  An integrative review of Research on Adolescent Digital Intimacy and Social Work Intervention Based on Ecological Systems Theory

*Yunan Wu¹, Zheng Xu¹, Jie Song¹, Yaling Shang¹, Tianming Bai¹, Xinghua Ren¹

¹School of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

 Abstract

Background and Purpose: Driven by the rapid evolution of generative AI and the iterative nature of social media platforms, digital intimacy—characterized by emotional connections and psychological attachments mediated through digital interfaces—has emerged as a pervasive paradigm in the everyday lives of adolescents. However, contemporary scholarship frequently conceptualizes this phenomenon through a deficit-based lens, perceiving it merely as a "secondary compensation" for deficiencies in offline social capital. Such a reductive view often overlooks adolescents’ subjective agency and their intrinsic preferences for digital engagement, leading to a significant lag in professional social work interventions. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (EST), this study aims to systematically integrate current research to clarify how adolescent digital intimacy is shaped by and, in turn, reshapes multi-layered environments. The primary research question explores how individual needs interact with environmental systems to determine whether digital intimacy functions as a mechanism for social empowerment or a risk factor for social withdrawal.

Methods: This study employs an integrative literature review methodology to synthesize qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research published in Web of Science and CNKI between 2016 and early 2026. The selection criteria prioritized peer-reviewed empirical studies focusing on the intersection of adolescent developmental psychology, digital media usage, and social work intervention.

Results: The findings indicate that the impact of digital intimacy on adolescent well-being is non-uniform and highly contingent on environmental support and individual interaction patterns. At the microsystem level, digital media serves as a vital emotional conduit, providing high-resolution support through virtual subcultural identity when offline support is inaccessible. At the mesosystem level, the effects exhibit a "conditional duality": digital intimacy acts as a social supplement that bolsters resilience when integrated with physical spaces, but poses a replacement risk that may lead to the atrophy of offline support systems if it entirely substitutes for face-to-face role performance. At the exosystem and macrosystem levels, algorithmic recommendation engines and generative AI induce "cognitive closure" and emotional polarization, strengthening in-group bonds while simultaneously increasing vulnerability to algorithmic bias and cyberbullying.

Conclusions and Implications: For social work practice, the transition from managing digital risks to fostering digital agency is paramount. Interventions should commence with a holistic assessment of adolescents’ digital motivations, situating these behaviors within their broader social support networks. Practitioners are encouraged to move beyond basic digital literacy toward fostering "algorithmic awareness," enabling adolescents to critically navigate technological biases. The study advocates for a non-intrusive intervention stance that balances technological boundaries with psychological privacy. By aligning family, school, and community systems, social workers can guide adolescents toward social empowerment rather than mere escapism. Ultimately, integrating digital rights and sustainable mental health into the core ethical framework of contemporary social work is essential to ensure practice remains responsive to the complexities of a digitalized social world.

P67  Creativity Trapped in AI: The Mechanism of Academic Stress on Creative Anxiety and Implications for Campus Social Work Intervention

*Qiyan Feng¹, Xiangbin Liang¹

¹School of Public Administration, Guangdong University of Finance & Economics, Guangzhou, China

Abstract

Background and Objective: With the widespread adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in higher education, its potential to suppress college students' independent thinking and creativity has raised concerns among social workers and educators. While existing research primarily focuses on macro-level educational transformations and risk governance concerning AI, few studies have delved into how daily academic stress induces "creative anxiety" through the complex micro-psychological mechanisms of human-computer interaction. Grounded in Stress Coping Theory and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study aims to explore the mechanisms through which academic stress influences college students' creative anxiety. We hypothesize that academic stress positively predicts creative anxiety, and that "problematic AI use" and "AI anxiety" serve as both independent and serial mediators in this relationship.

Method: This study employed a cross-sectional design. Using convenience sampling via the "WenJuanXing" online platform, a survey was conducted among undergraduate students from five universities in South China, yielding 518 valid responses. Academic stress was assessed using the "study stress" dimension of the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (Liu, 1997). Problematic AI use was evaluated using an adapted Problematic Conversational AI Use Scale (Hu, 2023). AI anxiety and creative anxiety were measured using the core dimensions of the AI Anxiety Scale (Wang, 2019) and the Creative Anxiety Scale (Daker, 2019), respectively. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro (Model 6), with gender, age, and only-child status controlled as covariates.

Results: (1) Regarding gender, there was a significant difference in creative anxiety, with females exhibiting significantly higher levels than males. No significant gender differences were found in problematic AI use and AI anxiety. (2) Significant positive correlations were found among academic stress, problematic AI use, AI anxiety, and creative anxiety. (3) Academic stress significantly and positively predicted college students' creative anxiety. (4) Problematic AI use served as a significant mediator in the relationship between academic stress and creative anxiety. (5) AI anxiety served as a significant mediator in the relationship between academic stress and creative anxiety. (6) Problematic AI use and AI anxiety functioned as a significant serial mediator in the effect of academic stress on creative anxiety.

Conclusions & Implications: This study confirms that in the age of artificial intelligence, academic stress erodes students' psychological resources for innovation through the cognitive threat mechanisms of "problematic AI use" and "AI anxiety." These findings provide a dual pathway for campus social work interventions: Reshaping Stress Coping. Social workers should proactively intervene in academic stress management at its source to prevent students from developing problematic AI use driven by an escapist mentality. Digital Literacy and Psychological Resilience. Targeted counseling is needed to alleviate the AI anxiety stemming from upward social comparison and feelings of intellectual replacement, thereby helping students rebuild their creative confidence in the AI era.

P68  Construction of a Collaborative Home-School-Community Support System for Junior High School Students' Career Interest Development under the Integrated Vocational Education Perspective

*Cheng Lyu¹, Yonghong Long¹

¹Nanjing Institute of Technology, Jiangsu, China

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Aligned with the national strategy of integrating vocational and general education (VGE) outlined in the "Education Plan Outline for 2035" and the "14th Five-Year Plan", early identification and differentiated guidance of career interests are crucial for secondary school students. Existing research highlights that career interests not only precede career decisions but also significantly influence adolescents' learning motivation and future professional achievements. However, there is a lack of precise interventions that address interest differentiation at the junior high school level.

Methods: This study employs a typological theoretical framework combined with action research methodology. It categorizes junior high school students' career interests into four distinct types based on two dimensions: the degree of interest differentiation and the level of self-awareness. The categories are: (1) the Anchored Type, characterized by high differentiation and high self-awareness; (2) the Malleable Type, with low differentiation but high self-awareness; (3) the Contradictory Type, featuring high differentiation yet low self-awareness; and (4) the Ambiguous Type, marked by low differentiation and low self-awareness.

Results: Correspondingly, differentiated guidance strategies are proposed: 1) Anchored Type: Focuses on skill enhancement and direction clarification; 2) Malleable Type: Emphasizes interest focus and goal setting; 3) Contradictory Type: Aims to enhance interest awareness to resolve internal conflicts; 4) Ambiguous Type: Seeks to stimulate latent interests through external exploration; 5) Through case-based practice, the operational feasibility and effectiveness of the collaborative home-school-community support system are validated.

Conclusion and Implications: The research provides a replicable and innovative pathway that integrates theory and practice, thereby enriching the vocational enlightenment and career education landscape at the secondary school stage. This system not only addresses the gap in precise interest differentiation interventions but also offers a strategic framework for fostering comprehensive professional competencies among junior high school students.