The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Digital Media Use In Depression: A Cross-National Study of Emerging Young Adults In South Korea and the United States

Background: Digital media use (DMU) has become an increasing concern, particularly due to its potential addictive effects on mental health. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been identified as one of the key predictors of heavy DMU, reporting four or more ACEs being three times more likely to engage in excessive DMU compared to those with one ACE. South Korea, characterized by one of the fastest internet infrastructures and near-universal access to digital devices, provides a compelling comparison to the Unites States. Accordingly, this study examines the extent to which ACEs and DMU are associated with depression among emerging young adults in South Korea and the United States.

Method: This study recruited college students aged 18 to 25 from randomly selected courses at colleges in the Midwestern U.S. and in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected using an online survey. The U.S. sample (N=375) was predominantly White (83.1%) and 71% female, while the Korean sample (N=234) consisted entirely of Koreans with 43.5% female. Measures included the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (15-items, α = 0.90), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (9-items, α = 0.90), and the CDC ACE checklist (10-items, α = 0.76). Additional variables included age at first digital device, the frequency of DMU, gender, and race/ethnicity. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. The mean age of participants was 20.9 years (sd = 1.9).

Results: The average age of first obtaining a digital device was 11.44 years (sd = 1.85), with Korean participants acquiring digital devices at a significantly earlier age than their American counterparts (t = 3.01, df = 606, p < .01). American young adults reported significantly higher levels of ACEs and depression compared to Korean participants (t = 6.76, df = 554, p < .001; t = 3.37, df = 460, p < .001). In contrast, Korean participants reported lower levels of digital media addiction than American counterparts (t = -4.91, df = 432, p < .001), despites spending significantly more time on digital devices and social networking sites. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that both digital media addiction and ACEs contributed significantly to increases in explained variance (R²) in depression in both countries (R² = 0.18 for Koreans; R² = 0.23 for Americans). Digital media addiction and ACEs were associated with increased depression among young adults in both countries.

Conclusion: The study revealed that digital media addiction and ACEs are significant predictors of depression. Findings also confirmed the impact of ACEs on depression among young adults in both countries. However, the dynamics of ACEs and DMU appear to differ between the two countries: Korean young adults obtained digital devices at a younger age and spent more time using them than their American counterparts, yet reported significantly lower levels of digital media addiction and depression. This pattern suggests that ACEs may play a critical role in shaping both digital media addiction and depression. Accordingly, the findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting ACEs to help prevent digital media addiction and depression among adolescents and young adults in both countries.