Parental digital location tracking and adolescent substance misuse

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In the past 5 years, at least 50% of parents in the U.S. have begun using GPS-based location of their teen’s smartphone (“digital location tracking”) to track where their teen is. Apps like Find My (Apple), Family Link (Google/Android), or Life360 give parents real-time, on-demand information about where their teen is with minimal required effort. Because adolescent substance use is strongly linked to location and context, digital location tracking (DLT) with these apps could be a scalable and effective way for parents to improve their monitoring of teens and reduce engagement in high-risk drug use and drinking. However, because the technology only recently became widely accessible, there is minimal published data on how parents use DLT and what its effects are on teens’ substance use and related behaviors. This project will fill that gap using a nationwide, longitudinal survey of 430 teen-parent dyads in which the teen has a history of substance use and the parent uses DLT. In Aim 1, we will characterize when, why, and how parents use DLT (e.g., the frequency, context, and triggers for checking the app; the information gained; and the actions taken in response). In Aim 2, we will examine the effects of DLT on a theory-driven array of 8 outcomes, including substance use, using data from three survey waves spanning 6 months of follow-up. By providing the first detailed descriptive data, the first longitudinal data, and first comprehensive study of the impacts of DLT, this project will evaluate DLT’s potential as a scalable and effective way for parents to improve monitoring of teens and reduce high-risk drug use and drinking. This R21 developmental/exploratory grant will set the stage for a larger-scale longitudinal investigation of digital location tracking that explores longer-term effects and evaluates its role as an augment to family-based treatment of teens presenting with substance misuse.