Background: The positive association of parental phubbing with internalising and externalising problems among adolescents has gained academic traction. To date, limited research has investigated the association of parental phubbing and adolescents’ Problematic Internet Use (PIU). Furthermore, the mechanism underlying this association is largely unknown. These gaps limit our understanding of family-related issues affecting PIU among adolescents. The present study explores whether there is a relation between parental phubbing and PIU and investigates the mechanisms underlying this relation among adolescents. Methods: The participants were 495 junior high schoolers aged 11–15 years. Participants completed questionnaires on their experiences with PIU, parental phubbing, parent–child relationships, and basic psychological needs satisfaction. Results: The results showed a direct and indirect positive association between parental phubbing and PIU. Furthermore, parental phubbing indirectly influenced PIU and was mediated by the parent–child relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction, respectively. Moreover, the parent–child relationship and basic psychological needs satisfaction were sequentially mediated. Conclusions: Our study highlights the crucial role of parents in the development of adolescent PIU and provides theoretical and practical guidelines for PIU prevention and intervention.

Scholars tend to believe that effective leadership contributes to facilitating employee work engagement. Based on social identity theory and self-determination theory, this study explored how empowering leadership affects employee work engagement through the mediating roles of organisational identification and workplace well-being. A sample of 3645 front-line employees in China participated in this study. A structural equation model analysis was performed to examine the hypothetical model. Sex, age, degree of education, wage income per month (RMB), and subjective social class were covariables. The results indicated that (a) empowering leadership was positively related to work engagement, (b) organisational identification and workplace well-being played a partial mediating role in the relationship, and (c) organisational identification and workplace well-being had a chain mediating effect on empowering leadership and work engagement. These findings advance the understanding of the effect of empowering leadership on employees’ working attitudes and behaviours. They also contribute to potential interventions that boost employee work engagement.