| Sumario: | Electronic media (EM) is an integral part of adolescents’ lives, significantly influencing their health and development. In China, sociocultural factors such as hierarchical family dynamics may shape distinctive EM usage patterns. However, structured, multi-informant assessments are rarely applied in non-Western contexts. The Media Activity Form (MAF) is a dual-informant instrument designed to capture EM use and perceived impacts from both adolescents and their parents. This study aimed to (1) examine the psychometric properties of the MAF in a Chinese context, and (2) explore patterns in EM use and perceptions across informants. Data were collected from 404 adolescent – parent dyads in Nanjing and Jintan, China. Analyses included descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA), and comparison tests. Adolescents reported significantly higher screen time than parents, with boys reporting slightly higher usage than girls (8.63 vs. 7.50 hrs/week). EFA and CFA supported a three-factor structure for adolescents and a two-factor structure for parents (α = 0.71–0.94). This study is the first to validate the MAF in a non-Western context using a dual-informant approach. Findings highlight significant discrepancies between parent and adolescent perceptions of EM use and the need for culturally and developmentally informed assessment and intervention strategies.
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