Reactions to Problematic Internet Use Among Adolescents: Inappropriate Physical and Mental Health Perspectives

Abstract

Although numerous studies have examined the factors influencing problematic Internet use (PIU), few studies have investigated the interactions between inappropriate physical and mental health (e.g., cyberbullying, Internet pornography, and Internet fraud) as factors facilitating PIU and examined the moderating effect of community bond. Thus, this study analyzed the moderating role of community bond in the relationship between cyberbullying, Internet pornography, Internet fraud, and PIU. Using a cross-sectional survey, adolescents were surveyed through self-report questionnaires. A total of 5,211 responses were received from participant students at 60 senior high schools in Taiwan. Statistical analyses were performed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that cyberbullying, Internet pornography, Internet fraud, and community bond have significant positive effects on PIU. Community bond has a significant moderating effect in the relationship between cyberbullying, Internet fraud, and the PIU of adolescents. Parental Internet attitude and behavior were found to significantly moderate the relationship between inappropriate physical and mental health, community bond, and PIU. The results suggest that public health and education policies should focus more on adolescents who require additional assistance. Furthermore, school policies could be more informed in regard to relevant psychosocial variables and patterns of Internet use. Finally, this study may serve as a reference for parents, schools, and government education authorities.

Internet Addiction and Its Associated Factors Among African High School and University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Appropriate internet use is important in communications, research, socialization, entertainment, and many other benefits. However, internet use also has negative impacts, in which internet overuse has been associated with addiction and mental health issues (Chao et al, 2020 ).…”

Association of Cyberbullying and Internet Use Disorder

“…Ten items from YIAT Peer victimization was positively associated with IUD, Deviant peer affiliation (DPA) partially mediated the link between peer victimization and IUD, and family functioning moderated the association between peer victimization and DPA Arpaci et al [ 53 ] Cross-sectional 665 Turkey 2016 Age range 17–19, mean age 17.94 ( SD = 1.12) Ad hoc 23-item scale on cyberbullying. YIAT IUD had a significant direct effect on cyberbullying (effect size 0.39) as well as an intervening effect on the relationship between vertical individualism and cyberbullying Chao et al [ 54 ] Cross-sectional 5211 Taiwan 2018 Age range 16–19, mean age 17.31 ( SD = 0.95) Ad hoc selection of three items for cyberbullying, ad hoc scale of six items for IUD Cyberbullying was correlated with IUD, with the correlation moderated by community bond Lee et al [ 55 ] Cross-sectional 500 Taiwan 2015–2016 Age range 20–25 School Bullying Experience Questionnaire (C-SBEQ). CIAS, Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) Victims had more severe IUD and problematic smartphone use than non-victims.…”

“…Results from the cross-sectional studies confirm that there is a correlation between cyberbullying and IUD that may be mediated by a variety of factors; however, caution is required when treating results from cross-sectional surveys as indicative of causality, regardless of the statistical method that is employed to assess the data. In this instance, there are conflicting reports that are treated as conclusive findings despite the inability to assess directionality: depending on the viewpoint of the authors, IUD was either reported as being associated with cyberbullying [ 39 , 40 , 45 , 47 – 49 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 60 , 61 , 62 ••, 63 , 66 ], moderating cyberbullying [ 42 ], mediating cyberbullying [ 57 ], predicting cyberbullying victimization [ 53 , 65 ], or being predicted by cyberbullying [ 65 ].…”

“…Publication date may differ from data collection for as long as 7 years [ 55 ]. Data on occasion were collected as part of a larger survey with cyberbullying and/or IUD examined with a few items in a larger test battery [ 40 , 54 , 57 ]. The majority of studies employed ad hoc measures for cyberbullying, IUD, or both, despite the fact that validated measures for both constructs were available at the time that they were conducted [ 37 , 38 •, 39 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 52 – 54 , 59 , 64 ].…”

“…This renders study duplication, data aggregation, or comparison between studies impossible. Furthermore, cyberbullying was assessed in a large number of studies [ 35 •, 37 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 54 , 57 , 59 ] with few items that could only relate to prevalence of its existence but not frequency or severity of its perpetration. There were only four prospective surveys while the rest were cross-sectional.…”