Relational Victimization and Video Game Addiction among Female College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Social Anxiety and Parasocial Relationship

Abstract

Video game addiction, a common behavioral problem among college students, has been more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic; at the same time, females’ video game usage has also attracted considerable research attention. Against this background and under the perspective of social interaction, this study aimed to examine the relationship between relational victimization and video game addiction among female college students, as well as its underlying mechanism—the mediating roles of social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters. Female college students (N = 437) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires voluntarily in June 2022. Through the mediating effect analysis, the results found that (1) relational victimization was positively associated with female college students’ video game addiction; (2) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters could independently mediate this relation; (3) social anxiety and parasocial relationships with virtual characters were also the serial mediators in this association. These findings not only expand previous studies by revealing the social motivation of video game usage and the underlying mechanism accounting for video game addiction, but also provide basis and guidance for the prevention and intervention of video game addiction in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social anxiety mediates between victimization experiences and internet addiction among adolescents: results from propensity score matching

“…Several previous studies have explored the mechanism between victimization experiences and Problematic Internet Usage. For instance, a study conducted in China during the COVID-19 pandemic found that social anxiety acts as a mediator between relational victimization and video game addiction among female college students ( Niu et al, 2022 ). Additionally, another study demonstrated that psychological morbidity, such as depression and anxiety, serves as a mediating factor in the influence of victimization on problematic online behavior, including Internet Addiction and cyberbullying ( Li et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Over time, GST has been applied to understand a range of deviant behaviors, including alcohol abuse ( Swatt et al, 2007 ), excessive drug use ( Zweig et al, 2015 ) and problematic internet use among adolescents ( Shi and Wang, 2023 ). Moreover, the GST framework has been utilized to investigate the association between offline bully-victimization and cyberbullying behavior ( Jang et al, 2014 ), as well as between relational victimization and video game addiction among young individuals ( Niu et al, 2022 ). According to GST, individuals encounter various stressors (e.g., victimization experiences, VE) that disrupt their overall state of well-being and trigger emotional responses, including anger, frustration, or anxiety ( Agnew, 1985 ; Agnew and White, 1992 ).…”

Reflections on the dynamic zero-COVID policy in China

“…Some parents chose to allow their children more time on electronic devices ( Ayu Nuzulia et al, 2022 ). However, relieving negative emotions through this behavior may result in children’s addiction to electronic games ( Niu et al, 2022 ). At the same time, the lockdown had led many universities to move to online teaching formats and cancel social activities and structured physical exercises ( Rotnitsky et al, 2022 ); ( Tria, 2020 ).…”

Parental Phubbing and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms during COVID-19: A Serial Meditating Model

“…Meanwhile, studies have found that improper behavior of parents often results in parent-child conflicts and the deterioration of the parent-child relationship's quality, thereby weakening family functioning and cohesion [12,35]. Previous studies found that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed people's lifestyles, including by precipitating decreased physical activity and increased reliance on online activities such as social media [43,44]. These lifestyle changes may contribute to an increase in phubbing behavior, leading to more family issues.…”