Relationships between internet use, deliberate self-harm, and happiness in adolescents: A Taiwan birth cohort pilot study

Abstract

The potential risk of internet use on adolescents' self-harm is a major concern. Vulnerable adolescents who are susceptible to bullying are also susceptible to the negative influence of the internet. In this study, the pathway associations were investigated between the risk factors of deliberate self-harm, experience of being bullied, internet use, and protective factors of maternal monitoring on perceived happiness of 12-and 13-year-old adolescents in the Taiwan Birth Cohort Pilot Study dataset (n = 1,457). The Chinese Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was used to measure the adolescents' self-perceived levels of happiness, in two dimensions of social adaptation status and psychological well-being. Our results show that 354 (24.3%) of the 12-year-olds reported having been bullied, and 289 (19.8%) of the 13year-olds reported this. Seventy-nine (5.4%) of 13-year-olds reported deliberate self-harm in the past year. Results of a structural equation model showed that those who had been bullied at age 12 years were at greater risk of deliberate self-harm at age 13 years. A negative association was found between duration of internet use and perceived level of happiness. Adolescents who spent >5 h online during days off school were at higher risk of deliberate self-harm, and perceived a lower level of happiness. Therefore, spending >5 h online during days off school could be used as an indicator in future preventive action programs to screen out those at a high risk of excessive internet use, deliberate self-harm, and psychological well-being and social adjustment issues.

The Self-Absorptive Trait of Dissociative Experience and Problematic Internet Use: A National Birth Cohort Study

“…Our large national birth cohort study showed that those with higher absorptive dissociative trait, lower parental monitoring, and who have been bullied in school were more likely to spend more than five hours online during school days and expressed higher depressed mood and a lower level of perceived happiness. This result is in line with the Taiwan Birth Cohort pilot study (n = 1457), which found that adolescents who spend more than five hours online have an increased risk of deliberate self-harm and a lower level of happiness [24], showing that spending more than five hours online per day may be a clinical prevention indicator for problematic internet use. Since parental monitoring is a protective factor for internet addiction, parents should provide monitoring and guidance while respecting the autonomy of adolescents, thereby reducing the motivation of adolescents to become involved with social networking and risks for internet addiction [19,36].…”

“…Twenge, Joiner, Rogers, and Martin found that adolescents who spent more time on new media screen activities (such as smartphone devices and social media) were more likely to report mental health issues, and those who reported to have spent more time on non-screen activities (such as exercise or in-person interaction) were less likely to report mental health issues [8]. Furthermore, the Taiwan Birth Cohort pilot study found that 12-year-old adolescents who spend more than five hours online during days without school were at a higher risk of deliberate self-harm at thirteen, as well as a perceived lower level of happiness [24]. The negative relationship between internet use and exercise was also found in our study; adolescents that spent more time online were less likely to exercise regularly.…”

“…The Taiwan Birth Cohort pilot study found that 12-year-old adolescents who spend more than five hours online during days without school were at a higher risk of deliberate self-harm and perceived a lower level of happiness [24]. Using a national birth cohort dataset which was collected two years later than the pilot study, the aim of this study was to investigate the risk and protective factors of internet use, including the associated relationship of parental monitoring, the absorptive dissociative trait, bullying, exercise, internet use, self-perceived depressive mood, and happiness of 12-year-old adolescents.…”

School-based relationships and problematic internet use amongst Chinese students

“…Evaluations of ‘screen time’ indicate that Chinese adolescents spend 7.56 hours/day on viewing screens, American adolescents spend 7.22 hours/day and Australians adolescents spend 6.23 hours/day [ 1 – 3 ]. While the use of the internet by adolescents can be beneficial, the ‘problematic’ use of the internet has also been shown to affect academic performance [ 4 ], subjective wellbeing [ 5 ], anxiety [ 6 ], depressive symptoms [ 7 ], sleep disorders [ 8 ], reduced leisure activities [ 9 ], obesity [ 10 ], and suicidality [ 4 ].…”

Automutilação e seus fatores determinantes: Uma revisão integrativa

“…Em Taiwan, estudos que buscaram fazer relações entre o vício da Internet e automutilação deliberada entre adolescentes identificaram que os sujeitos que passaram mais de cinco horas online durante os dias de folga da escola apresentaram maior risco de automutilação relacionada Cyberbullying e mostraram um nível mais baixo de felicidade e autoestima (Lung et al, 2020).…”