The relationship between internet use preference and loneliness among college students during COVID-19: The chain mediating effect of online social support and self-esteem

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19, especially the demands of social interaction and spatial distancing behavior, has led to a surge in Internet use, which has also led to an increase in loneliness. Therefore, we investigated the role of online social support and self-esteem in the relationship between Internet use preference and loneliness. In this study, 1053 college students were surveyed with a questionnaire based on the framework of Ecological System Theory, and a chain mediation model was established to clarify the mechanism between Internet use preference and loneliness. The results show that Internet use preference not only positively predicts loneliness, but also indirectly influences loneliness through the mediators of online social support and self-esteem, thereby impacting loneliness through the “online social support → self-esteem” chain. The results also indicate the need to pay attention to college students’ mental health status during COVID-19. The advent of COVID-19 has impacted people’s lifestyles and has changed the impact of the Internet on individual mental health. This study provides a new way to further understand college students’ Internet use preferences, online social support, self-esteem, and loneliness status during COVID-19. It provides targeted interventions for college students’ loneliness during COVID-19.

The Impact of Grit on Nurses’ Job Performance: Evaluating Chained Mediation through Perceived Social Support and Self-Esteem

“…Specifcally, at the organizational level, nursing managers should implement personal education about the importance of grit in nurses, which can help them cope with stress and challenges when facing obstacles and difculties at work. Second, it is necessary to provide unconditional organizational support to nurses and build support teams to expand their knowledge and skills as well as share their experiences and emotions, which may be an essential job resource that helps form positive feelings and evaluations of themselves [54] so as to increase their job performance. Moreover, psychological training programs aiming at fostering grit and selfesteem are suggested to be developed and adopted, which may also be conducive to nurses' job performance, especially during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Several studies have found a positive correlation between perceived social support and individuals' self-esteem [43,52,53]. A recent study shows that the failure to receive online social support during COVID-19 can result in reduced self-esteem and increased loneliness [54]. According to the sociometer theory, when one's relational defciencies are detected, self-esteem will be negatively afected in an automatic, unconscious way as an "internal monitor" [55].…”

“…Furthermore, self-esteem is found to mediate the relationship between perceived social support and academic achievement [48,56] as well as the intention to stay in nurses [57]. Previous studies have indicated that perceived social support and self-esteem sequentially mediate the association between Internet use and loneliness [54,58]. Based on the above fndings and theories, it is plausible to explore the chain mediation of perceived social support and self-esteem in the relationship between grit and nurses' job performance.…”