The Gender-Sensitive Social Risk Factors for Internet Addiction in College Undergraduate Students

The Relationship among Internet Addiction, Moral Potency, Mindfulness, and Psychological Capital

This research aimed to contribute to the literature on internet addiction (IA) and moral development among university students. Moral potency (MP) encompasses the interconnected dimensions of moral courage, moral ownership, and moral efficacy. Studies on the relationships between students' problematic behaviors (e.g., IA) and cognitive processes like MP, mindfulness (MI), and psychological capital (PsyCap) are scarce in educational research. Therefore, this study investigated the relationships among IA, MP, MI, and PsyCap in university students. This study included 868 undergraduate students from a state university in Ethiopia, with 526 male students (60.6%) and 342 female students (39.4%). Participants' ages ranged from 21 to 29 years, with a mean age of 22.31 and a standard deviation of 4.03. The findings indicated that IA was negatively correlated with MI, PsyCap, and MP. Both MI and PsyCap showed positive correlations with MP. Importantly, this study revealed that IA had a direct and negative impact on MI, PsyCap, and MP. Further, MI and PsyCap partially mediated and fully mediated the relationship between IA and MP. These findings suggest that cultivating MI and positive PsyCap among university students could be an important strategy to reduce the risks of IA and enhance their moral development. This study contributes to the limited research on the complex relationships between technology use, psychological resources, and moral functioning in emerging adulthood.

Effect of paternal-maternal parenting styles on college students' internet addiction of different genders: The mediating role of life satisfaction

This study aimed to understand the current situation of paternal-maternal parenting style, life satisfaction, and internet addiction among college students and explored the influence of paternal-maternal parenting styles and life satisfaction on the internet addiction of male and female college students. A questionnaire survey was administered to 967 college students in China. Life satisfaction partially mediated the effect of the paternal-maternal parenting styles on the internet addiction among college students. However, this mediating role completely varied by gender, and the dimensions of parental styles also had different effects. For male college students, life satisfaction mediated the two dimensions of parenting styles (the father's emotional warmth, the father's overprotection) and internet addiction; the mother's emotional warmth directly related to the internet addiction. Among females, life satisfaction played a partial mediating role between two dimensions of parenting styles (the father's emotional warmth, the mother's interference and protection) and internet addiction. the father's punitiveness and over-involvement were directly related to female students' internet addiction. The study reveals that the mediating effect of life satisfaction on parenting styles and internet addiction among college students is influenced by gender, and the relationship between different parenting styles and internet addiction also varies. These findings indicate that paying attention to the role of the family, especially the parenting style of fathers, is crucial for preventing internet addiction in the future. Prevention and intervention should be treated differently for male and female students.

Current Psychotic-Like Experiences Among Chinese College Students: Prevalence, Correlates, and Its Relationship with Suicidal Ideation

Background

Current psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are prevalent among adolescents. However, epidemiological data on the prevalence rate of current PLEs among college students and its clinical correlates are scarce and limited. To address this study gap, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of current PLEs among Chinese college students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed with a sample of 18,578 college students in China. Each participant completed a survey on social-demographic characteristics variables, PLEs, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the influential factors for PLEs among all participants and suicidal ideation among those with PLEs.

Results

Among Chinese college students, 40.3% of the participants reported having at least one PLE in the past month, while 7.5% had frequent PLEs. Males, age, residence location in town, left-behind experiences, poor family economic status, chronic physical illness, family history of mental disorder, BMI ≥ 28 [obesity], sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were independent correlates for frequent PLEs. Furthermore, the prevalence of suicidal ideation among participants with frequent PLEs was 32.1%. Lower grades, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety were independent predictors of suicidal ideation among college students who experience PLEs frequently.

Conclusion

Current PLEs are widespread among Chinese college students. Suicidal ideation is largely prevalent among individuals who suffer frequent PLEs, suggesting that special measures and attention should be provided to these students based on relevant factors to prevent their suicidal ideation and behavior.

Internet Addiction and Physical Activity among Polish and Portuguese Students in the Final Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

AIM

The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of Internet addiction and physical activity, as well as the relationship between internet addiction and physical activity, among Polish and Portuguese students in the final year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A web-based online survey was conducted among students in Poland and Portugal (398 respondents) aged between 17 and 26 in October 2022. The level of internet addiction was assessed by the Kimberly Young questionnaire in Polish and in Portuguese. The level of physical activity was measured by the international physical activity questionnaire in Polish and in Portuguese.

RESULTS

In the study population, the majority of the respondents were mildly addicted to the internet. The average level of addiction was reported by 9.3-23.5% of the respondents. The average level of internet addiction was higher among Portuguese students and among men. Those who had suffered from COVID-19 (especially more than once) and were more physically active showed a higher tendency towards internet addiction.

CONCLUSIONS

Internet addiction is a problem that has to be monitored and given more attention, particularly among male students. The results presented provide the first statistical insight into the problem of internet addiction among students in both countries and form the basis for further studies. They also highlight the severity of the problem and point to the need for early preventive and protective interventions against problematic internet use. It appears that effective strategies should include promoting the benefits of physical activity.

Relationship between behavioral inhibition/activation system and Internet addiction among Chinese college students: The mediating effects of intolerance of uncertainty and self-control and gender differences

Background

Internet addiction is a global public health issue among college students that is associated with a range of negative outcomes. Especially the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to shift most of their studies and life activities from offline to online, leading to a growing problem of Internet dependence and even Internet addiction. Although previous studies have indicated that the Behavioral Inhibition/Activation System (BIS/BAS) have important effects on college students' Internet addiction, the mechanisms underlying these associations and gender differences are still unclear.

Aims

The present study investigated the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and self-control in the association between BIS/BAS and Internet addiction following the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model. Gender differences in such associations between variables were also tested.

Method

A total of 747 Chinese college students were surveyed by using Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction, BIS/BAS Scales, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and the Brief Self-Control Scale.

Results

The results from the structural equation modeling analysis showed that BIS was positively related to Internet addiction and that BAS had a negative association with Internet addiction. Moreover, intolerance of uncertainty and self-control mediated the relationships between BIS/BAS and Internet addiction. Multi-group analysis further revealed that the associations between BAS and Internet addiction and between intolerance of uncertainty and Internet addiction were stronger among the male students than among female students. The relationship between self-control and Internet addiction was greater in the female sample than in the male sample.

Conclusions

These findings extend our understanding of how BIS/BAS influence Internet addiction among college students and suggest that not only should training approaches based on intolerance of uncertainty and self-control be fully considered, but different intervention programs should be focused on gender sensitivity to maximize the intervention effect.

Sex-differences in hikikomori traits as predictors of problematic internet use in Italian university students

BACKGROUND

Despite a confirmed association between Problematic Internet use (PIU) and hikikomori-like social withdrawal, few studies investigated differences between sexes. Hence, the main objective was identifying psychopathological predictors (including hikikomori-like traits) associated with PIU (vs. non-PIU) across both sexes.

METHODS

A total of 1141 Italian university students were assessed with the Hikikomori Questionnaire-11 (HQ-11), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Student's T-test, bivariate Person's correlations, linear regression and a stepwise binary logistic regression analysis were post-hoc run. CHERRIES guidelines were followed for data reporting.

RESULTS

PIU university students, independently of sex, had greater psychological problems (p < 0.001) and greater hikikomori traits, compared to non-PIU (respectively, p = 0.010 and p < 0.001). PIU females had a better social quality of life (p = 0.007), and higher anxiety (p = 0.013) and stress (p = 0.051) levels, compared to PIU males. Linear regression analysis showed that depressive (p = 0.001) and stress levels (p = 0.003) as well as Hikikomori traits (p < 0.001) significantly predicted IAT total score in females (p < 0.001). Sex-specific binary logistic analyses showed that hikikomori, psychological distress, alexithymia, and compromised social quality of life predicted PIU in females. In males, PIU is predicted by family annual income, psychopathological distress, alexithymia, and compromised social quality of life, but not by Hikikomori traits.

CONCLUSION

Main psychopathological predictors of PIU in Italian university students showed differences across sexes, as hikikomori-like traits are predictors of the emergence of a PIU only in the female sample. Further research studies should better investigate whether female Hikikomori-like young people may display better functioning compared to their male counterparts.

Problematic internet usage: the impact of objectively Recorded and categorized usage time, emotional intelligence components and subjective happiness about usage

Most research on Problematic Internet Usage (PIU) relied on self-report data when measuring the time spent on the internet. Self-reporting of use, typically done through a survey, showed discrepancies from the actual amount of use. Studies exploring the association between trait emotional intelligence (EI) components and the subjective feeling on technology usage and PIU are also limited. The current cross-sectional study aims to examine whether the objectively recorded technology usage, taking smartphone usage as a representative, components of trait EI (sociability, emotionality, well-being, self-control), and happiness with phone use can predict PIU and its components (obsession, neglect, and control disorder). A total of 268 participants (Female: 61.6%) reported their demographic and completed a questionnaire that included Problematic Internet Usage Questionnaire short form (PIUQ-SF-6), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), level of happiness with the amount and frequency of smartphone use, and living conditions (whether alone or with others). Their smartphone usage was objectively recorded through a dedicated app. A series of one-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in PIU for different living conditions and a significant difference in the subjective level of happiness with phone usage (F (3, 264) = 7.55, p < .001), as well as of the frequency of usage where the unhappy group had higher PIU (F (3, 264) = 6.85, p < .001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that happiness with phone usage (β = -.17), the actual usage of communication (β = .17), social media (β = .19) and gaming apps (β = .13), and trait EI component of self-control (β = -.28) were all significant predictors of PIU. Moreover, gender, age, and happiness with the frequency of phone usage were not significant predictors of PIU. The whole model accounted for the total variance of PIU by 32.5% (Adjusted R2 = .287). Our study contributes to the literature by being among the few to rely on objectively recorded smartphone usage data and utilizing components of trait EI as predictors.

Internet Addiction in Socio-Demographic, Academic, and Psychological Profile of College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Internet addiction is a serious problem among young adults that requires increased attention, especially at a time of distance learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between internet addiction and selected socio-demographic, study-related, and psychological characteristics of college students. Internet addiction was measured using the Internet Addiction Test both overall and in its individual subscales (Salience, Excessive Use, Neglect Work, Anticipation, Lack of Control, and Neglect Social Life). The selected characteristics represented (1) socio-demographic profile (gender, age, residence, family), (2) academic profile (housing during the semester, form of study), and (3) psychological profile (depressive symptoms—the Patient Health Questionnaire, stress—the Perceived Stress Scale, anxiety symptoms—the Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Data collection took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 at Czech and Slovak colleges, with 1,422 students from the Czech Republic and 1,677 students from Slovakia participating in the research. The analytical processes were carried out through descriptive analysis, non-parametric difference analysis, and multiple negative binomial regression. Mild internet addiction was found in 387 (27.2%) Czech and 452 (27.0%) Slovak students. Moderate internet addiction was identified in 49 (3.4%) students from the Czech Republic and in 100 (6.0%) students from Slovakia. Two (0.1%) Czech and three (0.2%) Slovak students reported severe internet addiction. Increased likelihood of internet addiction overall, as well as in most individual subscales, was found particularly among male students and students who lived away from home during the semester. Depressive symptoms and stress could also be considered significant predictors in both countries. These results are important for the development of effective strategies and prevention programs, as Internet addiction may be a serious problem in the future, given the current times. When assessing internet addiction among college students, it would also be appropriate to evaluate the individual internet addiction subscales and their specifics.