Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem
Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a threat to adolescents’ mental health and livelihoods, and lowers their subjective well-being (SWB). Expanding on previous literatures, this study examined whether internet use time was related to SWB and whether this relationship was mediated...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01483-x |
| _version_ | 1797387985417666560 |
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| author | Min-Pei Lin Hsin-Yi Tseng Yueh-Ting Lee Wen-Ching Tang Li-Hsuan Cheng Jo Yung-Wei Wu Jianing You |
| author_facet | Min-Pei Lin Hsin-Yi Tseng Yueh-Ting Lee Wen-Ching Tang Li-Hsuan Cheng Jo Yung-Wei Wu Jianing You |
| author_sort | Min-Pei Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a threat to adolescents’ mental health and livelihoods, and lowers their subjective well-being (SWB). Expanding on previous literatures, this study examined whether internet use time was related to SWB and whether this relationship was mediated by problematic internet use (PIU) and self-esteem during the COVID-19 outbreak. In Taiwan, the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in February, 2020. During March 2 to 27, this study recruited a total of 1,060 adolescents from junior high schools by both stratified and cluster sampling, and administered a comprehensive investigation. The results displayed that SWB was significantly and negatively predicted by internet use time. PIU fully mediated the relationship. Moreover, PIU predicted a decrease of self-esteem, which played a full mediation role between PIU and SWB. The results provide evidence in explaining how increased internet use time is associated with a greater level of PIU, which relates to lower self-esteem, correlating with lower SWB in adolescents. This study can provide reference to mental health organizations and educational agencies to design appropriate SWB promotion programs for the junior high school population in terms of epidemic prevention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:34:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-319cf6935b7e45848dc394b378d623a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:34:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-319cf6935b7e45848dc394b378d623a72023-12-17T12:33:59ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832023-12-011111810.1186/s40359-023-01483-xInternet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteemMin-Pei Lin0Hsin-Yi Tseng1Yueh-Ting Lee2Wen-Ching Tang3Li-Hsuan Cheng4Jo Yung-Wei Wu5Jianing You6Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal UniversityDepartment of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal UniversityDepartment of Counseling and Guidance, National University of TainanDepartment of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal UniversityDepartment of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal UniversityGood-Day Psychology ClinicCenter for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), & School of Psychology, Ministry of Education, South China Normal UniversityAbstract The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a threat to adolescents’ mental health and livelihoods, and lowers their subjective well-being (SWB). Expanding on previous literatures, this study examined whether internet use time was related to SWB and whether this relationship was mediated by problematic internet use (PIU) and self-esteem during the COVID-19 outbreak. In Taiwan, the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in February, 2020. During March 2 to 27, this study recruited a total of 1,060 adolescents from junior high schools by both stratified and cluster sampling, and administered a comprehensive investigation. The results displayed that SWB was significantly and negatively predicted by internet use time. PIU fully mediated the relationship. Moreover, PIU predicted a decrease of self-esteem, which played a full mediation role between PIU and SWB. The results provide evidence in explaining how increased internet use time is associated with a greater level of PIU, which relates to lower self-esteem, correlating with lower SWB in adolescents. This study can provide reference to mental health organizations and educational agencies to design appropriate SWB promotion programs for the junior high school population in terms of epidemic prevention.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01483-xInternet use timeProblematic internet useSelf-esteemSubjective well-beingCOVID-19 outbreak |
| spellingShingle | Min-Pei Lin Hsin-Yi Tseng Yueh-Ting Lee Wen-Ching Tang Li-Hsuan Cheng Jo Yung-Wei Wu Jianing You Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem BMC Psychology Internet use time Problematic internet use Self-esteem Subjective well-being COVID-19 outbreak |
| title | Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem |
| title_full | Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem |
| title_fullStr | Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem |
| title_short | Internet use time and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak: serial mediation of problematic internet use and self-esteem |
| title_sort | internet use time and subjective well being during the covid 19 outbreak serial mediation of problematic internet use and self esteem |
| topic | Internet use time Problematic internet use Self-esteem Subjective well-being COVID-19 outbreak |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01483-x |
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