PIU is defined as the inability to control Internet use that causes marked distress and functional impairment (Shapira et al., 2000) and is characterized by compulsive use, withdrawal symptoms, tolerance symptoms, interpersonal and health problems, and time management problems (Chen et al., 2003). In China, 17.3% of adolescents reported PIU (China Internet Network Information Center, 2020). Two meta-analyses consistently revealed that the pooled prevalence rate of problematic Internet use (PIU) was 20% (Chia et al., 2020 Modara et al., 2017), varying between 5% and 27% in adolescents (Dahl & Bergmark, 2020 for a review). Internet use has become increasingly embedded in adolescents’ daily lives in recent years (Internet World Stats, 2021), leading to concerns about its potential impacts (Boer et al., 2020). The comparisons indicate that networks show similar overall structure and global strength but differ in specific symptom associations, offering nuanced insights into the essential differences in PIU symptoms across different stages of adolescence. The core symptoms in early, middle, and late adolescence can direct differentiated interventions based on adolescent stages. The results reveal that increasing time for satisfaction and empty life are central symptoms in early adolescence less sleep, failure to stop, and feeling depressed are central symptoms in middle adolescence feeling depressed is the most central symptom in late adolescence. A total of 1375 adolescents ( M age = 14.49, SD = 2.24) who met the cutoff point of PIU were included in this study. We use network analysis that conceptualizes PIU as a network of interacting symptoms to identify core symptoms (i.e., symptoms that are highly connected to other symptoms) and symptom relationships (i.e., associations among symptoms) of PIU. Prior studies primarily focus on age differences in PIU prevalence and severity, but age differences in PIU symptom structure remain obscure. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is often initiated in early adolescence and maintained or exacerbated during middle and late adolescence.
0 kommentar(er)
