Shyness, Loneliness Avoidance, and Internet Addiction: What are the Relationships?

The effect of social appearance anxiety and loneliness on nomophobia levels of young adults

BACKGROUND

Nomophobia can be defined as a disorder in which people fear being away from their smartphone. Studies on the determinants of nomophobia in young adults seem to be limited.

AIM

This study aims to determine the levels of nomophobia, social appearance anxiety and loneliness in young adults and to examine the effects of social appearance anxiety and the level of social and emotional loneliness on nomophobia levels.

DESIGN

This is a descriptive and correlational study. Data were collected from 687 young adults. Data were collected using the Information Form, the Nomophobia Scale, the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, and the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults. Descriptive and multiple linear regression statistics were used.

RESULTS

The mean Nomophobia Scale score of the participants was 73.76 ± 27.46, which points to moderate nomophobia levels. The findings revealed those with a high level of social appearance anxiety have higher nomophobia levels. It was revealed that social appearance anxiety, social and emotional loneliness explain 8 % (Adjusted R2 = 0.082) of the variance in the nomophobia.

CONCLUSION

A sample of 687 participants showed that young adults were relatively moderately nomophobic. In this study, social appearance anxiety, social and emotional loneliness was determined as predictor of nomophobia.

Longitudinal associations between loneliness and online game addiction among undergraduates: A moderated mediation model

Online gaming addiction (OGA) has become a noteworthy public concern, especially among university students, thereby requiring in-depth scrutiny. Although previous cross-sectional studies have established a positive link between loneliness and OGA, there is a lack of longitudinal evidence within this field. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms that elucidate the connection between loneliness and OGA are still poorly understood, underscoring a crucial research gap that requires further investigation. Our study utilized a longitudinal approach and developed a moderated mediation model. From September 2021 to September 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, data were collected from a sample of Chinese undergraduate students, with 367 participants at T1, 352 at T2, and 340 at T3. Participants completed online self-report surveys, providing valuable data on their levels of loneliness at T1, fear of missing out (FoMO) at T2, sensation seeking at T2, and OGA at T3. Our findings found that loneliness was positively linked to OGA. Further analysis demonstrated that FoMO partially mediated the link between loneliness and OGA. Meanwhile, sensation seeking moderated the pathway from FoMO to later OGA. Specifically, the effect of FoMO on OGA was significant for college students with high sensation seeking. This study offers longitudinal evidence linking loneliness and OGA, which has implications for the development of interventions to reduce OGA.

The relationship between self-esteem and mobile phone addiction among college students: The chain mediating effects of social avoidance and peer relationships

Introduction

Mobile phone addiction has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of college students, which has attracted extensive attention from scholars.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the influence of self-esteem on mobile phone addiction among 694 college students using the Self-Esteem Scale, the Mobile Phone. Addiction Scale, the Peer Relationship Scale and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale.

Results

The results showed that (1) self-esteem significantly and negatively predicted mobile phone addiction; (2) self-esteem influenced mobile phone addiction through the mediating effect of social avoidance; (3) self-esteem influenced mobile phone addiction through the mediating effect of peer relationships; and (4) social avoidance and peer relationships played a chain mediating role in the influence of self-esteem on mobile phone addiction.

Discussion

These findings can help researchers and educators better understand the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between self-esteem and mobile phone addiction and to provide practical and effective operational suggestions for the prevention and intervention of mobile phone addiction among college students.

Internet Addiction and the Treatment of Depression? A Prospective Naturalistic Outcome Study

The increasing prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) has been linked with a wide range of psychological disorders, including depression. We explored how IA was prospectively associated with effectiveness of treatment for adult patients with depressive symptoms (n = 241) in the context of a New York-based outpatient clinic. Although IA was not correlated with symptoms at intake, patients with higher IA attended fewer total sessions on average. Multilevel regression modeling also revealed that patients with higher IA scores terminated treatment with higher depression scores compared with those with lower IA scores. In addition, those with higher levels of IA were more likely to exhibit rising levels of depressive symptoms toward the end of the treatment, whereas patients with lower levels of IA maintained reduced depressive symptoms through termination. These results suggest that presence of IA may predict a less successful treatment outcome for adults with depression, as IA may slow down the process of symptom reduction and correlate with relapse.

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.

Exploring digital natives' mobile addiction syndrome in Taiwan: psychological issues and beyond

Purpose

This study seeks to explore digital natives' mobile usage behaviors and, in turn, develop an analytic framework that helps articulate the underlying components of mobile addiction syndrome (MAS), its severity levels and mobile usage purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation adopts a survey method and a case study. The results of the former are based on 411 random classroom observations and 205 questionnaire responses, and the insights of the latter are derived from 24 interviews and daily observations.

Findings

The findings validate five distinctive signs that constitute MAS and their significant correlations with each of the Big Five personality traits. Classroom observations confirm the prevalence of addiction tendency among digital natives in the research context. Seven levels of MAS and six different mobile usage purposes further manifest themselves from case analysis. There appears to be a sharp contrast between the addicted and non-addicted groups in their mobile purposes and behavioral patterns. Additionally, family relationships seem influential in shaping non-addictive mobile usage behaviors.

Research limitations/implications

Psychological perspectives on MAS may be important but insufficient. Empirical investigation on a global scale, especially with distinctive cross-cultural comparisons, will be highly encouraged. How MAS evolves over time should also serve as future research interests.

Practical implications

Teaching pedagogy of college education might need certain adjustments to intrigue digital natives' learning interests. Future managers might also need to adopt better performance measurements for digital natives who barely separate work from personal matters in their mobile devices.

Social implications

Parents and healthcare institutions may need to develop response mechanism to tackle this global issue at home and in society. The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on MAS might also deserve global attention.

Originality/value

The analytic framework developed provides an original mechanism that can be valuable in identifying MAS severity and associated behavioral patterns.

Reciprocal associations between shyness, depression, and Internet gaming disorder among Chinese adolescents: A cross-lagged panel study

While video games are one of the most common online entertainment activities, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) in adolescents is a critical issue that has become a widely raised public concern. This one-year longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations between shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms in a sample of Chinese adolescents. A fully cross-lagged panel design was used, in which shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms were assessed at two time points with an interval of one year (T1 and T2). A total of 1,047 junior high school students (504 boys; 543 girls; mean age = 12.45 years) participated in the study. Cross-lagged analysis results indicated a significant positive correlation between shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms, as well as a dynamic and bidirectional relationship between them. Specifically, T1 shyness positively predicted T2 depression symptoms (β = 0.167, p < 0.001), T1 depression symptoms positively predicted T2 shyness (β = 0.141, p < 0.01), and T1 IGD symptoms positively predicted T2 depression symptoms (β = 0.073, p < 0.05). In addition to these findings, gender differences were identified in shyness (T1 and T2), IGD symptoms (T1 and T2), and depression symptoms (T2). The results also indicated that shyness and symptoms of depression could significantly positively predict each other over time, and IGD symptoms could significantly predict depression symptoms. However, depression symptoms could not significantly predict IGD symptoms over the one-year study period, and there was no significant two-way prediction between shyness and IGD symptoms. Thus, this study reveals possible reciprocal associations between shyness, depression, and IGD symptoms in Chinese adolescents and provides insights and suggestions for reducing online gaming addiction among adolescents from the perspective of shyness and depression.

Self-Control and Problematic Internet Use in College Students: The Chain Mediating Effect of Rejection Sensitivity and Loneliness

Purpose

To explore the relationship between self-control, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, and problematic internet use in college students.

Patients and Methods

A total of 725 college students were investigated using Self-control Scale, Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, Loneliness Scale, and Internet Addiction Scale.

Results

① Correlation analysis showed that self-control was negatively related to rejection sensitivity, loneliness, and problematic internet use; rejection sensitivity was positively related to loneliness and problematic internet use; loneliness was positively related to problematic internet use. ② Chain mediating effect analysis showed that self-control can not only affect problematic internet use in college students, but also through three indirect paths, as follows: the mediating role of rejection sensitivity and loneliness, the chain mediating roles of rejection sensitivity and loneliness, and the mediating effect size, accounting for 9.76%, 20.73%, and 4.88% of the total effect, respectively.

Conclusion

Rejection sensitivity and loneliness played a chain mediating role in the relationship between self-control and problematic internet use in college students.

The Impact of Interparental Conflicts on Online Game Addiction Symptomatology: The Mediating Roles of the Parent-Adolescent Relationship and Loneliness in Adolescents

Many studies have documented the close association that exists between interparental conflicts and the symptomatology of online game addiction. However, the underlying mechanism that drives this association has not been fully investigated. This cross-sectional study explores the effect of interparental conflicts on online game addiction symptomatology in adolescents, focusing on the mediating effects of the parent-adolescent relationship and of adolescent loneliness. A total of 553 middle school students completed a questionnaire that included: a perception of interparental conflict scale, a level of closeness to parents scale, a short UCLA Loneliness scale, and an online game addiction symptomatology scale. Results showed that interparental conflicts, parent-adolescent relations, and adolescent loneliness are all significantly related to online game addiction symptomatology in adolescents. Structural equation modeling results indicate that the effects of interparental conflicts on adolescent online game addiction symptomatology are partially mediated by the parent-adolescent relationship and by adolescent loneliness.

Impaired Learning From Errors and Punishments and Maladaptive Avoidance-General Mechanisms Underlying Self-Regulation Disorders?

Self-regulation (SR) is an important human function that relates to quality of life in multiple domains including mental health. Previous studies have found important correlates of low SR including impulsivity and poor emotional regulation; however, underpinnings of low SR are incompletely understood. Individuals low in SR frequently engage in maladaptive behaviors (substance abuse, procrastination, etc.) despite negative consequences. This phenomenon suggests that impaired learning from errors and punishments may be important mechanisms underlying low SR. Consistently, previous studies observed impaired error processing in a wide spectrum of individuals with low SR and impaired learning from errors and punishments in SR-related disorders. We also note a possible role for poor emotional regulation and refer to concepts suggesting that engaging in maladaptive behaviors may serve as short term emotion regulation strategies aimed at avoiding or alleviating negative affect. We speculate on transdiagnostic factors underlying poor SR. We propose that impaired error processing (possibly related to striatal functioning) may prevent subjects with low SR from learning from errors and punishments and thus learning better SR skills or tendencies. Additionally, impaired coping in emotionally challenging situations, possibly related to prefrontal-cortical functioning, may lead to maladaptive avoidance. Moreover, maladaptive behaviors may be reinforced by the temporary decreases in negative affect and rewarding values of behaviors. Given existing knowledge gaps, we call for more extensive research and describe possible directions and challenges for future studies.

Parental Monitoring and Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use: The Mediating Role of Escape Motivation and the Moderating Role of Shyness

In an attempt to reduce the negative consequences of adolescent media use, parents often monitor their children's online activities. However, research suggests that parental monitoring often does not reduce children's problematic mobile phone use as expected. Based on the results of a survey of 584 Chinese adolescents, we found that parental monitoring positively predicted children's problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) within a Chinese cultural context. The results also showed that children's escape motivation partially mediated this relationship, while their level of shyness moderated both the mediated path and the direct impact of parental monitoring on children's PMPU. The findings suggested that a higher level of shyness increased the likelihood that parental monitoring would increase the child's escape motivation and PMPU. The study results provide guidelines for parents and educators regarding interventions for adolescents' problematic phone use.

Attitude Toward Online Relationship Formation and Psychological Need Satisfaction: The Moderating Role of Loneliness

Our study explores the moderating role of loneliness in the relationship between attitude toward online relationship formation and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. Participants included 1572 adolescents who completed self-report measures of loneliness, attitude toward online relationship formation, and psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. As hypothesized, attitude toward online relationship formation was positively related to psychological need satisfaction in online friendships. Results of moderation also demonstrated that lonely adolescents would report more positive attitude toward online relationship formation and higher psychological need satisfaction in online friendships compared to adolescents with nonlonely. Overall, these results extend self-determination theory's contentions regarding the critical role of socialization initiatives to increase the fulfilment of psychological needs for adolescents, regardless of whether the relationship was formed through the Internet or in-person.

Relationship Between Shyness and Generalized Pathological Internet Use Among Chinese School Students: The Serial Mediating Roles of Loneliness, Depression, and Self-Esteem

The present study aimed to explore the mediating effects of loneliness, depression, and self-esteem on the association between shyness and generalized pathological Internet use (GPIU). A total of 5215 school students completed questionnaires regarding shyness, loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and GPIU (aged 11-23 years old, M = 16.19, SD = 3.10). The self-reported scores for GPIU, shyness, loneliness, depression, and self-esteem were tested in students from elementary schools to universities. The results of a variance analysis indicated that senior high school students had the greatest prevalence of GPIU of all the study stages. With the study stages resolved, the results of a structural equation model revealed that: (a) shyness positively predicted GPIU; (b) shyness/loneliness/depression predicted GPIU through self-esteem; (c) shyness predicted GPIU through loneliness/depression → self-esteem; and (d) shyness predicted GPIU through loneliness → depression → self-esteem. In conclusion, these results provided significant implications for preventing or reducing GPIU in Chinese school students.