Abstract
Objective
This study examined the relationships between parental mediation and Internet addiction, and the connections to cyberbullying, substance use, and depression among adolescents.
Method
The study involved 1808 junior high school students who completed a questionnaire in Taiwan in 2013.
Results
Multiple logistic regression analysis results showed that adolescents who perceived lower levels of parental attachment were more likely to experience Internet addiction, cyberbullying, smoking, and depression, while adolescents who reported higher levels of parental restrictive mediation were less likely to experience Internet addiction or to engage in cyberbullying. Adolescent Internet addiction was associated with cyberbullying victimization/perpetration, smoking, consumption of alcohol, and depression.
Conclusion
Internet addiction by adolescents was associated with cyberbullying, substance use and depression, while parental restrictive mediation was associated with reductions in adolescent Internet addiction and cyberbullying.
Internet addiction is an emerging public health issue. The rise of new technologies, such as the Internet and associated social media sites, has exposed adolescents to online risks (pornography exposure, cyberbullying and Internet addiction) and health risks (depression and suicide), which have increased the rates of youth morbidity and mortality [1] and [2]. Studies have associated Internet addiction with increases in youth cyberbullying problems [3] and [4] that can cause mental, physical and social harm [5].
Despite wide variations in the instruments that have been used for the diagnosis of Internet addiction, it is characterized by preoccupation, uncontrolled impulses, use that is more than intended, tolerance, withdrawal, impairment of control, devotion of excessive time and effort despite negative consequences, and impaired decision-making [6] and [7]. Studies have associated Internet addiction with online activities such as watching online pornography, online gambling [8], using social networking sites and online gaming [9], and online chatting [10]. Internet addiction is currently not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) V, but Internet gaming disorder is listed in Section 3 as requiring further research.
In addition, studies have associated Internet addiction with psychiatric forms of co-morbidity such as consumption of alcohol [11] and [12], smoking [13] and [14], attention deficit and hyperactivity, hostility [15], loneliness [16], low self-esteem [17] and [18], and depression [14] and [19].Moreover, studies have associated factors such as low family functioning [17] and [20], family dissatisfaction [11], poor parent–adolescent relationships [21] and [22], and low parental monitoring [23] and [24] with Internet addiction among adolescents. In contrast, forms of parental restrictive mediation such as rules regarding the time spent online have been negatively associated with Internet addiction [25] and cyberbullying [26], [27] and [28].
The prevalence of Internet addiction among adolescents is known to be higher in Asian societies than in Western countries [29]. Despite studies that have documented the psychosocial factors associated with Internet addiction, there has been little research examining parental mediation of youth Internet addiction and cyberbullying in Asian societies. Few studies have examined the relationships between Internet addiction, online risks, and health risks. The present study canvassed junior high school students in Taiwan to compare parental attachment, parental mediation, online risks (cyberbullying and online sexual solicitation), and health risks (dietary behavior, substance use, low self-esteem, and depression) between a group that was addicted to the Internet and one that was not. The relationships between parental mediation, Internet addiction, cyberbullying, substance use, and depression were also examined.
Adolescent demographic characteristics by Internet addiction status are shown in Table 1. Of the 1867 students, 294 (15.8%) were classified as having an Internet addiction. The percentage of males was significantly higher (61.4%) in the Internet-addicted group than in the non-addicted group (45.9%). In addition, the percentage recording poor academic performance was significantly higher (38.8%) in the Internet-addicted group compared with the non-Internet addicted group (20.7%). The percentages for grade level in school, region of residency (rural vs. urban), and incidence of household poverty were not significantly different between the Internet-addicted group and the non-addicted group.
