青少年网络社交使用频率对网络成瘾的影响:家庭经济地位的调节作用

相关研究表明,由于青少年在网络社交中能够获得他人的认可与支持,网络社交对网络成瘾具有显著的影响。自我价值定向理论认为自我价值是人们行为的终极理由,其中他人的认可与接纳、家庭社会经济地位都是自我价值的重要支撑。当青少年生活在高社会经济地位环境中,其自我价值可能越高,网络社交使用频率对网络成瘾的影响可能会减弱。我们从全国7个省收集了1216份青少年自评的网络社交使用频率、网络成瘾倾向以及父母自评的社会经济地位等指标的数据。结果表明:家庭社会经济地位调节着网络社交使用频率与网络成瘾倾向的关系;进一步的分析表明,在高社会经济地位的家庭中,青少年的网络社交使用频率对网络成瘾倾向的影响不显著,而在低社会经济地位的家庭中,青少年的网络社交使用频率对网络成瘾倾向的影响极其显著。结果支持了自我价值定向理论。

The Influence of Juvenile Preference for Online Social Interaction on Internet Addiction: The Moderating Effect of the family social economic statue

Previous studies have demonstrated that the preference for online social interaction (POSI) is one of the most important influence factors affecting problematic Internet use (PIU). Online communication promotes intimate relationships, alleviates social anxiety, and strengthens interpersonal skills. However, some other researches also show that a portion of youth are dependent on the Internet and are even addicted to the Internet, specifically because of the safety and continued interpersonal relationships that online communication provides. According to the assumptions of the Self-Worth Orientation Theory, the human is a reasonable and social (socialized) animal, and reasonable thinking of human beings pursues things’ reason. People need to construct and explain the system of the inside and outside world, which includes oneself and others, and find the self and the meaning of life; self-worth is the ultimate reason system of self-behavior. The inner and outside psychological resources could promote self-worth. And the family social economic statue (SES) is one supporting resource of self-worth system. Thus, based on the theory of Self-Worth Orientation, we hypothesized that, if a youth lives in a high SES family, his or her self-worth may be high, which may weaken the dependence of the acceptance and support from online, in turn, the effect of POSI on PIU may fade down; on the contrary, if one lives in a low family SES, his or her self-worth may be low, the acceptance and support from online interaction would be integral to make up for the lack of self-worth, thus, the effect of POSI on PIU may enhance. In sum, the family SES may moderate the effect of POSI on PIU.To explore this hypothesis, we adopted Young’s Internet addiction diagnostic questionnaire, preference online social interaction scale, and self-made family SES scale to measured 1219 adolescents and their parent. For youths, 447 were elementary school students (Mage = 10.72, SD = 1.39), 418 were middle school students (Mage = 13.04, SD = 1.23), 351 were middle school students (Mage = 16.03, SD = 0.88). For parents, 429 respondents were fathers, 729 respondents were mothers, 38 were non-parent, and 24 did not response. The date of non-parent and no response were not included in the analysis.A hierarchical regression model was used to investigate the effect of control variables (gender and youth’s age), the independent variable (POSI), the moderator variable (family SES), and interaction between POSI and family SES. The results showed that the effect of POSI on PIU was significant, and the effect was moderated by parent’s SES. Further analysis revealed that, living in high family SES, the effect of POSI on PIU was not significant (B = 0.008 SE = 0.007, t(843) = 1.24, p = .22, ?2 = .002); however, living in low family SES, teenagers’ POSI predicted PIU significantly ( B = 0.030, SE = 0.007, t(843) = 4.20, p < .001, ?2 = .020).These results support the hypothesis of Self-worth Orient Theory. This study, not only in theory level, affords a new perspective to explain the mechanism of PIU, also, it provides some new inspiration for prevention and treatment of PIU---giving more attention and offer more supports of self-worth to the adolescents who live in low family SES.