International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, with the development and popularity of information technology throughout the world, various online and digital applications are becoming increasingly integrated into people’s lives, and have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. To some extent, various online and digital applications (such as the Internet, mobile phones, social media, and video games) have long been an important element affecting people’s lives, social adaptation, and mental health; on the one hand, negative use behaviors and experiences (e.g., excessive or problematic use, cyberbullying, overload, and fatigue) may increase the risk of poor mental health. On the other hand, these online or digital applications may provide the opportunity for individuals’ social adaptation and mental health to be improved, especially in the case of some more marginalized persons (e.g., elderly people). At the same time, mental health problems have become more and more prominent, and their contributing factors, mechanisms, prevention, and intervention have also been the focus of relevant research. Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the use of online and digital applications and mental health problems have become more prominent; it is of great theoretical and empirical significance to examine mental health in the current era of information. This Special Issue aimed to examine this issue, mainly focusing on the objective and comprehensive influences of online and digital applications on mental health (especially the positive influences and protective mechanisms), and on relevant interventions; research from multi-disciplinary perspectives, incorporating various methods and various participants, is highly encouraged.

Dr. Gengfeng Niu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

internet
online applications
digital technology
social media
mental health
depression
well-being
COVID-19 pandemic
intervention

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Competitive Class Climate and Cyberloafing among Chinese Adolescents: A Curvilinear Moderated Mediation Model

by Shun Peng, Xiuhan Huang, Lei Xu, Shuangshuang Cai, Jiwen Chen and Hua Dong

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4705; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064705 - 07 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1357

Abstract

Since COVID-19 was officially listed as a pandemic, online schooling has become a more pervasive form of learning, and cyberloafing has become a widespread behavior, even among adolescents. However, less research has explored the influencing mechanism of adolescents’ cyberloafing. Based on relevant studies and the real lives of adolescents, this study aimed to examine the association between a competitive class climate and cyberloafing among adolescents, its underlying mechanism, the mediating role of perceived stress and the moderating role of self-esteem. A total of 686 adolescents were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires assessing cyberloafing, perceived stress, self-esteem, and perceived competitive class climate. The results showed that a competitive class climate was positively associated with perceived stress, and the U-shaped relationship between perceived stress and cyberloafing was significant. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between a competitive class climate and cyberloafing. Meanwhile, self-esteem moderated the U-shaped relationship between perceived stress and cyberloafing and the linear relationship between a competitive class climate and perceived stress. The results of this study indicate that the influence of a competitive class climate on individual learning behavior may be nonlinear, and proper competition can contribute to reducing individual cyberloafing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Cyber Psychology and Behavior: Mental Health in Current Information Era)

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11 pages, 748 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Depression and Internet Gaming Disorder among Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Moderated Mediation Model

by Mengyun Yin, Shihua Huang and Chengfu Yu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3633; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043633 - 18 Feb 2023

Viewed by 2288

Abstract

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is significantly associated with depression across previous studies, and significantly affects the development of mental health among Chinese adolescents. In this two-wave longitudinal research, we tested the mediating role of maladaptive cognition and the moderating role of mindfulness in the linkage between depression and IGD among Chinese adolescents (N = 580, 355 females, average age = 15.76 years, SD = 1.31) who completed questionnaires. Results of regression-based analyses showed that depression was positively related to IGD. Maladaptive cognition significantly mediated the link between depression and IGD. Moreover, mindfulness moderated the second part of the mediation process. Specifically, as the level of mindfulness increased, the influence of depression on the future IGD through maladaptive cognition was weakened. The present study demonstrates the key roles of maladaptive cognition and mindfulness in the link between depression and IGD, and further supports the cognitive–behavioral model of pathological Internet use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Cyber Psychology and Behavior: Mental Health in Current Information Era)

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