Ecological Predictors and Trajectory of Internet Addiction from Childhood through Adolescence: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study

Yi-Ping Hsieh, Hsiao-Lin Hwa, April Chiung-Tao Shen, Hsi-Sheng Wei, Jui-Ying Feng and Ching-Yu Huang
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Yi-Ping Hsieh: Department of Social Work, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
Hsiao-Lin Hwa: Department and Graduate Institute of Forensic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
April Chiung-Tao Shen: Department of Social Work, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
Hsi-Sheng Wei: Department of Social Work, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
Jui-Ying Feng: Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University and Hospital, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
Ching-Yu Huang: School of Psychology, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: We examined multidimensional factors within four systems (individual, family, school, and community) that influence internet addiction across time among children through adolescence in Taiwan. We hypothesize that internet addiction increases from childhood to adolescence and that resilience, child neglect, positive school experiences, and community violence are significant predictors at baseline and of the rate of change across time. Based on stratified random sampling, a valid sample size of 6233 Taiwanese children participated in our study, which we began in 2014 and then followed this sample in 2016 and 2018 using repeated measures. We used hierarchical linear modeling to model changes in internet addiction across time (with equal two-year intervals between assessments) and the associations between the predictors and internet addiction over time. The results show that internet addiction increases from childhood to adolescence. After controlling for gender, we found that resilience and positive school experiences predict less internet addiction, whereas neglect and community violence predict greater internet addiction. Over time, greater resilience predicts a decreasing trajectory of internet addiction, whereas greater neglect and community violence predict a slower increasing trajectory and positive school experiences predict a faster-increasing trajectory. A holistic approach can help children cope with internet addiction.

Keywords: internet addiction; resilience; neglect; school experience; community violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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