ArticleJournal of behavioral addictions2021
Problematic internet-related behaviors mediate the associations between levels of internet engagement and distress among schoolchildren during COVID-19 lockdown: A longitudinal structural equation modeling study.
Article in Journal of behavioral addictions, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 73 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
73 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Annual Research Review: The impact of Covid-19 on psychopathology in children and young people worldwide: systematic review of studies with pre- and within-pandemic data.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2023Pooled it
- Assessment of Changes in Child and Adolescent Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA pediatrics · 2022Pooled it
- Binge-Watching and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children's Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Time Out: A Scoping Review of Non-Duration Based Social Media Use Measures and Adolescent Mental Health.Journal of adolescence · 2026Article
- Smartphone use, wellbeing, and their association in children.Pediatric research · 2025Article
- Problematic online gaming mediates the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity and subsequent mental health issues in adolescents.Communications psychology · 2025Article
- Internet gaming disorder and depression mediated by impaired resilience and sleep distress: a three-wave longitudinal study among Chinese adolescents.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences · 2025Article
- Mobile phone dependency and adolescent exercise participation: a CB-SEM and fsQCA study on the roles of self-control, time management, and health awareness.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Scoping review: longitudinal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and adolescent mental health.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Article
- The longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' internalizing symptoms, substance use, and digital media use.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Article
- How Does Smartphone Use Impact Loneliness in the Post-COVID Landscape in Japan?Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Cybervictimization and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese College Students: an Exploration Through the Lens of Experiential Avoidance Model.Psychology research and behavior management · 2024Article
- The "bubbles"-study: Validation of ultra-short scales for the assessment of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms.PloS one · 2024Article
- Screen Time and Child Behavioral Disorders During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.International journal of preventive medicine · 2024Review
- Article
- Problematic Gaming during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Predictors of problematic smartphone use among young adult lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a four-year follow-up study.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- Problematic Use of Internet Among Indonesia University Students: Psychometric Evaluation of Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form.Psychiatry investigation · 2023Article
- The unique role of smartphone addiction and related factors among university students: a model based on cross-sectional and cross-lagged network analyses.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
13 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsDue to the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), policies based on the nature of "spatial distancing" have been implemented and have resulted in school suspensions and online learning among schoolchildren. In order to examine the impact of such policies on schoolchildren, the aims of the present study were to (i) assess changes in the level of engagement in three internet-related activities (smartphone use, social media use, and gaming) before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, including prolonged and problematic engagement in these activities; (ii) investigate the differences of psychological distress before and after COVID-19 outbreak; and (iii) to use structural equation modeling to investigate the mediating roles of problematic internet-related behaviors in the causal relationships of psychological distress and time spent on internet-related activities.
methodsSelf-report measures were used to assess internet-related activities and psychological distress. Time spent on internet-related activities, problematic use of internet-related activities, and psychological distress were collected from primary school students (N = 535; 265 boys; M age = 10.32 years [SD = 0.84]). The data were first collected before the COVID-19 outbreak (i.e., early November 2019) and then collected again during the school suspension due to COVID-19 outbreak (i.e., end of March 2020) for comparisons of changes.
resultsSchoolchildren spent significantly more time on the smartphone (increased 1.02 h daily; P < 0.001) and social media (increased 0.73 h daily; P < 0.001) but not gaming (increased 0.14 h daily; P = 0.07) during the school suspension compared to the baseline. Schoolchildren who increased by 15 or 30 min daily on internet-related activities showed an increased level of psychological distress. The association between problematic use of social media and psychological distress was stronger during the school suspension (β = 0.584) than at the baseline (β = 0.451; P < 0.001).
conclusionIncreased problematic use of internet-related activities among schoolchildren was associated with greater psychological distress. Parents should therefore monitor internet-related activities and psychological distress of their children to support their mental health.
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