ArticleFrontiers in psychology2026
Social loneliness and internet gaming addiction among adolescents: the mediating roles of escape motivation and self-control.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
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2 authors.
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Abstract
Background: In recent years, Internet gaming addiction among adolescents has become increasingly severe, emerging as a pressing global mental health concern. Much of the existing literature has concentrated on factors such as personality, family backgrounds, and the intrinsic appeal of video games, yet the psychological underpinnings of gaming addiction remain underexplored. This research aims to examine how feelings of social loneliness contribute to gaming addiction among teens, focusing on how motivations to escape reality and the ability to regulate one's actions serve as intermediaries in this relationship. Methods: Drawing on the Compensatory Internet Use Theory, this cross-sectional study surveyed 731 middle school students using validated scales measuring social loneliness, Internet gaming addiction, escape motivation, and self-control. Hypotheses were tested using SPSS 27. Results: The results showed a significant positive association between social loneliness and Internet gaming addiction in adolescents. In addition, escape motivation and self-control jointly functioned as mediating variables in the association between social loneliness and gaming addiction. Conclusion: This research elucidates the psychological mechanisms linking social loneliness to internet gaming addiction among adolescents, highlighting the critical mediating roles of escape motivation and self-control. The findings provide theoretical backing for efforts aimed at preventing and intervening in adolescent Internet gaming addiction. They highlight the need for educators and parents to closely monitor adolescents' escape motivation and self-control abilities to mitigate the risk of addiction to gaming.
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