Abstract
Internet addiction is a common and challenging problem among adolescents. Previous studies have shown that future time orientation is an important protective factor against internet addiction. In this study, the mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty and the moderating role of perceived social support were examined on the association between future expectations, regarded as the “prospective life course” perspective of future time orientation, and internet addiction among adolescents. A total of 1,006 Chinese adolescents (54% male and 46% female; Mage = 15.42 years, SD = 1.32) recruited from middle schools completed questionnaires. Results indicated that future expectations were significantly negatively associated with internet addiction, and the link was mediated by intolerance to uncertainty in adolescents. Further, the latent moderated structural equation showed that perceived social support moderated the association between future expectations and intolerance of uncertainty. The association was significant only for adolescents with a higher level of perceived social support. The findings of this study provide specific guidelines for how to prevent adolescent internet addiction.
Highlights
Internet surfing has become one of the most popular leisure activities among adolescents
The skewness of the variables was between −0.37-0.50, and kurtosis was between −0.09 and 0.89, indicating that the variables conformed to the typical distribution hypothesis [39]
The correlation analyses found that most future expectations were significantly correlated with dimensions of Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), Perceived social support (PSS), and factors of internet addiction
Summary
Internet surfing has become one of the most popular leisure activities among adolescents. Previous studies have shown that present-oriented factors (e.g., impulsiveness, sensory seeking, and obsessive passion) can lead to internet addiction [4]. There are few studies on future-oriented and motivational factors (e.g., expectations, goals, aspiration). If individuals have low motivational factors, they would indulge in the present and find it hard to refuse pleasure-seeking in daily life [5]. The current study focused on the relationship between future expectations and internet addiction. It examined the mediating effect of intolerance of uncertainty and the moderating role of perceived social support to provide suggestions for the prevention of and interventions for adolescent internet addiction
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