The Relationship Between Interpersonal Stress and Internet Usage among Adolescents

Abstract

In recent years, the problems focusing on interpersonal stress of teenagers and internet usage become a hit. During adolescence, gender differences, biological changes, and social-emotional development have a significant impact on pubertal development as well as interpersonal stress. For example, females have a obviously higher need for companionship and interpersonal interaction. They use social media more frequently, and they are at higher risk of being victimized by their peers, which exacerbates their high rates of depression and interpersonal stress, leading them to rely on the internet as well. The growth of the internet and social media also deepens comparisons between people. For example, body shame, where adolescents continue to enhance content when they receive compliments and overly pander to make themselves look perfect when they receive dissatisfaction, can, to some extent, increase their anxiety and cause disturbances in their psychological development. Similarly, positive online bloggers who post videos can be inspiring, but posting about negativity or venting about reality can make immature teens more prone to depression and anxiety and further derivation into internet addiction, leading to depression and interpersonal problems. In this article, the relationship between interpersonal interactions and internet use is explored.