1School of Law, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China.
2School of Political Science and Public Administration, Huaqiao University, Quanzhou 362021, China.
J Behav Addict. 2021 May 20;10(2):253-262. doi: 10.1556/2006.2021.00028. Print 2021 Jul 15.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, problematic Internet use (PIU) has become a serious issue among residential college students, who remain physically isolated from off-campus society. This study constructs an integrated model to investigate the influencing mechanisms of internal locus of control (LOC) and objective peer effects.
Residential college students (n = 494) were surveyed from a single department of a Chinese university. An item from the World Value Survey was employed to measure internal LOC, while objective peer effects were assessed via friends' mutual nominations. Finally, PIU was measured using Young's Internet Addiction Tests, while a social network analysis and logit regression were combined to estimate various factors' effects on PIU.
In our sample, the prevalence rate of PIU was 30.6%, and while internal LOC was a protective factor for PIU, its protective role was diluted when exposed to a peer environment with high PIU prevalence. Furthermore, indegree performed contrasting roles on PIU under various network conditions. It acted as a protective factor when exposed to a low prevalence of PIU in a peer environment; however, it became a risk factor when PIU peers were prevalent. Lastly, the protective efficacy of betweenness was activated when individuals had more than one PIU friend.
Further intervention studies focusing on individuals with a weak internal LOC are recommended during the lockdown. Additionally, interventions that consider the network structures carefully, may enhance the prevention of PIU.
在 COVID-19 封锁期间，有问题的互联网使用（PIU）已成为住宿大学生的一个严重问题，他们与校外社会保持身体上的隔离。本研究构建了一个综合模型，以调查内部控制点（LOC）和客观同伴效应的影响机制。
从中国一所大学的一个系中对住宿大学生（n = 494）进行了调查。采用世界价值观调查的一个项目来衡量内部控制点，而客观的同伴效应则通过朋友的相互提名来评估。最后，使用 Young 的互联网成瘾测试来衡量 PIU，同时结合社会网络分析和逻辑回归来估计各种因素对 PIU 的影响。
在我们的样本中，PIU 的患病率为 30.6%，内部控制点是 PIU 的保护因素，但当暴露于 PIU 患病率较高的同伴环境中时，其保护作用会减弱。此外，在不同的网络条件下，入度对 PIU 发挥着相反的作用。当暴露于同伴环境中 PIU 患病率较低时，它起到了保护作用；但当 PIU 同伴普遍存在时，它就成为了一个风险因素。最后，当个体有多个 PIU 朋友时，中间中心性的保护效力就会被激活。
建议在封锁期间对内部控制点较弱的个体进行进一步的干预研究。此外，考虑网络结构的干预措施可能会增强对 PIU 的预防。
