Associations between personality and problematic internet use among Chinese adolescents and young adults: A network analysis

Aug 23, 2024Journal of affective disorders

Links between personality traits and problematic internet use in Chinese teens and young adults

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Abstract

Of 4655 participants, 52.1% were female, revealing notable gender differences in problematic internet use (PIU) symptoms and personality traits.

Participants with PIU showed significant differences in age and gender compared to those without PIU.
The network analysis revealed that 22 out of 28 connections between personality traits and PIU symptoms were significant.
The strongest link identified was between 'obsession' and 'neuroticism'.
Central symptoms included 'obsession' and 'control disorder', while 'obsession' and 'neuroticism' served as bridge symptoms.
Gender differences in network strength were noted, with females showing a global strength of 3.71 compared to 3.18 for males.

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BACKGROUND: With the number of internet users booming, problematic internet use (PIU) has become a public health threat. This study aims to figure out the inter-relationships between PIU symptoms and personality traits with network-based analysis among young people and to discuss the gender difference in the above networks.

METHODS: Based on a national cross-sectional study in 2022, 4655 Chinese adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 25 were included. We adopted the 6-item Short-Form Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-SF-6) and the 10-item version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10) to measure PIU and personality traits, respectively. Network analysis was used to identify influential nodes and edges and compare the network models between male and female participants.

RESULTS: The mean age of 4655 participants was 19.84, and 52.1 % (2424) of them were females. There are differences in age and gender between participants with and without PIU (P < 0.05). The network of personality and PIU showed that 22 out of the 28 edges were estimated to be nonzero, and "obsession-neuroticism" was the strongest positive edge between the two communities. Central symptoms (i.e., "obsession" and "control disorder") and bridge symptoms (i.e., "obsession" and "neuroticism") have been identified. Gender differences existed in network global strength: female = 3.71, male = 3.18 (p < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional study needs more evidence to build causal inference.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of PIU-personality networks may contribute to the personalized prevention and treatment of PIU. The gender difference in PIU-personality networks also requires more attention and discussion.

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Associations between personality and problematic internet use among Chinese adolescents and young adults: A network analysis

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