The relationship between specific problematic internet use and hope: academic exhaustion as mediator and mattering as moderator among Chinese university students

Mar 5, 2025BMC psychology

How Problematic Internet Use Relates to Hope in Chinese University Students: The Role of Academic Exhaustion and Feeling Important

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Abstract

A survey of 3,035 university students revealed associations between problematic social media use and gaming with negative outcomes like academic exhaustion and reduced hope.

Problematic social media use and problematic gaming are linked to increased academic exhaustion and diminished hope.
Higher levels of fear of not were observed among students with problematic social media use and gaming.
Academic exhaustion serves as a mediator between both problematic social media use and gaming with students' hope.
Latent profile analysis identified a group of students with notably low levels of general mattering.
Different mattering profiles moderated the negative effects of problematic gaming on academic exhaustion and hope.

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Problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic gaming (PG) among university students as specific types of (PIU) have become a growing concern. PSMU and PG may lead to negative outcomes such as academic exhaustion and diminished hope. However, previous studies have not simultaneously considered the associations among these variables from the perspective of Stressor-Strain-Outcome model. Furthermore, the concept of ''-the feeling of being valued and important to others and 'fear of not mattering' in this dynamic is notably under-investigated. The present study aimed to examine the associations among these variables and evaluated whether mattering profiles moderated the associations involving PIU among university students.A survey was conducted among 3,035 university students in China, with an average age of 19.24 years (SD = 1.83). The sample included 52% males and 48% females from 19 different universities. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, the General Mattering Scale, the Fear of Not Mattering Inventory, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, and the Dispositional Hope Scale were utilized to evaluate PSMU, PG, general mattering, fear of not mattering, academic exhaustion, and hope, respectively. Furthermore, latent profile analysis was used to categorize students into distinct mattering profiles based on measures of general mattering and fear of not mattering to others.Correlational analyses indicated that PSMU and PG were associated with greater academic exhaustion, reduced hope, and higher levels of fear of not mattering. Mediation analysis identified academic exhaustion as a mediator in the relationships between PSMU and hope, as well as between PG and hope. Profile analyses identified a group of students distinguished by exceptionally low levels of general mattering. Mattering profiles acted as moderators of the associations between PG and academic exhaustion, and between academic exhaustion and hope.PG negatively affected students' hope through academic exhaustion, while different mattering profiles had diverse associations. Customized intervention strategies focused on boosting hope and feelings of mattering, and reducing fears of not mattering are needed to reduce vulnerability to PG and PSMU.

Key numbers

3,035

Participants

Total number of university students surveyed in the study.

1,579 of 3,035

Sex Distribution

Number of male participants in the study.

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The relationship between specific problematic internet use and hope: academic exhaustion as mediator and mattering as moderator among Chinese university students

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