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Published on: November 9, 2019
Gender Differences in the Longitudinal Linkages between Fear of COVID-19 and Internet Game Addiction: A Moderated
Qing Liu1, Bin Gao1, Yuedong Wu2
1School of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China.
Background:
The COVID-19 outbreak has profoundly affected the psychological well-being of university students globally. Previous studies have found a positive longitudinal link between fear of COVID-19 (FoC-19) and internet addiction. However, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding COVID-19-specific predictors and underlying mechanisms of internet gaming addiction (IGA).
Methods:
Integrating the compensatory internet use theory and social role theory as frameworks, a three-wave longitudinal approach was used in this study to test the hypothesized model. Data spanning a duration of one year were gathered from undergraduate students in China. From 2021 to 2022, we conducted online self-report surveys in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain participants' levels of FoC-19, loneliness, depressive symptoms, and IGA.
Results:
FoC-19 showed a longitudinal positive relationship with IGA. The longitudinal link between FoC-19 and IGA was mediated by loneliness and depression. Gender moderated the direct effect of FoC-19 on IGA, with this effect being significant only among male students and not among their female counterparts.
Conclusion:
These findings advance our comprehension of the mechanisms and gender differences underlying the link between FoC-19 and IGA, and provide a novel perspective for interventions to reduce IGA.
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