Social Networking Addiction Among Hong Kong University Students: Its Health Consequences and Relationships With Parenting Behaviors

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2021 Feb 11

PMID 33569365

Citations 10

Authors

Lu Yu

Tingyu Luo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The use of social networking sites (SNSs) has been growing at a staggering rate, especially among university students. The present study investigated the prevalence of social networking addiction (SNA), its health consequences, and its relationships with parents' Internet-specific parenting behaviors in a sample of Hong Kong university students ( = 390). Adopting the 9-item social media disorder scale, 21.5% of the participating students met the criteria for SNA. Students with SNA showed longer sleeping latency, more sleep disturbance, poorer academic performance, lower levels of life satisfaction, and higher levels of depression than did students without SNA. Parental reactive restriction and limiting online behaviors of the participants were associated with higher risk of SNA. The findings suggest the severity of SNA and its negative consequences among Hong Kong university students. While parental behaviors limiting children's use of SNSs were found to increase the occurrence rate of SNA among university students, longitudinal studies are needed to further examine this causal relationship.

Citing Articles

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

Chen X, Ning Y, Flett G, Liao X, Gamble J, Li L BMC Psychol. 2025; 13(1):194.

PMID: 40038829 PMC: 11877927. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-025-02500-x.

The relationship between physical exercise and psychological capital in college students: the mediating role of perceived social support and self-control.

Lin Y, He M, Zhou W, Zhang M, Wang Q, Chen Y BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1):581.

PMID: 39939931 PMC: 11823263. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-21856-8.

The impact of social networking addiction on the academic achievement of university students globally: A meta-analysis.

Salari N, Zarei H, Rasoulpoor S, Ghasemi H, Hosseinian-Far A, Mohammadi M Public Health Pract (Oxf). 2025; 9:100584.

PMID: 39896338 PMC: 11786888. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2025.100584.

Social media addiction relationship with academic engagement in university students: The mediator role of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.

Landa-Blanco M, Garcia Y, Landa-Blanco A, Cortes-Ramos A, Paz-Maldonado E Heliyon. 2024; 10(2):e24384.

PMID: 38293527 PMC: 10825341. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24384.

The Interactive Effects of Parental Mediation Strategies in Preventing Cyberbullying on Social Media.

Chen L, Liu X, Tang H Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023; 16:1009-1022.

PMID: 36998740 PMC: 10045317. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S386968.

References

Kuss D, Griffiths M . Online social networking and addiction--a review of the psychological literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011; 8(9):3528-52. PMC: 3194102. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph8093528. View

Guo S, Sun W, Liu C, Wu S . Structural Validity of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in Chinese Undergraduate Students. Front Psychol. 2016; 7:1126. PMC: 4976124. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01126. View

Savci M, Ercengiz M, Aysan F . Turkish Adaptation of the Social Media Disorder Scale in Adolescents. Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2018; 55(3):248-255. PMC: 6138233. DOI: 10.5152/npa.2017.19285. View

Pinto-Meza A, Serrano-Blanco A, Penarrubia M, Blanco E, Haro J . Assessing depression in primary care with the PHQ-9: can it be carried out over the telephone?. J Gen Intern Med. 2005; 20(8):738-42. PMC: 1490180. DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0144.x. View

Meeus W, Oosterwegel A, Vollebergh W . Parental and peer attachment and identity development in adolescence. J Adolesc. 2002; 25(1):93-106. DOI: 10.1006/jado.2001.0451. View

Small M, Morgan N, Abar C, Maggs J . Protective effects of parent-college student communication during the first semester of college. J Am Coll Health. 2011; 59(6):547-54. PMC: 3117230. DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2010.528099. View

De Looze M, Huijts T, Stevens G, Torsheim T, Vollebergh W . The Happiest Kids on Earth. Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America. J Youth Adolesc. 2017; 47(5):1073-1085. PMC: 5878193. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7. View

Dietch J, Taylor D, Sethi K, Kelly K, Bramoweth A, Roane B . Psychometric Evaluation of the PSQI in U.S. College Students. J Clin Sleep Med. 2016; 12(8):1121-9. PMC: 4957190. DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.6050. View

Yen J, Yen C, Chen C, Chen S, Ko C . Family factors of internet addiction and substance use experience in Taiwanese adolescents. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2007; 10(3):323-9. DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2006.9948. View

10.

Wills T, Resko J, Ainette M, Mendoza D . Role of parent support and peer support in adolescent substance use: a test of mediated effects. Psychol Addict Behav. 2004; 18(2):122-34. DOI: 10.1037/0893-164X.18.2.122. View

11.

Larimer M, Turner A, Mallett K, Geisner I . Predicting drinking behavior and alcohol-related problems among fraternity and sorority members: examining the role of descriptive and injunctive norms. Psychol Addict Behav. 2004; 18(3):203-12. PMC: 2912161. DOI: 10.1037/0893-164X.18.3.203. View

12.

Elphinston R, Noller P . Time to face it! Facebook intrusion and the implications for romantic jealousy and relationship satisfaction. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2011; 14(11):631-5. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0318. View

13.

Andreassen C, Torsheim T, Brunborg G, Pallesen S . Development of a Facebook Addiction Scale. Psychol Rep. 2012; 110(2):501-17. DOI: 10.2466/02.09.18.PR0.110.2.501-517. View

14.

Buysse D, Reynolds 3rd C, Monk T, BERMAN S, Kupfer D . The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res. 1989; 28(2):193-213. DOI: 10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4. View

15.

Cleland Woods H, Scott H . #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. J Adolesc. 2016; 51:41-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.05.008. View

16.

Tang C, Koh Y . Online social networking addiction among college students in Singapore: Comorbidity with behavioral addiction and affective disorder. Asian J Psychiatr. 2017; 25:175-178. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2016.10.027. View

17.

Lee S, Chae Y . Children's Internet use in a family context: influence on family relationships and parental mediation. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2007; 10(5):640-4. DOI: 10.1089/cpb.2007.9975. View

18.

Cerniglia L, Griffiths M, Cimino S, De Palo V, Monacis L, Sinatra M . A latent profile approach for the study of internet gaming disorder, social media addiction, and psychopathology in a normative sample of adolescents. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2019; 12:651-659. PMC: 6698172. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S211873. View

19.

Kaynak O, Meyers K, Caldeira K, Vincent K, Winters K, Arria A . Relationships among parental monitoring and sensation seeking on the development of substance use disorder among college students. Addict Behav. 2012; 38(1):1457-63. PMC: 3493701. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.08.003. View

20.

Griffiths K, Bennett K, Walker J, Goldsmid S, Bennett A . Effectiveness of MH-Guru, a brief online mental health program for the workplace: A randomised controlled trial. Internet Interv. 2018; 6:29-39. PMC: 6096203. DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2016.09.004. View