A structural equation modelling approach to elucidating the interplay between internet use and social behaviours

Sandy C. Li, H. K. Ma, Jacky W. C. Pow

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal article

Abstract

Despites having a proliferation of research in students’ excessive Internet use, most of them tend to emphasise on its pathological aspects and adverse effects on students’ daily routines, lacking a holistic elucidation of the interplay between students’ Internet use and their social behaviours in the real-world. The aim of this study is to deepen our understanding of how adolescents’ Internet use is associated with their offline social behaviours. A cross-sectional survey with 559 participants (aged 12 – 19) was conducted. Two sets of questionnaires were administered to the participants to probe their patterns of Internet use together with their selfreported pro-social and anti-social behaviours in the real-world. The results indicate that (1) anti-social behaviours in the real-world are associated positively with delinquent Internet use; (2) pro-social behaviours in the real-world have a negative association with delinquent Internet use; (3) anti-social behaviours in the real-world are associated positively with delinquent Internet use; and (4) delinquent Internet use has a positive association with prosocial Internet use. We argue that most online behaviours are not purely delinquent or prosocial, but mixed. Adolescents and young people exhibiting anti-social behaviours in the real world are prone to delinquent Internet use and vice versa.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)253-267
Number of pages15
JournalBritish Journal of Arts and Social Sciences
Volume12
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2013

User-Defined Keywords

  • Internet Addiction
  • Problematic Internet Use
  • Structural Equation Modelling
  • Pro-social Behaviour
  • Anti-social Behaviour

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