Study the Association Between Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use of Chinese Overseas Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation

Research Article
Open access

Study the Association Between Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use of Chinese Overseas Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation

Siran Wang 1*
  • 1 Norwich School, Norwich, NR1 4DD, United Kingdom    
  • *corresponding author siranwang1414@163.com
Published on 1 March 2023 | https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/2/2022406
LNEP Vol.2
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-915371-07-2
ISBN (Online): 978-1-915371-08-9

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in countries all over the world publishing new strict measures which included lockdown and social distancing. During this period, people experienced a move away from social activities, with overseas students experiencing severe psychological burdens as they were unable to return home. The study was performed on Chinese overseas students and Chinese domestic students; it assessed their level of loneliness, problematic internet use, and emotion regulation under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explored the relationship between these variables. The result suggested that as a consequence of the pandemic, Chinese overseas students and domestic students both suffered from a high level of loneliness; the mean score for overseas Chinese students was 46.25\ \pm\ 10.66 and for domestic students in China was 45.81\ \pm\ 9.81. This finding indicated that the level of loneliness had a positive correlation with problematic internet use (p\ <\ 0.05), they spent more time on the internet in order to cope with negative emotions. Nevertheless, a good emotion regulation strategy could help to overcome negative feelings in an eased way, it had a moderating effect on loneliness and problematic internet use (p\ <\ 0.05).

Keywords:

problematic internet use, COVID-19, loneliness, emotion regulation

Wang,S. (2023). Study the Association Between Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use of Chinese Overseas Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,2,645-654.
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References

[1]. Xu, X.P., Xing, Y.J.,Wang, Z.Y., Liu, K., Yin, X.L., Wang, J,C., Chu, Y.N., Guo Y.X., & Meng, F.Q (2021). Research on the subjective well-being and other psychological status of Chinese students and associated factors in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology Monthly, 16(20). 10.19738/j.cnki.psy.2021.20.010

[2]. Beutel, M.E., Hettich, N., Ernst, M., Schmutzer, G., Tibubos, A.N., & Braehler, E. (2021). Mental health and loneliness in the German general population during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a representative pre-pandemic assessment. Sci Rep, 11(1):14946.

[3]. Holmes, E.A., O’Connor, R.C., Perry, V.H., Tracey, I, Wessely, S., et al. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 1;7(6):547–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30168-1

[4]. Groarke, J.M., Berry, E., Graham-Wisener, L., McKenna-Plumley, P.E., McGlinchey. E., & Armour, C. (2020). Loneliness in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional results from the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study. PLoS One, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239698

[5]. Weiss, R. S. (1973). Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. The MIT Press.

[6]. Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. WW Norton & Company.

[7]. Hager, M.J., & Milam, A.L. (2021) Loneliness and Depression in College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Boredom and Repetitive Negative Thinking. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-101533/v2

[8]. The Ministry of Education of China. (2019) Statistics on study abroad students in 2019. http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/gzdt_gzdt/s5987/202012/t20201214_505447.html

[9]. Anderson, C. A. (1999). Attributional Style, Depression, and Loneliness: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of American and Chinese Students. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(4), 482–499. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0146167299025004007

[10]. Moretta, T & Buodo, G. (2020). Problematic Internet Use and Loneliness: How Complex Isthe Relationship? A Short Literature Review. Curr Addict Rep 7, 125–136 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00305-z

[11]. Morahan-Martin, J., & Schumacher, P. (2003). Loneliness and social uses of the Internet. Computers in Human Behavior, 19(6), 659-971. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0747-5632(03)00040-2

[12]. Li, X., Feng, X., Xiao, W., & Zhou, H. (2021). Loneliness and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Roles of Boredom Proneness and Self-Control. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 14:687-694. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s315879

[13]. Koo, K.K., Nyunt, G., & Whang, Boshi. (2021). Who Spends Too Much Time Online? Associated Factors of Internet Addiction Among International College Students in the United States. Journal of International Students, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i1.2063

[14]. Alheneidi, H., AlSumait, L., AlSumait, D., & Smith, A.P. (2021). Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use during COVID-19 Lock-Down. Behav Sci (Basel), 11(1):5. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11010005

[15]. Gubler, D.A., Makowski, L. M., Troche, S.J.& Schlegel, K. (2020). Loneliness and Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Associations with Personality and Emotion Regulation. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2323-2342, https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10902-020-00326-5

[16]. Eres, M.H., Lim, Lanham, S., Jillard, C&Bates, G. (2021) Loneliness and emotion regulation: implications of having social anxiety disorder, Australian Journal of Psychology, 73:1, 46-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1904498

[17]. Gioia, F., Rega, V., & Boursier, V. (2021). Problematic internet use and emotional dysregulation among young people: A literature review. Clinical Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, 18(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210104

[18]. Spada, M.M.& Marino, C.(2017). Metacognitions and emotion regulation as predictors of problematic Internet use in adolescents. Clinical Psychiatry, 14(1): 59-63. https://dx.doi.org/10.36131%2Fcnfioritieditore20210104

[19]. Russell, D., Peplau, L. A.&Ferguson, L. L. (1978). Developing a Measure of Loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42(3): 290-29. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4203_11

[20]. Zhao, X., Zhou, H., Dong, G.H.&Peng, L.Y. (2012) The relationship between loneliness and cognitive-emotional regulation strategies among college students addicted to online gaming. China Journal of Health Psychology, 20(4). 10.13342 /j.cnki.cjhp. 2012.04.030

[21]. Chen, S.H., Weng, L.J., Su Y.J., Wu H.M., & Yang, P.F., (2003). Development of a Chinese Internet addiction scale and its psychometric study. Chinese Journal of Psychology, 45(3):279–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/t44491-000

[22]. Su, W.L., Bi, Y., &Wang, J.P. (2005). Report on the trial of the Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale in Mainland China. Abstracts of the 10th National Psychology Conference

[23]. Du, W.L. (2012). A comparative study of the Chinese version of the Internet Addiction Scale. Journal of Hubei University of Arts and Science, 24(2): 42-45.

[24]. Gross, J.J., & John, O.P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2):348-362. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348

[25]. Wang, l., Liu, H.C., Li, Z.Q.,& Du, W. (2007). Reliability study of the Chinese version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Chinese Journal of Health Psychology, 15(6): 503-505.

[26]. Jia, Z., Wang, Y.Y., Yang, Y.J.& Yang, L.J. (2018). Chinese University Students’ Loneliness And Generalized Pathological Internet Use: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Analysis. Social Behaviour and Personality, 46(5):861-870. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.6807

[27]. Ko, C.H., Yen, J.Y., Yen, C.F., Chen, C.C., Yen C.N. & Chen, S.H. (2005) Screening for Internet addiction: an empirical study on cut-off points for the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Kaohsiung J Med Sci, 21(12):545-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70206-2

[28]. De Jong-Gierveld J. (1987). Developing and testing a model of loneliness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1):119-28. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.53.1.119

Cite this article

Wang,S. (2023). Study the Association Between Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use of Chinese Overseas Students During Covid-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,2,645-654.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Educational Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries (ICEIPI 2022), Part I

ISBN：978-1-915371-07-2(Print) / 978-1-915371-08-9(Online)
Editor：Abdullah Laghari, Nasir Mahmood
Conference website: https://www.iceipi.org/
Conference date: 4 August 2022
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.2
ISSN：2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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References

[1]. Xu, X.P., Xing, Y.J.,Wang, Z.Y., Liu, K., Yin, X.L., Wang, J,C., Chu, Y.N., Guo Y.X., & Meng, F.Q (2021). Research on the subjective well-being and other psychological status of Chinese students and associated factors in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology Monthly, 16(20). 10.19738/j.cnki.psy.2021.20.010

[2]. Beutel, M.E., Hettich, N., Ernst, M., Schmutzer, G., Tibubos, A.N., & Braehler, E. (2021). Mental health and loneliness in the German general population during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a representative pre-pandemic assessment. Sci Rep, 11(1):14946.

[3]. Holmes, E.A., O’Connor, R.C., Perry, V.H., Tracey, I, Wessely, S., et al. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 1;7(6):547–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30168-1

[4]. Groarke, J.M., Berry, E., Graham-Wisener, L., McKenna-Plumley, P.E., McGlinchey. E., & Armour, C. (2020). Loneliness in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional results from the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study. PLoS One, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239698

[5]. Weiss, R. S. (1973). Loneliness: The experience of emotional and social isolation. The MIT Press.

[6]. Cacioppo, J. T., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. WW Norton & Company.

[7]. Hager, M.J., & Milam, A.L. (2021) Loneliness and Depression in College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Boredom and Repetitive Negative Thinking. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-101533/v2

[8]. The Ministry of Education of China. (2019) Statistics on study abroad students in 2019. http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/gzdt_gzdt/s5987/202012/t20201214_505447.html

[9]. Anderson, C. A. (1999). Attributional Style, Depression, and Loneliness: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of American and Chinese Students. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25(4), 482–499. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0146167299025004007

[10]. Moretta, T & Buodo, G. (2020). Problematic Internet Use and Loneliness: How Complex Isthe Relationship? A Short Literature Review. Curr Addict Rep 7, 125–136 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00305-z

[11]. Morahan-Martin, J., & Schumacher, P. (2003). Loneliness and social uses of the Internet. Computers in Human Behavior, 19(6), 659-971. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0747-5632(03)00040-2

[12]. Li, X., Feng, X., Xiao, W., & Zhou, H. (2021). Loneliness and Mobile Phone Addiction Among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Roles of Boredom Proneness and Self-Control. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 14:687-694. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s315879

[13]. Koo, K.K., Nyunt, G., & Whang, Boshi. (2021). Who Spends Too Much Time Online? Associated Factors of Internet Addiction Among International College Students in the United States. Journal of International Students, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i1.2063

[14]. Alheneidi, H., AlSumait, L., AlSumait, D., & Smith, A.P. (2021). Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use during COVID-19 Lock-Down. Behav Sci (Basel), 11(1):5. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11010005

[15]. Gubler, D.A., Makowski, L. M., Troche, S.J.& Schlegel, K. (2020). Loneliness and Well-Being During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Associations with Personality and Emotion Regulation. Journal of Happiness Studies, 2323-2342, https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10902-020-00326-5

[16]. Eres, M.H., Lim, Lanham, S., Jillard, C&Bates, G. (2021) Loneliness and emotion regulation: implications of having social anxiety disorder, Australian Journal of Psychology, 73:1, 46-56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1904498

[17]. Gioia, F., Rega, V., & Boursier, V. (2021). Problematic internet use and emotional dysregulation among young people: A literature review. Clinical Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, 18(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210104

[18]. Spada, M.M.& Marino, C.(2017). Metacognitions and emotion regulation as predictors of problematic Internet use in adolescents. Clinical Psychiatry, 14(1): 59-63. https://dx.doi.org/10.36131%2Fcnfioritieditore20210104

[19]. Russell, D., Peplau, L. A.&Ferguson, L. L. (1978). Developing a Measure of Loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42(3): 290-29. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4203_11

[20]. Zhao, X., Zhou, H., Dong, G.H.&Peng, L.Y. (2012) The relationship between loneliness and cognitive-emotional regulation strategies among college students addicted to online gaming. China Journal of Health Psychology, 20(4). 10.13342 /j.cnki.cjhp. 2012.04.030

[21]. Chen, S.H., Weng, L.J., Su Y.J., Wu H.M., & Yang, P.F., (2003). Development of a Chinese Internet addiction scale and its psychometric study. Chinese Journal of Psychology, 45(3):279–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/t44491-000

[22]. Su, W.L., Bi, Y., &Wang, J.P. (2005). Report on the trial of the Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale in Mainland China. Abstracts of the 10th National Psychology Conference

[23]. Du, W.L. (2012). A comparative study of the Chinese version of the Internet Addiction Scale. Journal of Hubei University of Arts and Science, 24(2): 42-45.

[24]. Gross, J.J., & John, O.P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2):348-362. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348

[25]. Wang, l., Liu, H.C., Li, Z.Q.,& Du, W. (2007). Reliability study of the Chinese version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Chinese Journal of Health Psychology, 15(6): 503-505.

[26]. Jia, Z., Wang, Y.Y., Yang, Y.J.& Yang, L.J. (2018). Chinese University Students’ Loneliness And Generalized Pathological Internet Use: A Longitudinal Cross-Lagged Analysis. Social Behaviour and Personality, 46(5):861-870. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.6807

[27]. Ko, C.H., Yen, J.Y., Yen, C.F., Chen, C.C., Yen C.N. & Chen, S.H. (2005) Screening for Internet addiction: an empirical study on cut-off points for the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Kaohsiung J Med Sci, 21(12):545-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1607-551x(09)70206-2

[28]. De Jong-Gierveld J. (1987). Developing and testing a model of loneliness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(1):119-28. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.53.1.119

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