Background and aims: Internet addiction is one of the most serious behavioral addiction problems affecting the physical and mental health of college students. A model is constructed to reveal the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of information cocoons in the relationship between the experiences in close relationship and internet addiction among college students in this article.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey investigated 2946 college students in China who had experienced close romantic relationships. A questionnaire was used to measure the general information, the experiences in close relationship, internet addiction, anxiety, information cocoons among participants.
Results: The poorer experiences in close relationship were directly associated with a higher risk of internet addiction among college students. Anxiety mediated the relationship between the experiences in close relationship and internet addiction. Additionally, the information cocoon was also found to moderate an indirect effect: a higher level of information cocoons diminished the impact of the experiences in close relationship on anxiety, while information cocoons intensified the association between anxiety and internet addiction.
Conclusions: A positive close relationship can alleviate anxiety and thereby help prevent internet addiction. Meanwhile, various interventions should be implemented to avoid falling into the information cocoons to promote mental health and reduce internet addiction among college students.
Keywords: Anxiety; Close relationship; Identity bubble; Information cocoon; Internet addiction; Moderated mediation model.
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