Perceived economic discrimination and problematic internet use among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of school connectedness

A growing body of research has documented that perceived discrimination is associated with problematic Internet use (PIU) among adolescents. However, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship have not been thoroughly addressed. This study examined whether self-esteem mediated the relationship between perceived economic discrimination and PIU among adolescents. The study also sought to determine whether this mediating process was moderated by school connectedness. A total of 1010 adolescents (Mage = 14.95, SD = 1.70) were recruited to complete self-report questionnaires regarding perceived economic discrimination, PIU, self-esteem, and school connectedness. The results showed that there was an indirect effect of perceived economic discrimination on PIU via self-esteem. Furthermore, the moderating effect of school connectedness in the mediating process was marginally significant. These findings elucidate that self-esteem and school connectedness could be potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between perceived economic discrimination and PIU and provide important implications for the prevention and intervention of PIU among adolescents.