Parental Behaviors, Self-Esteem, and Adolescent Online Game Addiction: Mediating Roles of Self-Control and Sense of Life Meaning

Suzhou Foreign Language School Wuzhong Campus, Suzhou, 215000, China

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Abstract

The problem of teenagers’ addiction to online games has drawn widespread attention from society. Current research has confirmed that parental parenting behaviours and an individual’s level of self-esteem are the factors influencing this issue. However, a full analysis remains necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms of this issue and the characteristic differences between various groups. This study presents several findings that negative parenting styles and low self-esteem significantly increase the risk of online gaming addiction among teenagers, while positive parenting styles play a protective role against addictive behaviors. In the relationship between parenting behaviors, self-esteem levels and internet game addiction, self-control ability and the sense of life meaning play an important intermediate role. Moreover, the interrelations of the variables are marked by group differences and heterogeneity of cultures. It also preaches the development of a home-school interaction system to take specific intervention actions. These suggestions constitute practical concepts of intervening in the addiction to online games in adolescents. In addition, this paper identifies the research directions which will definitively confirm the causality of the relationship between variables and their long-term impacts.