Technoference and Adolescent Internet Gaming Addiction: The Mediating Role of the Need to Belong and the Moderating Role of Friendship Quality

Abstract

Internet gaming, a product of information technology, has become an essential part of adolescents’ lives. While a moderate amount of online gaming helps improve their life satisfaction and promote their pro-social behavior, the Internet gaming addiction can lead to various mental problems among them. This study constructed a moderated mediation model based on the problem behavior theory and the individual-environment interaction models to examine the effects of technoference, the need to belong, and friendship quality on adolescent Internet gaming addiction.