AUTHOR=Zhu Yunjiao , Jin Guifang , Shi Haiyan , Sun Chenyu , Wei Hongyuan , Yang Linsheng , Hao Jiahu , Sun Ying , Su Puyu , Wu Xiaoyan , Tang Xiaowu , Zhang Zhihua 

TITLE=Mediating effect of social anxiety on the association between self-esteem and internet addiction among Chinese vocational school students

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1412480

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1412480

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=IntroductionIn today’s digital age, concerns about internet addiction among adolescents have escalated alongside the widespread use of the internet. Simultaneously, research has spotlighted the influence of psychological factors like self-esteem and social anxiety on addictive behaviors. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis regarding social anxiety as a mediator in the association between self-esteem and internet addiction.MethodsA total of 10,158 participants were randomly selected from five vocational schools in Anhui Province, China, with a mean age of 18.5 years. They completed a series of self-administered questionnaires, including the Young Internet Addiction Test (IATS), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and the Self-Esteem Scale (SES). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the mediating role of social anxiety between self-esteem and internet addiction, adjusting for demographic variables such as age, gender, and parental education.ResultsThe correlation analysis revealed that self-esteem was significantly negatively correlated with internet addiction, while social anxiety was significantly positively correlated with internet addiction. The indirect effect of self-esteem on internet addiction through social anxiety was 0.11 (p < 0.01), constituting 28.35% of the total effect. Additionally, the total impact of self-esteem on internet addiction was 0.278 (p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses by age and gender confirmed the robustness of these findings, with significant total effects observed across different age groups (14–18 years: total effects = 0.637; 18-24 years: total effects = 0.744; p < 0.01) and genders (male: total effects = 0.385; female: total effects = 0.744; p < 0.01).DiscussionThe results indicate that social anxiety plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between self-esteem and internet addiction, affecting both directly and indirectly this association. These findings underscore the importance of addressing self-esteem and social anxiety in interventions aimed at reducing internet addiction among adolescents, suggesting that targeted psychological support could be pivotal in mitigating the risk of developing addictive behaviors online.