| Sumario: | Adolescents are vulnerable to Internet gaming disorder, yet the developmental timing of social and emotional risks remains unclear. From an initial sample of 563 Chinese Han students, 554 adolescents and children (M = 12.14, SD = 1.52; Age range: 9 to 15 years; 45.5% female) reported deviant peer affiliation, depressive symptoms, Internet gaming disorder, and socioeconomic status (SES). Using time-varying effect modeling with 5,000 bootstrap intervals, the positive effect of deviant peer affiliation on Internet gaming disorder was not significant until mid-adolescence, but small in magnitude (peak β = 0.06). Its association with depressive symptoms emerged in late childhood and peaked at ages 10–12 (β = 0.34). Depressive symptoms predicted Internet gaming disorder from ages 9–14 (β = 0.05–0.08). The indirect effect was significant from ages 10–13 with a modest effect size. Low SES amplified the deviant peer affiliation–depressive symptoms link (interaction β = −0.17 at age 12) and strengthened the mediated pathway within a limited early-adolescent window, whereas high SES attenuated these effects. Overall, findings identify time-varying mechanisms linking deviant peer affiliation, depressive symptoms, and Internet gaming disorder, highlighting early adolescence as a sensitive stage for prevention.
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