Internet Exposure and Adolescent Depression: Unraveling the Roles of Appearance and Body Anxiety across Gender and Weight Groups.

Depression is a growing mental health concern among adolescents, with internet exposure identified as a significant risk factor. However, there is limited research on how demographic factors, such as gender and weight status, moderate the relationship between internet exposure and depression. This s...

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Publicado en:Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 1039 - 1053
Autores principales: Liang, Zurong, Cao, Xiang, Ren, Wanting
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Jun2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
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        10.1007/s10560-025-01075-1
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        atl: Internet Exposure and Adolescent Depression: Unraveling the Roles of Appearance and Body Anxiety across Gender and Weight Groups.
      aug:
        au:
          Liang, Zurong
          Cao, Xiang
          Ren, Wanting
        affil:
          https://ror.org/00a2xv884 Department of Sociology, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
          https://ror.org/00a2xv884 College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
          https://ror.org/00jmfr291 Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, 48109, Ann Arbor, United States of America
      su:
        China
        Mental depression risk factors
        Cross-sectional method
        Sex distribution
        Body weight
        High school students
        Internet
        Body image
        Anxiety
        Personal beauty
        Analysis of variance
        Adolescence
        Risk assessment
        Scale analysis (Psychology)
        Research funding
        Cronbach's alpha
        Questionnaires
        Kruskal-Wallis Test
        Screen time
        Chi-squared test
        Descriptive statistics
        Factor analysis
        Confidence intervals
        Data analysis software
      sug:
        subj:
          Mental depression risk factors
          Cross-sectional method
          Sex distribution
          Body weight
          High school students
          Internet
          Body image
          Anxiety
          Personal beauty
          Analysis of variance
          Adolescence
          China
          Wired Telecommunications Carriers
          Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals
          Risk assessment
          Scale analysis (Psychology)
          Research funding
          Cronbach's alpha
          Questionnaires
          Kruskal-Wallis Test
          Screen time
          Chi-squared test
          Descriptive statistics
          Factor analysis
          Confidence intervals
          Data analysis software
      keyword:
        Adolescent depression
        Appearance anxiety
        Body anxiety
        Gender differences
        Internet exposure
        Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology
        Weight status
        Adolescent depression
        Appearance anxiety
        Body anxiety
        Gender differences
        Internet exposure
        Medical and Health Sciences Public Health and Health Services Psychology and Cognitive Sciences Psychology
        Weight status
      ab: Depression is a growing mental health concern among adolescents, with internet exposure identified as a significant risk factor. However, there is limited research on how demographic factors, such as gender and weight status, moderate the relationship between internet exposure and depression. This study investigates the impact of internet exposure on adolescent depression, focusing on the mediating roles of appearance and body anxiety. It also explores how these effects vary across different gender and weight groups. Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 12,695 secondary school students (ages 10–24) in a city in Zhejiang province, China. The analysis revealed a direct positive association between internet exposure and depression, with appearance and body anxiety partially mediating this relationship. Findings showed that the direct and indirect effects of internet exposure on depression varied significantly across four subgroups based on gender and weight status. Overweight girls, in particular, were more vulnerable to negative online influences. These findings highlight the importance of considering demographic heterogeneity when examining the psychological consequences of internet exposure. The study underscores the need for interventions that address the mental health risks associated with digital media exposure, focusing on promoting body positivity, media literacy, and emotional resilience among adolescents.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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