The Suppressing Effect of Self-Presentation on Social Networks on the Relationship Between Interpersonal Distress and Emotional Experience Among Late Adolescents in a Chinese University: The Moderating Role of Internet Addiction Tendency

This study investigates how self-presentation on social networks suppresses the relationship between interpersonal distress and emotional experience among college students. It also examines the moderating role of internet addiction tendency. A total of 153 college students were surveyed over 8 days. The results showed the following: (1) interpersonal distress is negatively correlated with positive emotions; (2) at both the inter-individual and intra-individual levels, self-presentation on social networks suppresses the negative relationship between interpersonal distress and positive emotions; (3) internet addiction tendency only moderates the relationship between interpersonal distress and self-presentation on social networks at the inter-individual level. These findings suggest that colleges and universities can guide students to use resources on social networks as a means of coping with interpersonal distress.