Social anxiety and adolescent students’ internet fiction reading: Self-esteem mediation and school grade moderation

We investigated the relationship between social anxiety on adolescent students’ internet fiction reading and mediation by self-esteem. A total of 774 adolescent students (female = 48.9%; mean age 13.39 ± 1.46) completed surveys on internet fiction addiction, social anxiety and self-esteem. Mediation analysis results indicated a significant school grade placement effect in internet fiction reading to be lower . The self-esteem of adolescent students plays a mediating role between social anxiety and internet fiction reading for higher internet fiction reading with higher self-esteem. This mediating effect accounts for about two-thirds of the total effect. This study suggests personal factors like self-esteem are important to how adolescent student’s navigate internet fiction reading. Student counselling and development services should pay attention to adolescent students’ social anxiety and improve their self-esteem, to reduce the tendency of adolescent students’ internet fiction addiction.