Gender differences in symptom structure of adolescent problematic internet use: A network analysis

BACKGROUND: Gender differences in problematic Internet use (PIU) have long been discussed. However, whether and how female and male adolescents differ in central symptoms and symptom associations are not fully understood. METHODS: As a national survey in the Chinese mainland, 4884 adolescents (51.6% females; M(age) = 13.83 ± 2.41) participated in the present study. This study applies network analysis to identify central symptoms of PIU networks in female and male adolescents and compares whether and how global and local connectivity of PIU networks differ by gender. RESULTS: Female and male network structures of PIU were different and global strength was stronger in males than females, indicating a higher risk of chronicity of PIU among male adolescents. Specifically, “Reluctant to turn off Internet” exerted the largest effect on both genders. “Increase time online to achieve satisfaction” and “Feel depressed once not online for a while” were particularly critical to female and male adolescents, respectively. Moreover, females scored higher centralities in social withdrawal symptoms and males did so in interpersonal conflicts owing to PIU. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide novel insights into gender differential risks and features of adolescent PIU. Differences in the core symptoms of PIU suggest that gender-specific interventions focusing on core symptoms might effectively relieve PIU and maximize treatment effects. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13034-023-00590-2.