Internet Use and Academic Achievement Among Chinese Adolescents: Examining the Mediating Role of Future Orientation in a Rural-Urban Dual System

PURPOSE: Given its growing popularity and the richness of its content, the influence of the Internet on the academic achievement of adolescents has attracted increasing attention. However, how Internet use affects adolescents’ academic achievement has not yet been fully discussed in the Chinese context. This study sought to examine the relation between Internet use and adolescents’ academic achievement, as well as the mediating effect of future orientation and the urban-rural differences in this mediating effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Junior high-school students from three schools in Nanjing, China, were recruited to participate in a correlational survey. A total of 1381 participants aged 12–16 years completed the Internet use questionnaire, the future orientation scale, and reported their scores on the most recent grade unified examination. RESULTS: The analysis results revealed that, after controlling for the variables of grade and gender, (1) the Internet use significantly and positively predicted academic achievement; (2) The future orientation significantly mediated the relation between Internet use and academic achievement; (3) and the effect of Internet use on future orientation was moderated by urban and rural areas. The effect of Internet use in promoting future orientation was only significant among rural adolescents. CONCLUSION: The results contribute to a better understanding of how Internet use affects adolescents’ academic achievement, revealing that Internet use is of particular significance in the development of rural adolescents.