Research Date.sav

With the increasing popularity of Internet devices, the rate of Internet addiction, particularly among adolescents, is rising dramatically. IA causes adolescents to short-sightedness, resulting in a dramatic increase in delayed discounting. However, the effects and potential mechanisms of IA on adolescent delay discounting remain largely unknown. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the relationship between IA and delay discounting in Chinese adolescents. The sample comprised 2245 adolescents (49.70% male; <em>M(SD)age</em> = 14.86(2.18) years) completed questionnaires anonymously regarding IA, delayed discounting, time perception, and future self-continuity (FSC). The results indicated that: (a) IA showed a positive association with adolescent delay discounting. (b) time perception mediated the association between IA and delay discounting, and the mediating effect was smaller for older adolescents compared to younger adolescents. (c) FSC only moderates the relationship between IA and delay discounting in older adolescents. Specifically, the relationship between IA and delay discounting was weaker in older adolescents with higher levels of FSC. These findings show that IA distorts adolescents' perceptions of future time, which affects delay discounting. We need to use more targeted intervention strategies to prevent and mitigate the effects of IA on delay discounting in adolescents of various ages.