School pressure and academic performance versus internet addiction in early and middle adolescents: the mediating role of family relationship

Recent studies have found a connection between schooling factors and Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. However, family relationships may be a critical variable for understanding the link between school factors and IA. This study aims to investigate the association between schooling factors of academic performance and school pressure and IA in adolescents while examining the potential mediating role of family relationships in this association. A total of 482 students were recruited through a survey. The survey collected demographic data, the Brief Family Relationship Scale (BFRS), the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ), and questions that assessed academic performance and school pressure in adolescents. The results revealed that family relationship fully mediated the relationship between school pressure and IA in both early and middle adolescents. In contrast, family relationship fully mediated the relationship between academic performance and IA in early adolescents, only. Our results imply that supportive family relationships help adolescents, especially in the early adolescence stage, manage academic pressure without resorting to maladaptive relationship with the Internet.