Online Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Associations with Psychological Factors: An International Exploratory Study
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Author
Burkauskas, Julius
Fineberg, Naomi
Ioannidis, Konstantinos
Chamberlain, Samuel
Bowden-Jones, Henrietta
Griskova-Bulanova, Inga
Pranckeviciene, Aiste
Dores, Artemisa
Carvalho, Irene
Barbosa, Fernando
Simonato, Pierluigi
De Luca, Ilaria
Mooney, Rosin
Gómez-Martínez, Maria
Demetrovics, Zsolt
Ábel, Krisztina
Szabo, Attila
Fujiwara, Hironobu
Shibata, Mami
Melero-Ventola, Alejandra
Arroyo-Anlló, Eva
Santos-Labrador, Ricardo
Kobayashi, Kei
Di Carlo, Francesco
Monteiro, Cristina
Martinotti, Giovanni
Corazza, Ornella
Attention
2299/25650
Abstract
This cross-sectional study aimed to explore specific online behaviours and their association with a range of underlying psychological and other behavioural factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight countries (Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Portugal, Japan, Hungary, and Brazil) participated in an international investigation involving 2223 participants (M = 33 years old; SD = 11), 70% of whom were females. Participants were surveyed for specific type of Internet use severity, appearance anxiety, self-compassion, and image and use of performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs). Results were compared cross-culturally. The mean time spent online was 5 h (SD = ±3) of daily browsing during the pandemic. The most commonly performed activities included social networking, streaming, and general surfing. A strong association between these online behaviours and appearance anxiety, self-compassion, and IPEDs use was found after adjustment for possible confounders, with higher scores being associated with specific online activities. Significant cross-cultural differences also emerged in terms of the amount of time spent online during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.