The Effect of Internet Usage, Fandom Activities and Sense of Community on Adolescents' Mental Health in the Digital Era

Abstract

The purposes of the study are to examine the relationship amongst adolescents' internet usage, fandom activities, sense of community and their mental health in the digital era and to probe into the effect of internet usage, fandom activities, sense of community on adolescents' mental health. The results are as follows: First, there were statistically significant correlations among those four factors. Secondly, it shows that the effect of internet usage, fandom activities and sense of community on the adolescents' mental health have a difference by gender. In the case of female adolescents, there is no effect of internet usage on their mental health. But, the study reveals that adolescents' internet usage and fandom activities which now are accepted as a part of their culture, could be combined with the sense of community and could have an effect on the adolescents' mental health. Furthermore, the study casts a light on the possibility to build a strong point on adolescents' activities, education, counseling and policy making for the purpose to enhance adolescents' mental health in the future.