Why are children attracted to the Internet? The role of need satisfaction perceived online and perceived in daily real life
From the perspective of self-determination theory, this study investigated the motivations for childrens Internet use by examining how basic psychological need satisfaction, perceived online and perceived in daily real life, affects childrens Internet use outcomes. A total of 637 elementary school students from China took participated in this study. The results from structural equation modeling showed that need satisfaction perceived online predicted higher levels of Internet use and more positive affect experienced online, whereas need satisfaction perceived in daily real life predicted less time spent online, less negative affect, and more positive affect. Both inherent properties of the experiences provided by the Internet and childrens social backgrounds contribute to Internet use outcomes. This study supports self-determination theory in explaining childrens Internet use motivations. Implications for efforts to encourage appropriate Internet use and directions for future research are discussed.
self-determination theory motivation internet use