Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China
The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strains on daily life, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as rural-to-urban young migrant workers. Based on General Strain Theory (GST), these pandemic-related strains lead to delinquent copings, including excessive Internet use. However, the assoc...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/73 |
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| author | Xinge Jia Hua Zhong Qian Wang Qiaobing Wu |
| author_facet | Xinge Jia Hua Zhong Qian Wang Qiaobing Wu |
| author_sort | Xinge Jia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strains on daily life, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as rural-to-urban young migrant workers. Based on General Strain Theory (GST), these pandemic-related strains lead to delinquent copings, including excessive Internet use. However, the association between pandemic-related challenges faced by migrant youth and their digital copings has yet to be investigated. GST also posits that some conditioning factors, such as conventional beliefs, internal resilience and life satisfaction, might serve as protective factors, which can help to alleviate the disruptive consequences of the pandemic-related strains. Utilizing the fourth sweep of International Self-Report Delinquency Survey (ISRD4) in China comprising 769 working migrant adolescents aged 16 to 19, who did not attend high school, the present study examines variations in pandemic-related strains, frequent use of the Internet for gaming and social media, and their associations. In addition, this study investigates the moderating effect of three protective factors: conventional beliefs, internal resilience and life satisfaction. Results indicated that economic strain, information strain and health-related strain significantly influenced digital coping strategies, with notable gender differences. Conventional beliefs served as a significant moderator for males, while life satisfaction played a more significant moderating role for females. Relevant policy implications are then discussed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-338139a88f1f4d849d4a0a196c777b3a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-338139a88f1f4d849d4a0a196c777b3a2025-01-24T13:22:48ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-01-011517310.3390/bs15010073Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in ChinaXinge Jia0Hua Zhong1Qian Wang2Qiaobing Wu3Department of Sociology, 4/F Sino Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaDepartment of Sociology, 4/F Sino Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, ChinaThe COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strains on daily life, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as rural-to-urban young migrant workers. Based on General Strain Theory (GST), these pandemic-related strains lead to delinquent copings, including excessive Internet use. However, the association between pandemic-related challenges faced by migrant youth and their digital copings has yet to be investigated. GST also posits that some conditioning factors, such as conventional beliefs, internal resilience and life satisfaction, might serve as protective factors, which can help to alleviate the disruptive consequences of the pandemic-related strains. Utilizing the fourth sweep of International Self-Report Delinquency Survey (ISRD4) in China comprising 769 working migrant adolescents aged 16 to 19, who did not attend high school, the present study examines variations in pandemic-related strains, frequent use of the Internet for gaming and social media, and their associations. In addition, this study investigates the moderating effect of three protective factors: conventional beliefs, internal resilience and life satisfaction. Results indicated that economic strain, information strain and health-related strain significantly influenced digital coping strategies, with notable gender differences. Conventional beliefs served as a significant moderator for males, while life satisfaction played a more significant moderating role for females. Relevant policy implications are then discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/73migrant workerChinese adolescentsgeneral strain theoryinternet use |
| spellingShingle | Xinge Jia Hua Zhong Qian Wang Qiaobing Wu Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China Behavioral Sciences migrant worker Chinese adolescents general strain theory internet use |
| title | Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China |
| title_full | Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China |
| title_fullStr | Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China |
| title_short | Gender Disparities in Pandemic-Related Strains, Digital Coping Strategies, and Protective Mechanisms Among Rural-to-Urban Migrant Working Adolescents in China |
| title_sort | gender disparities in pandemic related strains digital coping strategies and protective mechanisms among rural to urban migrant working adolescents in china |
| topic | migrant worker Chinese adolescents general strain theory internet use |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/1/73 |
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