Addictive Internet Use in Cross-Cultural Contexts: A Comparative Study of Ghana and China

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Abstract

Addictive internet use (AIU), marked by compulsive online behavior that disrupts daily functioning, is a growing global concern among adolescents. Yet, predictors of AIU across diverse cultural and socio-economic contexts remain poorly understood. This study addresses this gap by examining AIU through the lenses of Agnew’s General Strain Theory (GST) and Hirschi’s Social Bonding Theory (SBT) in two contrasting nations: Ghana, experiencing rapid but uneven digital expansion, and China, a technologically advanced society with stringent internet governance. Using quantitative data from the fourth wave of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD4), this study examines adolescents in Ghana and China, with samples of 2,103 and 2,240 participants, respectively. We investigate (1) how socio-cultural strains (e.g., economic deprivation, academic pressure) and eroded social bonds (e.g., family detachment, school alienation) differentially predict AIU in these contexts and (2) whether GST and SBT provide universal or context-specific explanations for AIU. By systematically contrasting Ghana and China, this study advances culturally informed models of digital addiction, offering evidence to help policymakers tailor screen-time guidelines, mental health resources, and school interventions to local realities.

Authors

• Zariatu Ibrahim, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Hua Sara Zhong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Kofi E Boakye, University of Leicester