Mattering in the Digital Era: Exploring Its Role in Internet Use Patterns and Mental Health Outcomes

Submission Deadline: 28 February 2025 View: 317 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Prof. I-Hua Chen

Email: aholechen@gmail.com

Affiliation: Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Qufu Normal University, CHINA

Homepage: https://bigdata.qfnu.edu.cn/info/1070/1196.htm

Research Interest: Mental health; Psychometrics; Teachers’ Wellbeing

Dr. Jeffrey Hugh Gamble

Email: mrjgamble@gmail.com

Affiliation: Department of Foreign Languages, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan

Homepage:

Research Interest: Cross-cultural and interdisciplinary learning; Mental health; Teacher psychology

Summary

In our increasingly connected world, the internet has become an integral part of daily life, fundamentally altering how we interact, work, and perceive ourselves. At the heart of these changes lies the concept of mattering - the profound sense of being significant to others and feeling valued in one's social worlds. This special collection aims to explore mattering as a critical component of individual well-being, examining its complex interplay with internet use patterns and mental health outcomes in the contemporary digital landscape.

Mattering has emerged as a crucial construct in understanding psychological well-being, serving as both a potential protective factor against mental health issues and a key indicator of social connectedness. However, in the digital age, the dynamics of mattering are being reshaped by online interactions and virtual communities. This collection seeks to investigate how mattering manifests in digital contexts, its relationship with various forms of internet use (including problematic internet use), and its role in mediating or moderating mental health outcomes.

We are particularly interested in studies that:

1. Examine mattering as a core psychological need and its manifestations in online and offline environments

2. Investigate the bidirectional relationship between mattering and internet use patterns, including problematic internet use (PIU)

3. Explore potential mechanisms through which mattering influences or is influenced by digital behaviors and mental health outcomes

4. Analyze how mattering might serve as a mediator or moderator in the relationship between internet use and psychological well-being

5. Assess interventions that leverage the concept of mattering to promote healthier internet use and improve mental health

By focusing on mattering as a central construct, this special collection aims to shed light on its critical role in the digital era and its potential as a key factor in understanding and promoting mental health in our increasingly online world.

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Published Papers