How Social Media Addiction Impacts Rural Children’s Well-Being: A Keynote by Dr. Mingming Zhou

The rise of social media has transformed how children interact, learn, and express themselves — but it has also brought serious mental health challenges, especially for children growing up in rural areas. At the International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Psychiatry (ICAMP 2026), Dr. Mingming Zhou from the University of Macau, China, will shed light on how social media addiction affects well-being in rural children through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT).

Title: Social media addiction and well-being in rural children: From a self-determination theory perspective

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🧩 Exploring the Psychology Behind Digital Addiction

With nearly 293 million rural internet users in China (as of 2022), children’s growing exposure to social media has become a major concern. Many rural children experience parental migration, limited emotional support, and imbalanced caregiving, leading to emotional distress and loneliness.
Dr. Zhou’s keynote explores how these factors contribute to short-form video addiction among primary school children and how such behaviors impact school engagement and social isolation.

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🔍 Key Insights from the Presentation

·         📱 Digital Overuse Patterns: Children’s social media use progresses from recreational activity to compulsive behavior, mirroring addiction symptoms.

·         🧠 Psychological Impact: Overuse results in impaired self-awareness, emotional imbalance, and withdrawal from real-life social interactions.

·         👨‍👩‍👧 Rural Challenges: Due to parental absence and reduced social interaction, rural children’s psychological needs remain unfulfilled.

·         💡 Self-Determination Theory (SDT): The research highlights how the lack of autonomy, competence, and relatedness affects motivation and emotional well-being.

·         🔬 Research Findings: Strong gender differences were noted in emotional adjustment and levels of depression, loneliness, and self-esteem.

·         🌏 Broader Relevance: The discussion situates these findings globally, emphasizing the importance of mental health education and digital awareness programs in rural areas.

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👩‍🏫 About Dr. Mingming Zhou

Dr. Zhou is a Professor at the University of Macau’s Faculty of Education and one of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists (Stanford University, 2023 & 2024).
Her work spans positive psychology, emotion regulation, motivation, and digital behavior studies. She has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers and leads several international research collaborations focusing on psychological well-being and educational innovation.

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🌍 Event Details

Event Name: International Conference on Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Psychiatry

🗓️ Dates: March 23–25, 2026
📍 Venue: Singapore & Online (Hybrid Event)
🔗 Event Website: https://addiction.miconferences.com/
📩 Email: addiction@mathewsconference.com
📞 Phone: +1 (312) 462-4448
💬 WhatsApp: +1 (424) 377 0967

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🔖 Register & Participate

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with global experts in addiction medicine, psychology, and mental health research.
👉 Register Here

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