The benefits and dangers of flow experience in high school students’ internet usage: The role of parental support

•Flow experience has dual effects on high school students’ Internet use.•Flow experience positively affects high school students’ Interne addiction and exploratory behavior.•Parental support lessens high school students’ Internet addiction and enhances their exploratory behavior.•Parental support has moderating effect on the link between flow experience and Internet addiction.

Flow has been identified as a desirable phenomenon because it can lead to a favorable attitude toward specific information technologies. In the present study, we argue that it can also result in potential adverse consequences such as Internet addiction. Based on the flow theory, the present study examines the dual effects of flow experience on high school students’ Internet addiction and exploratory behavior. The present study also examines the effects of parental interventions on the dual causal processes. A research model was developed and empirically tested on data collected from 1203 high school students in central China. The structural equation modeling analysis demonstrates that flow experience has positive impacts on both high school students’ Internet addiction and exploratory behavior. In addition, parental support significantly lessens high school students’ Internet addiction and enhances their exploratory behavior. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.