Problematic internet users develop enhanced perceptual processing to offset neural deficits in conflict monitoring.

Background/aimIt is known that various temperament and character dimensions, and parenting styles could be associated with problematic internet and smartphone use. This study aimed to examine the association between temperament, character, and parenting styles and problematic smartphone and internet use in nonclinical female teenagers.Materials and methods244 nonclinical female adolescent were included the study. Young’s Internet Addiction Test Short Form, Smartphone Addiction Scale, Junior Temperament and Character Inventory and Parenting Style Scale were used for collecting data.ResultsProblematic smartphone use was significantly negatively correlated with cooperativeness character type, strictness/supervision, and acceptance/involvement subscales of the parenting style scale. A significant correlation was found between problematic internet use and acceptance/involvement, strictness/supervision subscales of Parenting Style Scale. In ANOVA analysis, it was found that the authoritative parenting style was associated with less problematic use, and the neglectful, authoritarian, and indulgent parenting styles were associated with increased problematic use. A negative correlation was found between the cooperativeness character style and problematic smartphone use.ConclusionAccording to our results, parenting style is more important for problematic internet and smartphone use among female adolescents than temperament and character.

Problematic Internet use is recognized as a significant public health concern among adolescents. Previous research has shown that adolescents with problematic Internet use tend to experience higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-problematic Internet users. Nevertheless, when it comes to differences in specific symptoms, the evidence is less clear-cut. This study conducted Gaussian graphical model and Bayesian network analysis to compare the network structures of anxiety symptoms and depression symptoms among adolescents with problematic and non-problematic Internet use. A total of 1,139 Chinese adolescents (540 problematic Internet users, M age = 15.96; 599 non-problematic Internet users, M age = 16.03) were included in the study. The results showed that compared to adolescents with non-problematic Internet use, most anxiety symptoms (e.g., inability to stop or control worries) emerged as upstream nodes with significant downstream effects on a series of emotional symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents with problematic Internet use. “Fear of something terrible happening,” “irritability,” “feeling fearful” and “feeling effortful” were symptomatic targets for intervening problematic Internet use and improving mental health. These findings offer novel data-driven insights on the core symptoms and directional relationships of anxiety-depression comorbidity network among Chinese adolescents with different Internet use states.

BackgroundIn recent years, the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use has been widely studied by scholars, but the research conclusions on the relationship between them are not consistent. Some studies report that childhood trauma and problematic Internet use are significantly correlated. However, others believe that there is a weak correlation between them. So the relationship between them needs to be studied further. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use, and the effects of some moderating variables on both for students in Mainland China.MethodsThis study followed the requirements of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement for literature screening. We searched the related studies on childhood trauma and problematic Internet use in Mainland China from January 2009 to November 2022 from CNKI, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Information Co., Ltd. (VIP), Baidu scholar, ProQuest dissertations, SAGE Online Journals, Elsevier SDOL, Taylor & Francis, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Medline, Scopus Database, PubMed Central, Embase, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CMA 3.0 was used to analyse the overall effect and test the moderating effect.ResultsAmong the papers included in the meta-analysis in this study, 31 papers reflected the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use, involving 52,503 subjects, and the sample size ranged from 388 to 16,130. This relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use can be considered as a moderate correlation (r = 0.281, 95%CI[0.221, 0.338], p < 0.001). The results showed that the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was affected by different problematic Internet use measures. Meanwhile, meta-regression demonstrated that the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was moderated by survey’s year. Specifically, the correlation coefficient between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use also increases with increasing year. However, the relationship between childhood trauma and problematic Internet use was not affected by the region, grade, childhood trauma measures, publication source.ConclusionChildhood trauma is closely related to problematic Internet use. In order to reduce problematic Internet use, corresponding prevention and intervention measures should be taken.

This study used a sample of Korean adolescents to evaluate: (a) associations between problematic internet use and depression, bipolar disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation; and (b) whether mood disorders mediate the relationship between problematic internet use and suicidal ideation. A total of 795 middle and high school students were recruited (538 girls; mean age, 13.87 ± 1.51 years). The Internet Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth-Short Form (KS-scale) was used to evaluate the presence and severity of problematic internet use. The frequencies of depression, suicidal ideation and probable bipolar disorder were compared between adolescents with and without internet addiction. The associations between the severity of problematic internet use and the severity of depressive symptoms, bipolar symptoms and suicidal ideation were also analyzed. Seventy-five adolescents (9.4%) met the criteria for problematic internet use. The presence of problematic internet use was significantly associated with suicidal ideation (OR = 5.82, 95% CI = 3.30-10.26, p < 0.001) as well as depression (OR = 5.00, 95% CI = 2.88-8.66, p < 0.001). There was a marginally significant association between problematic internet use and probable bipolar disorder (OR = 3.05, 95% CI = 0.96-9.69, p = 0.059). In the path model, problematic internet use significantly predicted depressive symptoms (β = 0.296, 95% CI = 0.214-0.367, p = 0.005), which predicted suicidal ideation (β = 0.699, 95% CI = 0.631-0.751, p = 0.009). Problematic internet use also predicted suicidal ideation directly (β = 0.115, 95% CI = 0.052-0.193, p = 0.006). Conversely, depressive symptoms (β = 0.119, 95% CI = -0.005-0.219, p = 0.040) and suicidal ideation (β = 0.215, 95% CI = 0.089-0.346, p = 0.005) predicted problematic internet use. There is a complex transactional relationship between problematic internet use, depressive symptoms, bipolar symptoms and suicidal ideation, so these conditions must be assessed together during the evaluation of adolescents. Prospective studies are warranted to elucidate the causal relationships between problematic internet use, mood symptoms and suicidal ideation.

While studies indicate that high self-control may serve as a safeguard against problematic internet use, there's evidence suggesting that problematic internet use can, in turn, diminish self-control. This study aimed to elucidate the longitudinal interplay between internet self-control and problematic internet use in adolescents, employing cross-lagged panel modeling. Furthermore, drawing from a positive psychology perspective, we examined the potential role of 'meaning in life' as a protective mediator within this longitudinal relationship. We then constructed a mediation model to explore protective factors against problematic internet use. Through a questionnaire, we tracked 659 adolescents (331 males and 328 females; mean age=13.61) in a longitudinal design across two time points, spaced at five-month intervals, to assess their internet self-control, problematic internet use, and meaning in life. Results of the cross-lagged panel models showed that: Internet self-control had a significant negative impact on problematic internet use after five months (β = -0.094, p < 0.01). Conversely, problematic internet use had a significant negative impact on internet self-control after five months (β = -0.099, p < 0.05). Results from the longitudinal mediation model showed that: Meaning in life mediated the effect of internet self-control on problematic internet use after five months (βinternet self-control(T1)-meaning in life(T2) = 0.142, p < 0.01; βmeaning in life(T1)-problematic internet use (T2) = -0.075, p < 0.05). Our study uncovers a reciprocal predictive relationship between internet self-control and problematic internet use, while highlighting the mediating role of meaning in life within this relationship. These findings suggest that fostering internet self-control and cultivating a sense of meaning in life among adolescents can serve as effective prevention and intervention strategies for addressing the issue of problematic internet use.

INTERNET ADDICTION OR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN DISGUISE? RESULTS FROM A SURVEY OF COLLEGE-AGED INTERNET USERS

The present mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of a school-based mindfulness based intervention (MBI) on internet and smartphone use in adolescents. Using follow-up focus group interviews, the study explored the underlying mechanisms of how students perceived MBI influenced their usage. The study also tested on an integrative framework for mindfulness-based mechanisms to reduce problematic smartphone and internet use. Sixty two participants were 10th grade students in Türkiye. Outcomes were collected using psychometric scales, pre-post, from participants in an eight-session MBI ( n = 31) and compared to controls ( n = 31). Qualitative data were also collected from participants in the MBI group. The quantitative findings revealed that there was a reduction in internet addiction, problematic internet use, and smartphone addiction reported from participants pre-post in the MBI group, relative to controls. The qualitative findings revealed four primary themes: awareness, self-control, emotion regulation, and nomophobia. Overall, the results demonstrated that MBI was associated with reduction in smartphone and internet use. A revised theoretical framework to explain how MBIs lessen problematic internet and smartphone use was proposed.

Few innovations in history have left such an indelible mark on people’s daily lives as the Internet has, representing a boundless and endlessly exciting frontier of human ingenuity and connectivity. However, its ever-increasing importance and variety of activities has led to its uncontrolled use, known as problematic Internet use. The relationship between problematic Internet use and psychosocial well-being, including loneliness and life satisfaction, has greatly attracted much research interest over the years, with consistently mixed findings. Therefore, the current study examined the effect of loneliness and life satisfaction on problematic Internet use. A factorial (2x2) independent measures ANOVA was used with a total of 200 participants, of which 125 were females and 75 were males aged 18 to 49 years (M=25.7; SD=7.27). The UCLA Loneliness Scale, Satisfaction With Life Scale and Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire were administered. The results revealed that there was a significant main effect of loneliness on problematic Internet use (F(1,196)=18.05, p&lt;0.001). Similarly, life satisfaction significantly affected problematic Internet use (F(1,196)=13.1, p&lt;0.001). However, the interaction effect of loneliness and life satisfaction on problematic Internet use, produced non-significant results (F(1,96)=3.46, p=0.064). The limitations of the study were also discussed. Further research is needed to explore the longitudinal patterns of problematic Internet use, including additional influencing factors, in order to facilitate targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Keywords: Problematic Internet use (PIU), Loneliness, Life Satisfaction, Online Communication, Social Isolation

ObjectiveNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) constitutes an important public health concern. Here, we systematically reviewed and synthesized existing literature to provide an up-to-date overview of associations between NSSI, problem gambling, problem gaming, and problematic internet use (PIU).MethodsWe searched four databases through April 2025: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO. The Joanna Briggs Institute's tool was used to assess the quality of studies. Empirical studies utilizing quantitative or qualitative methods or case studies that presented evidence on the relationships between NSSI and frequent or problematic gambling, internet use, and gaming were included.ResultsForty studies published between 2009 and 2025 were reviewed. Four investigated the relationship between NSSI and problem gambling, seven focused on problem gaming, and twenty-nine examined PIU. Cross-sectional designs and surveys were common. Findings suggest that at-risk or problem gambling was associated with NSSI in adolescents, college students, and adults. An association between PIU and NSSI appeared moderated by social support, with impulsivity representing a shared factor. Similarly, internet gaming disorder and its severity were linked to NSSI, with anxiety acting both as a mediator and moderator. Limitations entailed self-reported measures, limited generalizability, poor ability to establish causal relationships due to cross-sectional designs, and frequent use of single unvalidated questions to assess NSSI.ConclusionThe review provides a comprehensive overview and suggests complex relationships between NSSI and problem gambling, problem gaming, and PIU. Clinicians and future studies should focus on co-occurring disorders and identify risk factors, predictors, and moderators that influence these relationships.

With the widespread use of digital technologies today, the Internet has become an indispensable part of life but has also led to negative outcomes such as problematic internet use in some individuals. Problematic internet use is seen as a critical risk factor that negatively impacts individuals’ academic, social, and psychological functioning. Research has presented a lot of evidence in recent years that psychological resources, such as mindfulness, cognitive flexibility, and psychological well-being, play a noteworthy role in protecting individuals against such risky behaviors. This study aimed to examine the chain (serial) mediation roles of cognitive flexibility and psychological well-being in the effect of individuals’ mindfulness on problematic internet use. The majority of the participants in this study, using a cross-sectional, correlational design, were female (73.1%), their socio-economic level was moderate (70.4%), and their mothers (69.6%) and fathers (52.3%) had secondary school education. It was found that the majority of the participants used the Internet for 2–4 h a day (44.2%). Participant age ranged between 18 and 26 (Mean = 19.16, SD = 1.52). Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Mindfulness Scale, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Problematic Internet Usage Scale. When the research findings were examined, it was found that mindfulness had a positive significant relationship with cognitive flexibility and psychological well-being. Negative significant relationships were observed between problematic internet use and mindfulness, cognitive flexibility, and psychological well-being. When the mediation analyses of the study were examined, it was determined that both cognitive flexibility and psychological well-being had mediation roles in the relationship between mindfulness and problematic internet use. In addition, it was revealed that cognitive flexibility and psychological well-being had a chain (serial) mediation role in the relationship between mindfulness and problematic internet use. It was determined that as the mindfulness levels of individuals increased, their cognitive flexibility and psychological well-being levels increased, too. On the other hand, it was observed that having high levels of mindfulness, cognitive flexibility, and psychological well-being decreased problematic internet use levels. In addition to these results, it was found that the relationship between mindfulness and problematic internet use was mediated by cognitive flexibility and psychological well-being. The findings obtained from the research were discussed in light of the literature, and various suggestions were made.

BackgroundGiven the advent of the internet and its growing resources as well as the availability of smart mobile phones among the younger generation, Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has become a globally identified contemporary issue of public health concern. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, self-reported effects, and associated factors of problematic internet use among in-school adolescents in Calabar Municipality, Nigeria.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study design and a multistage sampling technique were used to select 422 respondents systematically. The 18-item Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale (PRIUSS) was adopted as instrument. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics and inferential analysis (chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression models) were applied to measure associations and effects.”ResultsThe findings in this study revealed a 62.6% prevalence of PIU. Chi-square tests showed significant associations between PIU and female gender, caregiver’s low education, living with siblings, parental unawareness, loneliness, idleness, isolation, low self-esteem, poor physical relationships (p ≤ 0.027). Multivariate analysis found lower odds of PIU among adolescents aged 15–19 (aOR = 0.236, p < 0.001), females (aOR = 0.557, p = 0.009), and those with primary-educated caregivers (aOR = 0.273, p = 0.008).ConclusionA multi-disciplinary approach is essential to regulate adolescent internet use in Nigeria, requiring coordinated efforts across individual, community, institutional, and policy levels, alongside promoting digital literacy and responsible online behaviour.

This study examined the role of social anxiety in the association between maladaptive cognition and problematic internet use among Nigerian adolescent students. Participants were 509 adolescents from schools in South-East Nigeria (n = 509; male = 46.56%, female = 53.44%; mean age = 15.86 years; SD = 2.57 years). The participants completed measures of social anxiety (Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents), problematic internet use (Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire), and maladaptive cognition (Maladaptive Interpersonal Belief Scale). Regression analyses showed a positive association between students’ maladaptive cognition and problematic internet use, as well as between social anxiety and problematic internet use. Additionally, social anxiety mediated the relationship between maladaptive cognition and problematic internet use, increasing the risk of problematic internet use. These findings indicate a need for interventions to reduce the risk of problematic internet use through counselling students for healthy cognition and normative social anxiety.

Empirical studies have identified increasing rates of problematic Internet use worldwide and a host of related negative consequences. However, researchers disagree as to whether problematic Internet use is a subtype of behavioral addiction. Thus, there are not yet widely accepted and validated diagnostic criteria for problematic Internet use. To address this gap, we used mixed-methods to examine the extent to which signs and symptoms of problematic Internet use mirror DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. A total of 27 university students, who self-identified as intensive Internet users and who reported Internet-use-associated health and/or psychosocial problems were recruited. Students completed two measures that assess problematic Internet use (Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring their experiences with problematic Internet use. Results of standardized measures and focus group discussions indicated substantial overlap between students’ experiences of problematic Internet use and the signs and symptoms reflected in the DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder, gambling disorder, and Internet gaming disorder. These signs and symptoms included: a) use Internet longer than intended, b) preoccupation with the Internet, c) withdrawal symptoms when unable to access the Internet, d) unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce Internet use, e) craving, f) loss of interest in hobbies or activities other than the Internet, g) excessive Internet use despite the knowledge of related problems, g) use of the Internet to escape or relieve a negative mood, and h) lying about Internet use. Tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and recurrent Internet use in hazardous situations were uniquely manifested in the context of problematic Internet use. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Background: In recent years, problematic internet use has become a significant public health problem. Methods and Objectives: The method consists in a search of contemporary literature regarding the most important aspects of problematic Internet use. The main objective of this paper is to provide a basic overview of current scientific findings in conceptualization, measurement and research on problematic Internet use. Results: There is wide agreement that the Internet can serve as a tool that enhances well-being. It is more difficult, however, to find consensus around the issue of problematic Internet use. That may be in part because scientific investigation has lagged far behind technological advances and media attention. The diagnostic schemas that have been proposed since 1996, and the screening tools that have been developed, stress similarities with substance use, impulse control disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Problematic internet use generally refers to use of Internet content that is out of control and leads to difficulties in daily functioning. That includes generalized problematic internet use, but also specific forms, such as problematic use of video games, social networks and pornography. Prevalence figures vary as a function of the diagnostic definition used, the age group studied, and whether the surveys were conducted online. Studies suggest high comorbidity rates with mood disorders and, among younger individuals, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Treatment should address any comorbid conditions present, as those may be causing, or exacerbating, problematic Internet use. Interventions that may specifically target problematic Internet use include cognitive behavioral therapy, but detailed guidelines must await further studies. For a medium that has so radically changed how we conduct our lives, the Internet's effects on our psychology remain understudied. Conclusions: More research is needed into the pathophysiology, epidemiology, natural course, and treatment of problematic Internet use. In addition, the more subtle psychological changes, such as disinhibition, that seem to characterize people's online behavior also deserve attention, even if they cannot be seen as necessarily pathological.

There is increasing literature examining the use of problematic internet in the context of psychological factors. Most of these studies are focused on the young population. On the other hand, the prolongation of human life and the increasing rate of adult individuals in society’s population cannot be ignored. It is seen that the number of research examining the use of problematic internet in the context of psychological factors is quite limited. In this current study, the problematic internet usage of primary and secondary school students’ parents was examined in happiness, psychological resilience, dispositional hope, self-control and self-management. The research was conducted on 1123 parents. Path analysis was performed to discover the relations between the structures. As a result of the path analysis, it was determined that there is a significant negative relationship between problematic internet use and happiness, problematic internet use and psychological resilience, problematic internet use, and dispositional hope. According to these findings, adults’ high happiness levels, psychological resilience, and hope levels will reduce their problematic internet use. It has been determined that there is a significant indirect relationship between self-control and self-management and problematic internet use. Happiness, psychological resilience, and dispositional hope mediating role in this relationship. Increasing parents’ happiness levels, developing psychological resilience, increasing dispositional hope levels, and developing self-control and self-management skills will reduce problematic internet use. In line with the findings, what can be done to reduce the use of problematic internet has been discussed.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10942-022-00482-y.