Loneliness and problematic internet use: testing the role of interpersonal problems and motivation for internet use.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A number of factors have been demonstrated to be associated with Problematic Internet Use (PIU); otherwise known as Internet Addiction), which is mostly concerned with psychological problems such as loneliness. This study aimed to examine how and in what way loneliness influenced PIU.

Methods

A self-report measurement on loneliness, the Internet addiction test (IAT) and instruments on interpersonal problems were administered to 318 medical students (57% females); mean age totaled 20.88 years (SD = 1.8). We performed a mediation analysis to evaluate direct effects of loneliness on IAT, as well as indirect effects mediated by interpersonal problems. In addition, motivation for internet use was added to the mediation model and tested whether it acted as the second me

SUBMITTER: Wongpakaran N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8431860 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature