Problematic Internet Use among University Students and Its Relationship with Social Skills

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Internet use is pervasive, impacting daily life and social interactions.
• Problematic internet use (PIU) is a growing concern affecting a subset of individuals.
• Age and social skills are identified as potential influencing factors in PIU.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between social skills and age on problematic internet use among university students.
• To identify specific social skills that may predict or mitigate PIU.
• To understand how age influences different facets of problematic internet use.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 514 university students in Spain.
• Utilized questionnaires to assess problematic internet use and social skills.
• Employed multivariate multiple linear regression models for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Specific social skills, including conversation, social ease, empathy, positive feeling skills, and risk coping, were significant predictors of PIU.
• Age influenced preference for online social interaction and self-regulation deficits.
• Younger students exhibited a higher risk for obsessive thoughts and compulsive internet use compared to older students.

Conclusions:

• Social skills are crucial in understanding and potentially preventing problematic internet use.
• Age is a significant factor, with younger university students being more vulnerable to developing addictive internet behaviors.
• Interventions targeting social skills development may be beneficial for at-risk students.