Problematic Internet Use and Resilience: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Digital Well-being

Background:

• Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a growing global concern with significant negative health impacts.
• Existing research suggests a link between resilience and PIU, but findings are inconsistent.
• Understanding risk and protective factors for PIU is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis assessing the relationship between problematic Internet use and resilience.
• To identify potential moderating variables influencing this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Scopus databases.
• Inclusion of 19 studies encompassing a total of 93,859 participants.
• Statistical meta-analysis to determine the overall effect size and examine moderators.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant negative correlation (r = -0.27) was found between resilience and problematic Internet use.
• No evidence of publication bias was detected, strengthening the reliability of the findings.
• The meta-analysis provides robust evidence for the inverse relationship between resilience and PIU.

Conclusions:

• Higher levels of resilience are associated with lower levels of problematic Internet use.
• Resilience appears to be a significant protective factor against the development of PIU.
• Findings underscore the importance of fostering resilience in mental health strategies addressing digital overuse.