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Is problematic internet use always problematic? An experience-sampling study of compulsive and avoidance-driven
Joseph Ciarrochi1, Cristóbal Hernández2, Eman Hamed3
1Institute of Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University.
Summary
Problematic internet use (PIU) affects individuals differently. While generally linked to lower well-being, some experience temporary mood boosts from higher-than-usual PIU, highlighting the need for personalized interventions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Digital Well-being
Background:
- Population-level studies often link higher problematic internet use (PIU) to reduced well-being.
- The average association may not accurately represent individual experiences with internet use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate within-person associations between problematic internet use and mood.
- To explore individual variability in the relationship between PIU and mood states.
Main Methods:
- An idiographic design was employed over 10 days with 84 young adults.
- Daily surveys assessed PIU behaviors and mood states.
- Statistical analyses included autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and meta-analysis to examine within-person effects and heterogeneity.
Main Results:
- Higher-than-usual PIU was generally associated with lower immediate mood at the within-person level.
- Significant individual differences were observed, with some experiencing better mood and others worse mood during elevated PIU.
- Habitually high PIU was linked to lower average mood at the between-person level.
Conclusions:
- Findings support measurement-based tailoring of interventions for problematic internet use.
- Intervention strategies may need to differ based on whether elevated PIU initially improves or worsens mood.
- Future research should evaluate the efficacy of person-specific measures in guiding intervention choices.
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