| Abstract [eng] |
The internet is becoming an integral part of most adolescents’ life. There is a need emerging for research in the field of problematic internet use (PIU) risk factors, which would aid in the creation of PIU prevention and intervention programs. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the risk of problematic internet use: the role of gender, anxiety, online activity frequency and maladaptive personality traits. The data used in this study is from a project by Jusienė et al., titled „Paauglių probleminio interneto naudojimo atpažinimo instrumentų pritaikymas naudojimui prevencijos ir intervencijos tikslais” (https://www.mediavaikai.lt/lt/pin-atpazinimas-apie), it is financed by the National Health Promotion Fund in the years 2022-2024 (contract nr. S-164, head of project – J. Burkauskas). 395 participants aged 14-17 (M = 15,1; SD = 1,1), 216 (54,7%) of them women, participated in this correlational research with non-probability convenience sampling, they filled out forms. Instruments used in this research were The Nine-Item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, The Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7, The Personality Inventory for DSM-5, Brief Form. The results indicate that daily or nearly daily use of social media, disinhibition and anxiety are associated with average and high risk of PIU. Gender did not moderate the relationship between studied variables and PIU. Conclusion: adolescents’ PIU risk is related to anxiety, maladaptive personality traits (especially disinhibition) and frequency of online activities (especially use of social media). |
