As time goes by: A study on problematic Internet use among young adults

Introduction: For almost two decades, studies within the ACE (accessibility, control, and excitement) framework (Young, 1999) have flooded the field of research on Internet addiction by examining the role of socio-demographic variables, contextual factors, and time spent online in predicting problematic Internet use (PIU). However, the scientific literature is moving towards a more comprehensive framework for understanding PIU, which also includes relational and psychodynamic features (Schimmenti, 2017). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among time spent on the Internet, attachment styles, dissociative processes and maladaptive personality traits in a sample of young adults. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed on 253 volunteers aged between 18 and 25 years old. They reported how much hours they spent online, the tools used for accessing the Internet, and their preferred online activities, together with measures on problematic Internet use, maladaptive personality, attachment styles and dissociation. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of PIU in the sample. Results: Male gender, increased time spent online, negative affectivity, an avoidant attachment style, and depersonalization/derealization predicted PIU in our sample. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the Internet may be used by young adults as a psychic retreat that allows a temporarily relief from stress and negative feelings experienced in the body and the relationships (Schimmenti & Caretti, 2010). Therefore, rather than supporting a conceptualization of PIU among young adults in terms of an addictive process, our findings suggest that it may emerge as a self-regulatory coping strategy to deal with personal and interpersonal difficulties (Kardefelt-Winther et al., 2017).