Problematic Internet Use in Adolescents Is Driven by Internal Distress Rather Than Family or Socioeconomic Contexts: Evidence from South Tyrol, Italy

TL;DR

Adolescents with mental health issues like depression and anxiety are more likely to have problematic internet use, regardless of their family or socioeconomic background.

Contribution

This study identifies internal emotional distress as the primary driver of problematic internet use in adolescents, rather than external contextual factors.

Findings

Depression and anxiety symptoms are the strongest predictors of problematic internet use in adolescents.

Demographic and socioeconomic factors had no significant association with problematic internet use.

Perceived family support showed a small protective effect against problematic internet use.

Abstract

Problematic Internet use is an emerging concern in adolescent mental health and is closely linked to psychological distress and emotional regulation. This cross-sectional study analyzed self-reported data from 1550 adolescents aged 11–19 years in South Tyrol, a linguistically and culturally diverse region in Northern Italy. Problematic Internet use was measured using the validated Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS-2), along with standardized instruments for depressive symptoms (PHQ-2) and anxiety (SCARED-GAD). Multivariable regression analysis revealed that depression and anxiety symptoms were the strongest independent predictors of higher GPIUS-2 scores. In contrast, demographic factors such as gender, family language, urbanization, migration background, and parental education were not significantly associated with PIU. Modest associations were observed between GPIUS-2 scores and both perceived economic burden and parental use of digital control tools. Perceived family support showed a small protective effect. These findings underscore the central role of emotional vulnerability in adolescent PIU and suggest that interventions should focus on supporting mental health and adaptive coping rather than solely targeting screen time or structural family characteristics.

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