Objective
The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between problematic internet use by college students and interpersonal cognitive distortions and life satisfaction.
Methods
A total of 418 students, 260 females and 158 males, studying in different departments of the Fatih Faculty of Education, Karadeniz Technical University, participated. The Online Cognition Scale, Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale and Personal Information Form were used as instruments.
Results
A significant positive correlation was determined between problematic internet use and interpersonal cognitive distortions (r = .33, p < .01), and a negative one with life satisfaction (r = − .21, p < .01). Interpersonal cognitive distortions, life satisfaction and gender account for 21% of total variance (F(3413) = 37.30, p < .05). Findings revealed that males exhibit more problematic internet use than females, which subjects with a pessimistic perception of events have a higher level of problematic internet use than those with an optimistic perception and that subjects who always feel lonely exhibit greater problematic internet use than those who never or only sometimes experience feelings of loneliness.
Conclusions
Interpersonal cognitive distortions, life satisfaction and gender were significant predictors of problematic internet use. Problematic internet use exhibits significant variations according to gender, perception of events and feelings of loneliness.
Computer and internet use have become indispensable elements of life. A number of problems associated with excessive use of the internet, which facilitates people's lives in many spheres, such as communications, education, research and shopping, have begun appearing as a consequence of its spreading faster than anticipated. Prolonged internet use leads to physical problems, such as muscle and skeletal system impairments, eating disorders and eye pain and headaches, as well as to mental problems including depression, anxiety, sadness and intolerance (Beranuy et al., 2009, Demetrovics et al., 2008, Odacı, 2011, Odacı, 2013 and Odacı and Kalkan, 2010). In the simplest terms, problematic internet use, in which concepts such as internet dependence (Wang, 2001) or online behavior addiction (Hall & Parsons, 2001) have been used to describe excessive internet use by individuals, may be defined as the individual experiencing psychological or social problems, or problems in school or at work, as a result of insufficient control of internet use (Davis, 2001).
Internet use is most widespread in the 16–24 age group. The internet is particularly widely used by young people at university (Kandell, 1998). A high risk of problematic internet use has been determined in students who are shy, feel lonely, tend toward depression, who experience social anxiety or who have problems in interpersonal relations (Çuhadar, 2012, Lei and Wu, 2007, Pierce, 2009 and Saunders and Chester, 2008). In addition, these students' feelings toward themselves are also negative. They exhibit patterns of “extreme generalization” or an “all or nothing” way of thinking in respect of themselves and the outside world. In addition to ideas regarding themselves, such as ‘I only feel well on the internet’ or ‘I am valueless when I am not on the internet, but I am an important person online,’ they also harbor automatic ideas regarding the outside world. These may include, ‘The internet is the only place where I am respected,’ ‘Nobody likes me when I am not online,’ or ‘People treat me badly except for when I am online’ (Davis, 2001). The individual will then employ the internet more in order to establish interpersonal relations without fear or being rejected or disliked (Stieger & Burger, 2010) and in order to elicit positive reactions from others, and thus to be able to look at life in a positive way.
Problematic internet use is becoming a significant issue, particularly among the young. A rise has recently been observed in studies from the USA, Western Europe and Far Eastern countries (Öztürk, Odabaşıoğlu, Eraslan, Genç, & Kalyoncu, 2007). Research shows that problematic internet use is correlated with social and psychological variables, such as depression, loneliness and social withdrawal (Kraut et al., 1998, Murali and George, 2007 and Whang et al., 2003), low self-esteem and satisfaction with life (Ko, Yen, Chen, Chen, & Yen, 2005) and problematic family relations (Armstrong, Phillips, & Saling, 2000). The fact that awareness of the subject has only recently emerged in Turkey appears from the very limited nature of the studies performed there. This study was intended to encourage awareness of the negative impact of problematic internet use on young people and to make a contribution to the literature. The resulting findings will make a significant contribution to the determination of therapeutic measures directed toward young people. The aim was to investigate the relationship between university students' problematic internet use and relationship-associated cognitive distortions and life satisfaction.
