AN EXAMINATION OF PREDICTOR VARIABLES FOR PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE

ABSTRACT

This study examines problematic Internet use among university students in terms of gender, while also gauging the impact of personality traits, life satisfaction and loneliness variables on problematic Internet use. A total of 411 university students studying Education in North Cyprus participated in the study. The participants were selected using quota sampling; 64 percent (n=263) of the participants were female and 36 percent (n=148) were male. Data was collected using the Online Cognition Scale (OCS), UCLA Loneliness Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated Form (EPQR-A), and was analysed using “t-Test” and multiple regression methods. Findings suggest that problematic Internet use shows significant variation depending on gender. Predictor variables (neuroticism, extraversion, psychoticism, lie, life satisfaction, and loneliness) meaningfully predict problematic Internet use.