Life satisfaction and family functions as-predictors of problematic Internet use in university students

Abstract

One goal of this research was to analyze problematic Internet use in university students according to such variables as gender, grade point average, satisfaction with one’s department, mother’s/father’s education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, gambling behavior, relationship between parents, length of Internet use, amount of time spent on the Internet daily, and using the Internet for academic purposes. Another goal was to analyze family functioning and life satisfaction as predictors of problematic Internet use in university students. The study sample comprised 663 university students from Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir. The Problematic Internet Use Scale, Family Evaluation Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale, and a questionnaire requesting demographic information were administered. The results revealed that the family functioning dimensions of problem solving, roles, and behavioral control, as well as gender, age, gambling behavior, perception of the relationship between one’s parents, number of years of Internet use, amount of time spent on the Internet daily, and using the Internet for academic purposes explained 48% of the total variance in Internet use. There was also a significant relationship between university students’ life satisfaction and total Internet use, rate of Internet overuse, and the social benefits and negative consequences of Internet use.