Problematic Use of the Internet among Australian university students: Prevalence and profile

Abstract

Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI) encapsulates excessive internet use despite repeated attempts to regulate behaviour, and university students appear disproportionately vulnerable. PUI is associated with pronounced academic difficulties, and past research demonstrates that prevalence can vary across cultures. Despite this, there is an absence of research within an Australian population. We sampled 787 Australian university students to assess PUI severity, academic misconduct (plagiarism, cheating, collusion) mental illness factors (depressive symptoms, stress, loneliness, anxiety), and health factors (psychological wellbeing, resilience, trait mindfulness). Using latent class analysis, we identified three distinct classes of internet users: students with No-PUI (38%), students with Potential-PUI (46%), and students with PUI (16%). More than 1 in 10 university students reported severe internet-related problems with their sleep, work, mood, and relationships. These same students were also significantly overrepresented in academic misconduct hearings than their peers. An additional 46% of students reported mild internet-related problems who, while not experiencing a clinically significant issue with the internet, did report with equally severe mental health problems as students with PUI. Key psychological differences between students with and without PUI were resilience and trait mindfulness, which may serve a protective role against developing maladaptive internet-use habits and poor academic outcomes.