The Assessment of the Relationship between Problematic Internet Use and Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality, Loneliness, Anger, and Problem Solving Skills

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between problematic internet use, and parent-adolescent relationship quality, loneliness, anger, and problem solving skills. Another aim of the current study was to find out differences related to sododemographic variables, such as gender and socioeconomic status in problematic internet use. Method: The sample was composed of 402 university students. Online Cognition Scale, Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Problem Solving Inventory and Multidimensional Anger Inventory were used. The statistical analysis of data was conducted by using correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple mediation model test (Bootstrap). Results: The results revealed that 16.4% of participants had high scores on problematic internet use, and spent 2.7 hours (SD=1.23) a day on the internet on average. Males had higher levels of problematic internet use when compared to females. The results of mediating effects of anger, problem solving, and loneliness on relationship quality between parent-adolescents, and problematic internet use revealed that these variables partially mediated the relationship between negative mother-adolescent relationship and problematic internet use. Discussion: These results provide helpful tips that can be used in the prevention and intervention programs related to problematic internet use. Psychological counseling and psychotherapy in practice may indude strengthening the relationship between adolescents with problematic internet use and their parents. Moreover, following the assessment of their loneliness, and anger levels, and problem solving skills, interventions related to communications skills, anger management, and problem solving approaches may decrease their problematic internet use.