The Role of Personality and Psychological Needs on the Problematic Internet Use and Problematic Social Media Use

Current study investigates the relationships among personality characteristics, psychological needs, problematic Internet use and problematic social media use. A theoretical model was specified, estimated, and evaluated based on the data collected from 436 college students (Mean Age = 20.93 years, SD = 2.11 years). First, structural equation modeling approach was used to validate the research model. The model suggests that personality has significant direct and indirect effects on problematic Internet use but it has only a significant indirect effect on problematic social media use through psychological needs. Further, there is also a significant direct effect of psychological needs on both problematic Internet use and problematic social media use. An increase in neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness leads to an increase in dominance, autonomy, affiliation, and achievement, whereas an increase in psychological needs leads to a decrease in problematic Internet use and problematic social media use. Implications of the findings are discussed for theory and practice in cyberpsychology.