Internet addiction among youth across 26 countries: psychological, personality, and socioeconomic determinants

Abstract

Objectives: Internet addiction (IA) is a significant public health concern, particularly among youth. This study aimed to assess the global prevalence and determinants of IA among youth.

Study design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: Twenty-six countries were selected using a stratified random sampling by income level. Youth aged 15-24 years were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling methods (n = 12449). The Compulsive Internet Use Scale, the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the Big-Five Inventory-2 Extra-Short Form were used to measure IA, internalizing and externalzing problems, and personality traits, respectively. Linear regression and mediation analysis were performed.

Results: The mean age was 20.41 ± 2.53 years and 58.2 % were females. The weighted overall prevalence of IA was 38.4 % [95 % confidence interval (CI): 37.0 %-39.8 %], ranging from 24.0 % in Cameroon to 62.4 % in Vietnam. IA was more prevalent among participants aged 15-19 years, females, urban residents, those whose mothers had high school or university education, and those with limited parental control over Internet use. Internalizing symptoms, high negative emotionality, low extraversion, and low open-mindedness increased IA. Residence in higher-income countries, as well as prosocial behavior, reduced IA. The mediation analysis indicated that the country's income level was associated with IA both directly and indirectly through psychological and personality traits, with a direct negative effect across all models, significant positive indirect effects via extraversion and negative emotionality, and a significant negative indirect effect via prosocial behavior.

Conclusions: The findings emphasize the need to screen for internalizing and externalzing problems, consider personality traits, and recognize the family's role in addressing IA.

Keywords: Adolescents; Behavioral problems; Emotional problems; Externalizing problems; Internalizing problems; Mental health; Personality; Problematic Internet use.