Predictors of excessive internet use among adolescents in Greece after the economic recession: The role of psychopathology, parental rearing practices, self-efficacy and internet-related activities

Abstract

This research aims to highlight and understand the factors associated with excessive internet use. The population studied consisted of 904 students, aged 12 to 18 years. The study was conducted in Magnesia prefecture of central Greece, in a period after the economic recession, and participants came from a large urban area, a prefecture's capital, a municipal unit of the prefecture's capital and an island. Students were provided with the following questionnaires: Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C), and Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran: "My Memories of Upbringing" for Children (EMBU-C). Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics and the use of online activities. The findings indicated that 14.1% of students were excessive internet users, and social media was the principal reason for using the internet. Excessive internet users had increased symptoms of psychopathology, control-overprotection, rejection, anxious rearing, and decreased academic, emotional, social self-efficacy, and emotional warmth. Finally, the increased symptoms of psychopathology and parents' rejection were the predictive factors in excessive internet use. In conclusion, Greek adolescents participating in this study are susceptible to excessive internet use. Most importantly, rejection as a parental rearing practice and adolescents' psychopathology seemed to impact the development of addictive behavior and should be taken into consideration by future research. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.