The relationship between maladaptive personality functioning and problematic technology use in adolescence: A cluster analysis approach

Abstract

In the last two decades, scientific research has explored the problematic use of internet, videogames and mobile phones. However, there is still little consistent knowledge regarding the co-occurrence of problematic technology use and the role of maladaptive personality characteristics in adolescence. The present study aimed to investigate adolescents' styles of technology use with a cluster analysis approach focusing on personality functioning. The sample comprised 408 Italian adolescents (46.3% males) aged 11 to 18 years (M age = 13.80; SD = 2.08). Data were collected using the Internet Addiction Test, the Videogame Dependency Scale, the Test of Mobile-Phone Dependence Brief Form and the Personality Inventory for DSM5 Brief Form. Results provided a four-cluster solution based on the co-occurrence of problematic technology use. The four clusters were labeled as follows: cluster 1: "Above average internet and mobile-phone use"; cluster 2: "Below average technology use"; cluster 3: "Above average videogame use"; and cluster 4: "Problematic technology use." Analyses on demographic variables (e.g., gender and age) demonstrated significant differences between the four groups. Adolescents with high levels of problematic technology use reported greater overall personality dysfunction than the other three groups. This finding supported our hypothesis on maladaptive personality functioning in adolescents at risk for addiction. Finally, the Antagonism domain played a specific role in differentiating the severity of adolescents' involvement in technology use. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and to plan preventive interventions as well as therapeutic treatments.

Exploring adolescent social media and internet gaming addiction: The role of emotion regulation

“…Specifically, being female significantly predicted social media addiction scores and being male significantly predicted internet gaming disorder severity scores. These findings are similar to previous studies that reported more social media addiction among females (Andreassen et al, 2016;Banyai et al, 2017) and more internet gaming disorder severity among males (Amendola et al, 2019;Ocur & Donmez, 2021). In the current study, BSMAS score means and standard deviations were as follows: female (M = 18.49, SD = 5.17), male (M = 14.54, SD = 6.23), and transgender (M = 16.00, SD = 1.41), and IGDS9-SF score means and standard deviation were as follows: female (M = 18.51, SD = 7.41), male (M = 19.87, SD = 7.07), and transgender (M = 14.50, SD = 6.36).…”

“…One potential predictor that has received preliminary empirical support is emotion regulation, or “the processes by which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express these emotions” (Gross, 1998, p. 275). Indeed, emotion regulation has been a central factor in the study of a variety of addictive behaviors (Estevez et al., 2017), including social media addiction (Hormes et al., 2014; Liu & Ma, 2019) and internet gaming addiction (Amendola et al., 2019; Ocur & Donmez, 2021), often using samples residing outside of the United States. Thus, it is imperative that counselors and other mental health professionals working with American adolescents understand the predicative role of emotion regulation in social media and internet gaming addictions.…”

The relationship between adolescent emotion dysregulation and problematic technology use: Systematic review of the empirical literature

“…Problematic technology use (PTU, i.e., Internet, videogames, and smartphones) refers to excessive use of technology as a critical part of life, going along with several consequences such as functional impairment (e.g., academic and social deficits), and is accompanied by emotional and behavioral problems ( Amendola, Spensieri, Biuso, & Cerutti, 2020 ). Problematic technology use can be divided into two categories: tool-based (Internet, Smartphone) versus content-based (videogame, social media).…”

Profiles on Adolescent Internet Addiction: A Taxonomy with Latent Profiling Analysis

“…Conversely, as seen in problematic users (Profile 4), male gender, low parental control, and difficulties befriending people have been implicated as important associated factors of Internet addiction. Recent studies 27,30,31 indicate greater propensity of males to be addicted to the Internet. Also consistent with the literature is the greater influence of parental monitoring in Internet use-related problems in their children.…”