Problematic Internet Use in Lonely Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Detachment from Parents

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between Problematic Internet Use (PIU) and loneliness in adolescence is a disputed issue. In the current study, we explored whether the relationship between loneliness and PIU in adolescence is mediated by detachment from parents. METHOD: A community sample of 356 adolescents completed self-report questionnaires assessing Internet addiction symptoms, peer- and parent-related loneliness, and detachment from parents. Linear regression and mediation analyses were performed to explore the role of loneliness and detachment from parents in predicting PIU. RESULTS: Peer-related loneliness positively predicted PIU, whereas detachment from parents fully mediated the association between parent-related loneliness and PIU. CONCLUSIONS: Multidimensional assessment of subjective solitary experience is needed to explain the relationship between loneliness and PIU in adolescence. This is in line with previous research on adolescents’ PIU, suggesting that peer-related loneliness is more strictly related with maladjustment, whereas parent-related loneliness is maladaptive in the context of a lack of parental support.