Problematic Internet Use and Mental Health: The Road to Violence

Abstract

To examine the direct and indirect effects of internet use on aggressiveness through anxiety, stress, despair, and worry and to explore gender as a risk factor for problematic internet use. Purposive sampling was used to obtain data from 355 University of Peshawar students from various faculties and departments. After informed consent and approval from authorities, participants completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, Buss and Perry Brief Aggression Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. The sample includes 205 men and 150 women of age 18–34 (M = 20.37, SD = 2.87). A substantial direct effect of problematic internet use on aggression is shown with mediators (b = 1.33, p = <0.001). The indirect effect of problematic internet use on aggression through depression and stress was nonsignificant. A substantial indirect effect of problematic internet use on aggressiveness was observed through anxiety (b = 0.02, p < 0.05) and worry (b = .17, p < 0.05). On problematic internet use, male (M = 65.27, SD = 9.6) and female (M = 65.58, SD = 9.60) participants did not vary (t = −0.30, p > 0.05). Problematic internet use leads to aggression, which causes violent behavior. Anxiety and worry buffer the association between problematic internet use and aggression, whereas depression and stress do not. Finally, problematic internet use did not differ by gender.