Cited by 125Impact of Technology on AdolescentsSexuality, Behavior, and TechnologyGambling Behavior and Treatments

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Tracing 20 years of research on problematic use of the internet and social media: Theoretical models, assessment tools, and an agenda for future work

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Moretta, Tania, Buodo, Giulia, Demetrovics, Zsolt, Potenza, Marc N.·2022·Comprehensive Psychiatry

DOI 10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152286

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Abstract

Over the past two decades, there has been increasing interest in the impact of internet use and growing concern about whether problematic use of the internet (PUI) constitutes an addiction. Despite the growing number of studies investigating PUI and PUI subtypes, its conceptualization and inclusion in a classification system have not been possible yet. Several models aimed at inspiring clinical research and practice have proposed possible mechanisms involved in PUI and problematic use of social media, and multiple self-report instruments have been consequentially developed. The diversity of theoretical models and instruments currently hinders standardized assessment procedures across studies and, in turn, their comparability. The purpose of the present overview is to highlight the current conceptualization and assessment of both PUI and problematic use of social media, in order to critically discuss the existing fragmentation in the field and the need to achieve conceptual convergence. Two suggestions for future directions are also provided, i.e., define diagnostic criteria by bottom-up and top-down processes and develop a psychobiological hypothesis including the description of higher-order mechanisms involved in PUI and not other psychopathological conditions (e.g., the multiple available internet-related cues and outcomes that may lead to parallel forms of associative learning; probabilities of obtaining internet-related reinforcements; and intrinsic motivation processes).

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Authors: Moretta, T., Buodo, G., Demetrovics, Z., & Potenza, M. N.
Affiliations: University of Padua (IT)
Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author: Moretta, Tania
ORCID: Moretta, Tania
Buodo, Giulia
Demetrovics, Zsolt
Potenza, Marc N.
Venue: Comprehensive Psychiatry
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2022-01
Volume: 112
Pages: 152286
ISSN: 0010-440X (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2021.152286
OpenAlex: W3208908485
Cited by: 125
References: 150
Citations by year: 2026: 23 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 13
FWCI: 24.93
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by-nc-nd
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ (vor)
Locations: Comprehensive Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT) (Eötvös Loránd University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
IRIS eCampus Telematic University (Università degli Studi eCampus) (submittedVersion)
Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders: Dipartimenti di Eccellenza
Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (art.1, Dipartimenti di Eccellenza (art.1, 314‐337)
Università degli Studi di Padova
Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università degli Studi di Padova
National Research, Development and Innovation Office (KKP126835, K128614)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
Keywords: problematic internet use, social media addiction, internet addiction, theoretical model, assessment instruments, diagnostic criteria, conceptual convergence, associative learning, intrinsic motivation, reinforcement, classification systems
MeSH terms: Humans, Models, Theoretical, Motivation, Behavior, Addictive, Internet, Social Media

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Tracing 20 years of research on problematic use of the internet and social media: Theoretical models, assessment tools, and an agenda for future work

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