Differences between specific and generalized problematic Internet uses according to gender, age, time spent online and psychopathological symptoms

Internet addiction has been the subject of numerous studies, but definitions, classification and terminologies for this phenomenon diverge. Thus, it appears important to distinguish Generalized Problematic Internet Use (GPIU) and Specific Problematic Internet Uses (SPIU). Our main objective was to explore the relationships between GPIU, SPIU and psychopathological symptoms according to gender and age category. A sample of 378 participants aged between 18 and 65 years old (M = 24.4, SD = 8.3) completed a set of questionnaires measuring GPIU, SPIU related to communication, video and music, information seeking, work, sex, gaming, gambling, shopping, and time spent online, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Correlations and regressions analysis revealed significant relationships between GPIU and our variables, except for SPIUgambling, with many differences between males and females and between adults and young adults. SPIUcom was a significant predictor of GPIU among our four groups, SPIUinfo, SPIUgaming and depressive symptoms were significant among women, men and young adults, and SPIUvideo and time spent online were also significant among women and young adults. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore so many SPIU, particularly in a sample of French adults. More important, our results contribute to the advance of the field of PIU by highlighting differences between each PIU, variables that should be seriously considered in future research.