Time perspective as a predictor of problematic Internet use: A study of Facebook users

• We study the relationship between time perspective and problematic Internet use (PIU).
• A sample of Facebook users answered the ZTPI and GPIUS2 questionnaires.
• A positive correlation was found between Past Negative (PN) temporal frame and PIU.
• A positive correlation was found between Present Fatalistic (PF) temporal frame and PIU.
• PN and PF were found to be predictors of PIU.

Time perspective (TP) has been related to different problematic human behaviors. The work presented in this paper assesses the role of time perspective in predicting problematic Internet use (PIU) by studying a sample (n = 149) of Facebook users. Participants (79 male, 70 female, mean age = 32.40, SD = 11.80) completed electronic versions of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) to assess their TP, and the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2) to assess their PIU. Results show that Past Negative and Present Fatalistic temporal frames are predictors of problematic Internet use, suggesting that time perspective is an individual difference construct that should be taken into consideration in the context of PIU.