Problematic online experiences among Spanish college students: Associations with Internet use characteristics and clinical symptoms

Internet access is almost universal among Spanish young people, and university students appear particularly vulnerable to developing problematic use patterns. This study examined the prevalence of a broad range of problematic online experiences in this population, and their associations with diverse Internet use characteristics and clinical symptoms. A sample of 493 students completed an online survey including the Index of Problematic Online Experiences (I-POE) by Mitchell, Sabina, Finkelhor, and Wells (2009), five subscales of the Trauma Symptom Inventory, and questions regarding Internet use characteristics. One in ten participants met criteria for problematic online use. Boys showed higher levels of problems in most I-POE domains. Spending more hours a day online predicted more problems related to overuse, daily obligations, and interactions with people online, whereas using dating websites predicted more problems with online behavior (e.g. identity deception). Higher concerns about own Internet use predicted higher levels of most clinical symptoms. In conclusion, although a minority of students may be considered problematic Internet users, this should be cause for concern and encourage preventative measures. Consistently with the cognitive-behavioral model (Davis, 2001) maladaptive cognitions seem to play a relevant role in the understanding of problematic Internet use. Besides, this study supports the utility of the I-POE as a quick assessment tool to identify problematic online experiences.