An Empirical Study of Problematic Internet Use and Self-Esteem

Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Health

There is evidence that those who are social isolates tend to have higher levels of Internet use and problematic outcomes. Caplan has carried out a number of studies in this area. One early study (Caplan, 2002) suggested that a person’s preference for computer-mediated social interaction (as opposed to face-to-face interaction) played a role in the etiology, development, and outcomes of generalized problematic Internet use. Another study (Caplan, 2003) highlighted that psychosocial health predicted levels of preference for online social interaction that also predicted negative outcomes associated with problematic Internet use. The results also indicated that the influence of psychosocial distress on negative outcomes due to Internet use was mediated by preference for online socialization and other symptoms of problematic Internet use. More recently, Caplan (2007) reported that the relationship between loneliness and preference for online social interaction is spurious, and that social anxiety is the confounding variable.