A Predictive Model of Internet Addiction: The Role of Alienation

Psychological research on internet addiction (IA) has mainly covered the validity of its classification as an addiction diagnosis, related IA sub-activities (e.g., social media and pornography), and its relation to various mental health issues (e.g., depression). An underexplored aspect within the literature is the role of alienation as a factor that may contribute to an individual developing IA or an IA related disorder. The current study utilized a survey-based questionnaire to analyze internet usage, related sub-activities, and the role internet usage plays in individuals struggling with various mental health issues. We also utilized regression analysis to create a predictive model for IA to determine which factors were the most concerning and to investigate whether or not alienation played a critical role in an individual developing an IA related issue. Our results found that alienation is a significant predictor of internet addiction presenting evidence that alienation is a factor worthy of focus in future research.