The widespread of the Internet and social media in the last decades have influenced the way of communicating and thinking. However, the abuse of the Internet may cause the loss of interpersonal relationships, the change of mood, cognition oriented to the use of the network and disruption of temporal experience, especially in adolescence. The current study aimed at analyzing to what extent identity styles are protective or risk factors that could hinder or foster internet-related addictions. 310 Italian adolescents (M = 163; M age = 18.09) filled out a questionnaire assessing identity styles, social media addiction, and Internet addiction. Descriptive and causal analyses were performed. Results confirmed the role of the diffuse-avoidant style as a risk factor in the development of maladaptive behaviours.
Keywords: Technological addictions, identity styles, Internet, social media, risk factors, adolescence
Jel Code: I12
Valeria de Paolo, Silvana Miceli, Lucia Monacis, Maria Sinatra, Young people, internet addiction and social media: identity processes in "PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA’" 2/2016, pp. 22-31, DOI:10.3280/PSC2016-002003