Technological Addictions: The Influence of Emotions, Personality Traits, and Sociocultural Variables on New Disorders of the Digital Age

This doctoral thesis investigates the relationships between Internet Addiction (IA) related disorders and various psychological and behavioral variables, such as Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), emotional dysregulation and personality traits, across different samples and cultural contexts. Previous research has predominantly focused on the general population, often overlooking cultural and gender differences in the development of IA. This thesis aims to fill these gaps by providing a comprehensive analysis across diverse demographics. This thesis is organized into multiple sections. The first section is theoretical, aiming to frame the phenomenon of IA and related disorders by illustrating the current state of research and its evolution. The second section describes the methodology, materials used, data collection procedures, and tools, providing a detailed discussion of each study that comprises the compendium. Specifically: The first study explored the associations between IA, FoMO, Social Media Addiction (SMA), emotional dysregulation, and personality traits in an Italian sample of 397 participants aged 18–35. Significant correlations were found between IA and the examined variables, with emotional dysregulation playing a crucial role in mediating the effects of FoMO and problematic social media use on IA. The second study aimed to replicate and strengthen these findings in a Spanish sample of 598 university students aged 18–35. Correlation analyses confirmed positive relationships between IA, FoMO, SMA, emotional dysregulation, and the neuroticism dimension of personality, while a negative relationship was observed with the conscientiousness dimension. A mediation model further highlighted the significant total effect of emotional dysregulation on IA, mediated by FoMO and SMA. The third study examined gender differences in the relationships between IA and related variables in an Italian sample of 276 participants aged 18–30. The results indicated that while SMA was a primary predictor of IA for both genders, there were exclusive predictors for each gender, suggesting that the underlying factors for IA vary significantly between men and women. The fourth study similarly investigated gender differences in a Spanish sample of 276 participants aged 18–30. Consistent with the findings from the Italian sample, SMA emerged as a common predictor of IA for both genders. However, unique predictors for each gender were also identified, underscoring the necessity to consider gender-specific factors in understanding IA. The fifth study expanded the investigation to four countries (Italy, Spain, Ecuador, and Peru) with a total sample of 675 participants aged 18–54. Significant cultural variations were found: Italian participants exhibited higher levels of IA and FoMO, but lower levels of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) compared to Peruvian participants. Regression analyses identified distinct predictors for problematic internet use in each country, emphasizing the importance of cultural context in understanding IA. The third section presents and discusses the results of each study, highlighting significant correlations and mediation models. Finally, the last section offers a general conclusion discussing the practical implications of these results for the prevention and tailored treatment. In conclusion, these studies provide an integrated model for understanding the characteristics, predictors, and risk factors of IA. The findings highlight the importance of psychological variables and cultural and gender differences, offering practical implications for the prevention and tailored treatment of this pathological behavior.