2026 ECNP Congress

PS04-4004

Differences in online activities and problematic internet use among adolescents and young adults in a general sample of internet users

Evelina Palaitytė-Urbone — R. Breidokienė, D. Dambrauskaitė, Z. Demetrovics, R. Gaudinskaitė, V. Jakienė, R. Jauniškienė, R. Jonaitytė, G. Kaminskienė, O. Király, V. Kučinskas, A. Podlipskytė, A. Saudargienė, M. Slabadiene, V. Steiblienė, R. Jusienė, J. Burkauskas · Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine- Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Science, Kunas, Lithuania

2026 ECNP Congress

Background

Problematic internet use (PIU) has been defined as an umbrella concept encompassing various internet-related activities [1] that become problematic when excessive engagement leads to psychological, social, educational, and/or occupational difficulties [2, 3]. Age may be a significant factor influencing the choice of specific online activitiesand the development of PIU [4]. The aim of this study was to examine and compare differences in online activities and problematic internet use across adolescent and young adult groups.

Methods

In total, 562 Lithuanian residents participated in a cross-sectional study: 35.9% male (n = 202) and 59.6% female (n = 335), other 4.4% (n = 25), with a mean age of 17.6 years (standard deviation [SD] = 4.2). The data was analyzed across two age groups: adolescents (14-17 years, n = 395) and young adults (18-29 years, n = 167). Respondents completed sociodemographic questions; the 9-item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-9) [5]; and a questionnaire developed by the research team to assess participants’ Internet usage patterns, indicating how often they used the internet for a variety of online activities. Responses were rated on a 1–5 Likert scale (1 = never, 5 = very often). Age group differences were analyzed using Student’s t-test.

Results

Adolescents reported most frequently choosing entertainment activities, such as watching videos (M = 3.34, SD= 0.98) and listening to music (M = 3.21, SD = 1.04), while the young adults most often chose social activities, such as social networking (M = 3.60, SD = 0.76) and messaging (M = 3.53, SD = 0.77). Gender-based analysis revealed similar patterns: adolescents most frequently reported watching videos (males: M = 3.25, SD = 1.04; females: M = 3.43, SD = 0.91), while young adults preferred social networking (males: M = 3.43, SD = 0.91; females: M = 3.69, SD = 0.62) and messaging (males: M = 3.52, SD = 0.67; females: M = 3.55, SD = 0.76). The greatest difference between groups was found in the entertainment activity: gaming (adolescents: M = 2.23, SD = 1.44 vs. young adults: M = 1.07, SD = 1.36; Student’s t = 8.87, p < .001), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.819). The levels of PIU also differed between groups (PIUQ-9: Student’s t = 2.10, p < .037), with higher PIUQ-9 scores among adolescents (M = 22.2, SD = 6.1) compared to the older age group (M = 21.0, SD = 6.7), although the effect size was small (Cohen’s d = 0.193).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the choice of online activities varies by age. Adolescents mostly use the internet for entertainment activities, such as watching videos and listening to music, while young adults mostly use it for social networking and correspondence, the largest difference between groups was observed in ​​gaming activities. The intensity of PIU also differed statistically significantly between age groups. Adolescents exhibited higher average level of PIU than young adults. These findings highlight age-related differences and vulnerability to PIU. Prevention and intervention strategies for PIU management should be age-tailored.

References

  1. Fineberg, N. A., Demetrovics, Z., Stein, D. J., Ioannidis, K., Potenza, M. N., Grünblatt, E., et al. (2018). Manifesto for a European research network into Problematic Usage of the Internet. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 28 (11), 1232-1246. DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.004
  2. Burkauskas, J., Gecaite-Stonciene, J., Demetrovics, Z., Griffiths, M. D., & Király, O. (2022). Prevalence of problematic Internet use during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Curr Opin Behav Sci, 46, 101179. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101179
  3. Jakiene, V., Király, O., Demetrovics, Z., Podlipskyte, A., Saudargiene, A., Jusiene, R.,…Steibliene, V. (2025). Q-single: Linking functional impairment to problematic internet use through a single-question approach. J Behav Addict, 14(2), 738-745. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.00029
  4. Lopez-Fernandez, O., Romo, L., Kern, L., Rousseau, A., Lelonek-Kuleta, B., Chwaszcz, J., et al. (2023). Problematic Internet use among adults: a cross-cultural study in 15 countries. J. Clin. Med. 12(3), 1027. DOI: 10.3390/jcm12031027
  5. Burkauskas, J., Király, O., Demetrovics, Z., Podlipskyte, A., & Steibliene, V. (2020). Psychometric Properties of the Nine-Item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ-9) in a Lithuanian Sample of Students. Front Psychiatry, 11, 565769. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.565769