Using the internet to cope with emotional problems: The role of preference for online communication in adolescents across 18 countries

Abstract

For young people with emotional problems internet usage can serve as coping strategies – maladaptive (e.g., excessive internet use) or adaptive (e.g., engagement in social online activities). We investigated the relationships of emotional problems with maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies online and explored whether a preference for online communication mediates these. Survey data from 14,550 11–16-year-olds from 18 European countries (51% female) were analyzed via mediation analyses. Results confirmed that emotional problems were associated with both maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies and that these effects were partially mediated via preference of online communication. The study offers further empirical evidence for the model of compensatory internet use amongst a vulnerable population and demonstrates similar underlying mechanisms for both, positive and negative outcomes of internet usage. Implications for practice, such as guidance of internet use for positive outcomes, are discussed.