Problematic Internet use among Spanish adolescents: The predictive role of Internet preference and family relationships

Inasmuch as adolescents are intensive Internet users, concern about the negative effects of Internet on their social wellbeing and their daily lives has also become a matter of social interest. Based on a representative sample of 2077 Spanish adolescents, this study analyses the influence on perceived discomfort from lack of online access and the negative consequences on daily lives as perceived by the adolescents themselves of two factors: on the one hand, preferences for online communication and, on the other, how they regard their family relationships, controlling other factors that the literature associates with problematic Internet use. The results of various logistic regression studies indicate that both factors influence the analysed indicators in distinctive ways and the implications are discussed.