Profiles of loneliness types and social support sources in emerging adulthood, and their relevance to forms of problematic Internet use: a person-centered perspective

Background Young people start using the Internet in problematic ways partially because it allows them to escape real-life problems or compensate for relational deficits such as loneliness and lack of social support. So far, especially loneliness has usually been treated as a one-dimensional construct, despite its complexity. Moreover, considering various combinations of relational deficits can offer a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior. Participants and procedure Participants (N = 2210, aged 18-25, Mage = 20.55 ± 2.12 years) completed questionnaires on loneliness types, social support sources, generalized and specific forms (social media, online games, online pornography) of problematic Internet use, and Big Five personality traits. We performed a latent profile analysis to distinguish groups of Internet users with specific com-binations of loneliness types and social support sources. Next, differences between these groups in forms of problematic Internet use were examined, controlling for gender and personality traits. Results Five profiles were identified: (1) family lonely, (2) lonely in every aspect, (3) supported in every aspect, (4) romantic lonely, and (5) social lonely. Lonely in every aspect exhibited the most problematic Internet, online game, and online pornography use. In contrast, supported in every aspect had the lowest levels of problematic Internet, online game, and online pornogra-phy use. Other profiles obtained intermediate scores, but there were specific differences depending on the form of problem-atic Internet use. Distinguished groups did not differ in terms of problematic social media use. Conclusions Individuals lacking satisfying interpersonal relations are particularly susceptible to using the Internet and its applications in problematic ways.