Abstract

Adolescents and young people with internet addiction often have problems with their school performance, work life, daily routines, mood, and family relationship. There can be several factors that predict internet addiction. Current study aims to figure out the relationship between personality traits, emotion regulation strategies as cognitive reappraisal and suppression and internet addiction behavior in young people. 193 people who are between 18-25 years old participated in the study. Hierarchical regression analyses were carried out to identify the predictors of internet addiction. 26% of the total variance in internet addiction was explained by predictor variables which are age, page of book read in weekly, personality traits and emotion regulation strategies. When cognitive reappraisal, conscientiousness and the number of book pages read increase, reporting internet addiction scores decreases. In addition, results pointed out that the effects of openness to experience, neuroticism and agreeableness as personality traits were mediated by cognitive reappraisal on internet addiction symptoms. When agreeableness and openness to experience personality traits increase, cognitive reappraisal also increase and it decreases internet addiction of young people. When neuroticism personality trait increases, cognitive reappraisal of participants decreases and it increases internet addiction. The study was concluded by emphasizing to implications in the area of emotion regulation especially programs that targeting the use of cognitive reappraisal strategy to young people to decrease internet addiction.

Keywords: Internet addiction; Personality; Emotion regulation; Mediation analysis