title: Addictive use of social networking sites can be explained by the interaction of Internet use expectancies, Internet literacy, and psychopathological symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most people use the Internet in a functional way to achieve certain goals and needs. However, there is an increasing number of people who experience negative consequences like loss of control and distress based on an excessive use of the Internet and its specific online applications. Some approaches postulate similarities with behavioral addictions as well as substance dependencies. They differentiate between a generalized and a specific Internet addiction, such as the pathological use of social networking sites (SIA-SNS). Prior studies particularly identified the use of applications, personal characteristics, and psychopathological symptoms as significant predictors for the development and maintenance of this phenomenon. So far, it remains unclear how psychopathological symptoms like depression and social anxiety interact with individual expectancies of Internet use and capabilities of handling the Internet, summarized as Internet literacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study (N = 334) investigated the interaction of these components in a structural equation model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicate that the effects of depression and social anxiety on SIA-SNS were mediated by Internet use expectancies and self-regulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, Internet use expectancies seem to be crucial for SIA-SNS, which is in line with prior models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SNS use may be reinforced by experienced gratification and relief from negative feelings. Individual competences in handling the Internet may be preventive for the development of SIA-SNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychology, Cognition, University of Duisburg-Essen , Duisburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wegmann
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychology, Cognition, University of Duisburg-Essen , Duisburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stodt
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychology, Cognition, University of Duisburg-Essen , Duisburg , Germany.|Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Essen , Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D000067010:Literacy; D008297:Male; D060756:Social Networking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Internet addiction; Internet literacy; Internet use expectancies; SNS; computer literacy; pathological Internet use