Life Satisfaction: The Key to Managing Internet & Social Media Addiction

Internet addiction is a phenomenon that continues to grow as our dependence on technology increases. Recent estimates posit that over 175 million people suffer from this negative pathology. Given its widespread stranglehold on users, finding ways to reduce these addictions are of importance. Previous research has found the importance of emotional states in affecting addiction behaviors. Drawing on the Cognitive-Behavioral Model of Pathological Internet Usage, we examine the role of life satisfaction in reducing both generalized Internet addiction and a specific form of Internet addiction – that of social media addiction. Additionally, we examine how happiness and stress impact these addictions through life satisfaction. Results show that life satisfaction has significant effects on both generalized Internet addiction and the specific addiction, social media. The results demonstrate that, for addicted individuals, there may be deeper rooted issues in their lives, lowering their satisfaction, driving their continued or increased addictions to Internet technologies.