The Effects of Boredom, Loneliness, and Distress Tolerance on Problem Internet Use Among University Students

The purpose of this study was to examine whether boredom proneness and/or loneliness predict problem internet use (PIU) and whether these possible associations are moderated by distress tolerance. The study used a sample of 169 undergraduate university students known to be regular internet users, and measured the impact of PIU on their life by examining the relationship between PIU and academic performance. As predicted, boredom proneness was significantly associated with PIU and was a significant predictor of PIU in a model that included loneliness and distress tolerance. Loneliness was also significantly associated with both boredom and PIU, but was not a significant predictor of PIU in the model. There was no evidence that distress tolerance moderated either of these associations. As predicted, higher levels of PIU were associated with lower levels of academic performance, leading us to the conclusion that university students who are prone to experiencing boredom tend to use the internet to seek out more stimulating and satisfying activities, which in turn can lead to problematic internet use patterns that can negatively affect their academic performance.