Investigating the interrelationship between internet addiction and emotional intelligence in the digital environment

Abstract

In the context of intensive digitalization, the Internet plays a significant role in the daily lives of young people, highlighting the importance of examining psychological factors associated with its problematic use. One such factor is emotional intelligence, which reflects an individual’s ability to understand and regulate their own emotions and those of others. Despite growing interest in this issue, the relationship between emotional intelligence and problematic Internet use among Kazakhstani youth remains insufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and indicators of problematic Internet use among young people aged 18–24 years. The study involved 77 respondents aged 18–24 years (M=19.25; SD=1.319), including 52 women and 25 men. Empirical data were collected using D.V. Lyusin’s Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EmIn), K. Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 and included descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The mean overall emotional intelligence score was M=67.83 (SD=17.49), the mean IAT score was M=49.10 (SD=15.82), and the mean CIAS score was M=48.03 (SD=11.09). Correlation analysis revealed statistically significant negative relationships between emotional intelligence and IAT scores (rₛ=−0.353; p=0.002) and between emotional intelligence and CIAS scores (rₛ=−0.285; p=0.012). The findings indicate that, within the studied sample, higher levels of emotional intelligence were associated with lower levels of problematic Internet use. The scientific significance of the study lies in providing empirical evidence on the relationship between emotional intelligence and problematic Internet use among Kazakhstani youth. The findings may contribute to further research on the psychological factors underlying young people’s digital behavior and to the development of preventive programs aimed at promoting conscious and responsible use of digital technologies.