Abstract:

Along with the increasing availability of the Internet and the increasing intensification of information technology in the daily life of an individual, research focuses on problematic behavior on the Internet. The purpose of this study was to analyze an overview of the latest research findings in the field of Internet addiction/problematic Internet use and life satisfaction in university students enrolled in teacher education programs. It was chosen as a systematic overview within the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) database of Palacký University in Olomouc for this pilot study. The following criteria for inclusion in the review were defined: university/college students in teacher education, research projects from the last 5 years (2016 - 2021), quantitatively oriented research, studies published in English, and the focus of research according to the aim of our study. The original intention of focusing on the target group of students in teacher education had to be modified due to the absence of such focused research to “university/college students regardless of their field of study”. Based on the analysis of research studies, it was found that there is a relationship between problematic Internet use and loneliness or anxiety about social interaction; these constructs are perceived as indicators of psychological well-being. A negative relationship was also found between problematic Internet use and life satisfaction or the level of empathy. The relationship between life satisfaction and the overuse of the Internet in relation to subjective well-being and positive emotions was found to be more significant in research groups with a predominance of women. Only one study in our sample showed no relationship between life satisfaction and Internet addiction, but only with loneliness. This study revealed a lack of studies primarily focused on university students of teaching disciplines in the context of the issues addressed.

Keywords:

Internet addiction, life satisfaction, university students.