Parental Reports of Adolescent Problematic Internet Use: Associations with Emotional and Behavioral Problems and Family Functioning in Cyprus

Excessive internet use among adolescents is a growing public health concern, yet data from Cyprus are scarce. This cross-sectional study used parent reports for 248 adolescents (12–17 years; 54.4% boys) to describe problematic internet use and examine associations with emotional–behavioral difficulties and family functioning. Based on published Parent–Child Internet Addiction Test (PCIAT) cut-offs, used descriptively rather than as clinically validated Cypriot thresholds, 74.2% of adolescents in this parent-reported convenience sample fell within the broader problematic internet use range. This sample-specific proportion comprised 38.3% in the mild, 33.9% in the moderate, and 2.0% in the severe PCIAT category. Adolescents using the internet > 3 h/day (n = 112) had significantly higher PCIAT scores than those using it <3 h/day (n = 136; U = 3100.00, Z = −4.72, p < 0.001). PCIAT scores correlated with conduct problems (r = 0.449), hyperactivity/inattention (r = 0.441), and total difficulties (r = 0.475), and inversely with prosocial behavior (r = −0.471; p < 0.001). Family functioning worsened across PCIAT severity categories (GF-12 means: 18.83 in the PCIAT 20–30 range vs. 29.00 in the severe range; H(3) = 28.30, p < 0.001). In multivariable regression, daily use (B = 8.02), poorer family functioning (B = 0.42), conduct problems (B = 5.28), and hyperactivity/inattention (B = 6.81) independently predicted higher PCIAT scores (R2 = 0.24), whereas emotional symptoms were not significant (p = 0.637). Findings from this convenience sample highlight the potential importance of prevention efforts targeting screen-time regulation and family relationships; longitudinal, representative, multi-informant studies are warranted.