Mind the Age Gap! How Problematic Internet Use Affects Adults’ and Emerging Adults’ Well-Being and Prosocial Consumer Behavior

Abstract

While much has been reported about the negative consequences of the pervasive presence of information and communications technologies in consumers’ everyday lives, the present research enriches the literature on problematic internet use by applying the cognitive-behavioral model in a consumer context, creating a bridge between marketing and psychology research, with novel insights and directions for future research. By means of a moderated mediation model tested on hundreds of consumers, the authors explore whether problematic internet use influences well-being through the mediation of prosocial consumer behavior and the moderation of online-social support. The results show that problematic internet use can indirectly affect individual well-being by affecting consumer choice. Managerial and theoretical implications are addressed.