161658 20251017144557.0 doi 10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100716 sideral 144302 ART-2025-144302 eng Cebollero-Salinas, Ana Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0003-2515-9029 The role of online emotions and gender in the prediction of problematic internet use: a cross-cultural study 2025 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Internet have become a fundamental part of university student's lives, where emotions play an essential role and problematic Internet use (PIU) is a worrying phenomenon in this population and has become widespread worldwide. One aspect that may be essential to know about this phenomenon is the impact of emotions online and whether socio-emotional e-competencies facilitate adaptive behaviors in virtual environments for men and women; however, not enough studies have been conducted in this regard. Hence, this research aims to fill this gap by analyzing whether online emotional content and socioemotional e-competences predict problematic Internet use in the university population from Mexico and Spain, according to gender. Participants were 1524 university students (50.2 % Spain vs. 49.8 % Mexico) with mean age M = 19.84 (SD = 3.90) in Spain and M = 19.63 (SD = 1.70) in Mexico. The findings of multiple linear regressions show that online facilitation and emotional expression are the most critical risk factors for both sexes and countries. Emotional e-independence is a protective factor against PIU for both sexes, especially in men in both countries and Mexican women; e-self-control of impulsivity is a specific factor in the prediction of PIU, while in Mexican men, it is emotional e-regulation. Research contributions and educational implications are discussed. info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S57-23R info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by-nc-nd https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.es info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Gaeta-González, Martha Leticia Cano-Escoriaza, Jacobo Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-8422-9213 Denoni-Buján, Magalí Yael Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-9650-4745 4001 215 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Ciencias de la Educación Área Didáctica y Organiz. Esc. 19 (2025), 100716 [9 pp.] Computers in Human Behavior Reports 2451-9588 784404 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/161658/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2567870 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/161658/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:161658 articulos driver 2025-10-17-14:13:32 ARTICLE