University of Duisburg‑Essen study links internet overuse to stress, mood and temptation
A research team at the University of Duisburg‑Essen surveyed 900 German adults and monitored them for two weeks in 2025. The participants, who reported at least occasional gaming, online shopping, social‑network use or pornography, were grouped into non‑problematic, risky or pathological internet use. Their daily mood, stress levels and the urge to go online were recorded each evening. The study, published in the open‑access journal PLOS ONE, was led by Silke Müller and Andreas Oelker.
The analysis showed that people classified with problematic internet use experienced higher stress, poorer mood and greater neglect of work, education and social activities. The researchers identified “temptation” – the momentary urge to go online – as the strongest driver of continued use, outweighing stress or mood alone. As the authors put it, “Ausschlaggebend dafür, ob sie tatsächlich online gehen, ist vor allem die Versuchung.” The findings suggest that interventions targeting the urge to go online may be more effective than those focusing solely on stress or mood.
Entities: Andreas Oelker · German adults (900 participants) · PLOS ONE · Silke M. Müller · Silke Müller · University of Duisburg‑Essen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Temptation to go online was identified as the main driver for continued internet use. (Study authors)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The study was published in the open‑access journal PLOS One. (Publication record)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Participants with more severe problematic internet use reported higher stress levels. (Study findings)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Participants with more severe problematic internet use reported worse mood. (Study findings)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Co‑author Andreas Oelker said that the momentary urge to go online determines usage more than stress or mood alone. (Andreas Oelker, study co‑author)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Participants with more severe problematic internet use reported greater neglect of other activities. (Study findings)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The study surveyed 900 German adults. (University of Duisburg‑Essen researchers)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Problematic internet use is defined as excessive use of online applications leading to functional impairment or distress. (Study authors)