Online Behavioral Addictions and Self-Identity among University Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Online behavioral addictions are an increasing psychosocial concern among university students, a group simultaneously navigating a sensitive period of identity formation and consolidation. This study takes a differentiated approach to problematic digital engagement by examining distinct online addiction profiles and their associations with self-identity outcomes. Using a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, survey data from university students (aged 18-25) were analyzed using correlation, regression, and group-difference tests, and were complemented by a small set of semi-structured interviews to contextualize students’ identity-related experiences. Overall, higher problematic online engagement was associated with weaker identity resources (including self-esteem, identity stability, self-regulation, and academic self-concept) and greater identity strain (including identity confusion and identity anxiety). Associations varied by behavior: social media overuse was linked with identity confusion, validation seeking with lower identity stability, smartphone dependency with weaker self-regulation, gaming addiction with lower academic self-concept, and FoMO with higher identity anxiety. Qualitative themes echoed these patterns, highlighting online-only confidence, persistent social comparison, and difficulty maintaining a coherent offline self. Taken together, the findings support a profile-based interpretation of online behavioral addictions and point to targeted, identity-supportive digital wellbeing interventions within university settings.