Impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on social network abuse among adolescents during COVID-19 outbreak in Italy.

Background And Aim: This paper explores the relationship between Online Social Network (OSNs) abuse, Emotional Intelligence (EI), and distress due to COVID-19 confinement among adolescents.

Methods: A sample of 226 students from North Italy aged between 16 and 18 years completed from March to June 2020 the Bergen Social Media Scale (BSMAS), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21).

Results: Females scored higher in social network use as compared to males [t (225) = 46.