Passion as an excuse to procrastinate: A cross-cultural examination of the relationships between Obsessive Internet passion and procrastination

The problem of excessive Internet use has received increased interest from the public and scientists alike. Published research, however, remains inconclusive regarding whether the consequences of excessive Internet use on the individual's life are entirely negative, with some studies supporting such negative effects and others rebutting them. One explanation for these conflicting results may be related to the assumption of cultural homogeneity of Internet users embedded in many existing studies. This study draws on motivational and cultural theories to examine the indirect relationships (via obsessive Internet passion) between three specific Internet uses (for social interaction, entertainment, and Internet idling) and procrastination in two divergent cultures: the United States and Russia. We found that the indirect relationships between Internet use for social interaction and procrastination are culturally contingent, whereas the indirect links between the two other Internet uses and procrastination are culturally invariant. We discuss important implications of our research for theory and practice.