The overuse of the internet has become a major concern, as more people acquire a dependent on it that resembles the patterns of behavioral addiction seen in substance use. Recent data continue to corroborate this trend, indicating that problematic internet use (PIU) is becoming more common among university students globally. This study examined social anxiety and problematic internet use among undergraduate students: moderation by light triad traits. A total of 500 Nigerian undergraduates (male = 287, female = 213), ages 16–29 years (Mean = 22.64, SD = 3.023), from various faculties, including Social Sciences (69%), Biological Sciences (21.8%), Arts (5.5%), and Agriculture (3.8%). The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ), and Light Triad Scale (LTS), respectively. Correlational and moderation analyses revealed that social anxiety significantly predicted problematic internet use (β = .10, p < .01). Among the Light Triad traits, empathy significantly predicted problematic internet use and moderated the relationship between social anxiety and problematic internet use (β = -.00, p < .01), whereas compassion and altruism did not have significant predictive or moderating effects. The findings suggest that empathy serves as a protective factor, reducing the impact of social anxiety on maladaptive internet use. It is recommended that interventions targeting the enhancement of empathy among undergraduates may help mitigate problematic internet behaviors associated with social anxiety.

Keywords: Altruism, Compassion, Empathy, Light triad, Nigerian, Problematic internet use, Social anxiety, Undergraduates.