3,681 research outputs found

    An exploratory study on internet addiction, somatic symptoms and emotional and behavioral functioning in school-aged adolescents

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    Objective: In the last two decades there has been a significant transformation regarding the use of new technologies. Despite growing acknowledgement concerning the different activities and functions of digital technologies, there remains a lack of understanding on how technology overuse may negatively impact both physical and psychosocial well-being. Although researchers have begun to explore the meaning and implications of excessive Internet use in non-clinical populations of children and adolescents, there is still little consistent knowledge on the topic. This study aimed to extend existing knowledge on the excessive use of the Internet among school-aged adolescents, focusing on its association with recurrent somatic symptoms, depressive risk and behavioral and emotional problems. Method: Two hundred and forty adolescents (51.9% females) aged between 10 and 15, participated in this study. Data was collected using the Children’s Somatization Inventory, the Internet Addiction Test, the Children’s Depression Inventory, the Youth Self Report and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Structural Equation Model analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Approximately 21.8% of participants reported excessive Internet use based on Young’s criteria. Higher levels of Internet use were associated with somatic and depressive symptoms as well as emotional and behavioral problems. Depressive Symptoms predicted both Internet Addiction (b = 0.304, p < 0.001) and Internalizing (b = 0.542, p <0.001) and Externalizing problems (b = 0.484, p < 0.001). Internet Addiction also significantly predicted both Internalizing (b = 0.162, p = 0.02) and Externalizing problems (b = 0.183, p = 0.02). Finally, Structural Equation Modeling showed that the indirect effect of Depressive Symptoms (via Internet Addiction) on Internalizing or Externalizing problems were significant. Conclusions: Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and to identify the mechanisms linking Internet use, somatic symptoms and adaptive functioning

    Personality profiles and problematic internet use in a sample of Italian adolescents

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    Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between specific personality profiles and Internet use in a sample of Italian adolescents. Method: Four hundred thirty-two adolescents (58.3% males) with an average age of 14.41 years (SD=.95) were enrolled in the study. Participants were administered the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory – Adolescent Form (MMPI-A). A two-step cluster analysis was relied according to IAT items’ scores. Results: Participants were grouped into three clusters labeled “Regulated Internet users” (n=180), “Involved with Internet activities” (n=105), and “At risk for problematic Internet use” (n=147). Consistently, the group at-risk for problematic Internet use showed higher IAT score and MMPI-A scores than the other groups, while no differences emerged between the group of regulated Internet users and the group of those involved with Internet activities. For the group at risk for problematic Internet use, the MMPI-A Clinical Scales on Paranoia (Pa) and Schizophrenia (Sc) showed the highest elevation, indicating a MMPI-A codetype 6-8/8-6 which describes adolescents with ego immaturity, dysregulated affects and behaviors, and reduced reality testing. Conclusions: Adolescents at risk for developing a dysfunctional use of the Internet may have little insight, bizarre beliefs, grandiose thought, and a persecutory view of the external world that may limit their capacity to counteract feelings of hopelessness and anguish. They could perceive the Internet as safe environment where it is possible to express such dysregulated feelings and behaviors, and to cope with emotional distress

    A Review of Cyberloafing Predictors in Literature

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    Surfing the Internet for personal purposes during working hours is known as cyberloafing. Employers consider cyberloafing as a counterproductive behavior that causes productivity losses. Researchers, however, have demonstrated to find cyberloafing beneficial for the employees' social and emotional needs. It is essential to investigate the causes of cyberloafing to predict the behavior and recommend the appropriate workplace Internet use policies in favor of employee productivity. This paper will provide the main tested cyberloafing predictors in the literature. This paper will provide academic information necessary for establishing future researches on cyberloafing

    Development and Maintenance of Self-Disclosure on Facebook: The Role of Personality Traits

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    This study explored the relationships between Facebook self-disclosure and personality traits in a sample of Italian users. The aim was to analyze the predictive role of Big Five personality traits on different parameters of breadth and depth of selfdisclosed behaviors online. Facebook users, aged between 18 and 64 years of age (Mage = 25.3 years, SD = 6.8; N = 958), of which 51% were female, voluntarily completed an online survey assessing personality traits and Facebook self-disclosure. Results at a series of hierarchical regression analyses significantly corroborated the hypotheses that high extroverted and openness people tend to disclose on Facebook a significant amount of personal information, whereas high consciousness and agreeableness users are less inclined to do it. Furthermore, more extroverts and agreeableness people develop less intimacy on Facebook, differently from those with high levels of openness. Results also corroborated the hypothesis of a full mediation of time usage in the relationship between personality factors such as extroversion and conscientiousness with breadth of Facebook self-disclosure. Overall, according to the findings of the current study, personality traits and Facebook self-disclosure become central both as predictive variables for depicting the different profiles of potential addicted and as variables to help educators, teachers, and clinicians to develop training or therapeutic programs aimed at preventing the risk of Internet addiction. Limitations of the study are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested

    Magic mirror on the wall: Selfie-related behavior as mediator of the relationship between narcissism and problematic smartphone use

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    Objective: Recent research has suggested that problematic smartphone use is associated with several psychological factors and that mobile apps and smartphone-related behavior (i.e. selfi e behavior) may encourage the development of problematic smartphone use. However, little is known about how the interplay between dysfunctional personality characteristics and selfi e-related behavior can infl uence problematic smartphone use. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between narcissism and problematic smartphone use, as well as the mediating role of selfi e-related behavior in this relationship among young men and women. Method: In the current study, a total of 627 undergraduate students (283 males and 344 females) completed a cross-sectional survey. A structural equation model was tested separately for males and females in order to evaluate the associations between narcissism, selfi e-related behavior and problematic smartphone use. Results: The results showed that greater narcissism was related to increased selfi e-related behavior, which in turn were positively associated with problematic smartphone use both for males and females. However, selfi e-related behavior mediated the relationship between narcissism and problematic smartphone use only for females. Conclusions: The study provides fresh insight into our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying problematic smartphone use, which may inform prevention and treatment interventions

    Internet addiction: a systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade

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    In the last decade, Internet usage has grown tremendously on a global scale. The increasing popularity and frequency of Internet use has led to an increasing number of reports highlighting the potential negative consequences of overuse. Over the last decade, research into Internet addiction has proliferated. This paper reviews the existing 68 epidemiological studies of Internet addiction that (i) contain quantitative empirical data, (ii) have been published after 2000, (iii) include an analysis relating to Internet addiction, (iv) include a minimum of 1000 participants, and (v) provide a full-text article published in English using the database Web of Science. Assessment tools and conceptualisations, prevalence, and associated factors in adolescents and adults are scrutinised. The results reveal the following. First, no gold standard of Internet addiction classification exists as 21 different assessment instruments have been identified. They adopt official criteria for substance use disorders or pathological gambling, no or few criteria relevant for an addiction diagnosis, time spent online, or resulting problems. Second, reported prevalence rates differ as a consequence of different assessment tools and cut-offs, ranging from 0.8% in Italy to 26.7% in Hong Kong. Third, Internet addiction is associated with a number of sociodemographic, Internet use, and psychosocial factors, as well as comorbid symptoms and disorder in adolescents and adults. The results indicate that a number of core symptoms (i.e., compulsive use, negative outcomes and salience) appear relevant for diagnosis, which assimilates Internet addiction and other addictive disorders and also differentiates them, implying a conceptualisation as syndrome with similar etiology and components, but different expressions of addictions. Limitations include the exclusion of studies with smaller sample sizes and studies focusing on specific online behaviours. Conclusively, there is a need for nosological precision so that ultimately those in need can be helped by translating the scientific evidence established in the context of Internet addiction into actual clinical practice

    A relationship between personality traits and Internet addiction in a sample of Albanian university students

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    The internet is one of the most important inventions that has brought the world together. It has changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we learn. The internet takes a major part of our time, and research has shown that people struggle to find the balance between being online or offline. When this escalates to the level of addiction, we have a major problem. Even though this is now a worrying problem, just a few investigations have been made into understanding the relationship between internet addiction and its potential risk factors. This study aims to explore and understand the relationship between personality traits and internet addiction in a sample of Albanian university students. To date, the researcher could not identify any existing studies that examine internet addiction and personality traits among Albanian young adults. Students from a private university in Albania were asked to complete two questionnaires, that were designed (1) to measure the presence and severity of internet addiction and (2) to measure the big five personality traits. The conclusions provided by the data analysis indicated that internet addiction had a significant negative correlation with conscientiousness but there was no other significant correlation between internet addiction and the other Big Five personality traits
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