Internet addiction and loneliness among children and adolescents in the education setting: an empirical pilot study

Research into various behavioural addictions has shown that such behaviour can negatively impact psychological wellbeing. One behavioural addiction that has been increasingly studied empirically is that of Internet Addiction (IA). Despite general consensus concerning the negative effects of IA on mental health and other indices of physical and psychosocial health, little research has been done in child and adolescent populations in specific contexts. The main objectives of this study were to (i) investigate the extent of problems caused by IA in children and adolescents, (ii) determine the socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics of children and adolescents with IA, and (iii) to provide a model capable of predicting IA in the educational context among the target population. A total of 131 Portuguese school children and adolescents participated in this study. Results indicated a relatively high incidence of IA in the sample (13%). Additionally, the correlational analyses revealed associations between IA and loneliness, social loneliness, and other variables related to the educational context. Results demonstrated that IA could be predicted using a model encompassing three variables (i.e., weekly Internet usage, loneliness, and classroom behaviour). Overall, the present findings corroborated results from other studies and added to the behavioural addiction literature by examining a younger cohort than previous empirical studies

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

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

Disordered social media use and risky drinking in young adults:Differential associations with addiction-linked traits

Background Excessive or compulsive use of social media has been likened to an addiction, similar to other behavioural addictions such as pathological gambling or Internet addiction. This investigation sought to determine the degree to which personality traits associated with such disordered social media use overlap with those known to predict problematic substance use, with use of the most commonly abused legal substance alcohol as an example of the latter. Method Well‐known indices of disordered social media use, risky or problematic alcohol use, and the personality traits alexithymia, reward sensitivity, narcissism, and impulsivity were administered online to 143 men and women aged 18–35-years who were regular users of social media. The traits examined had previously been linked to substance misuse for a variety of substances, including alcohol, as presumed predisposing factors. Results After controlling for age, gender, and social desirability in hierarchical regressions, disordered social media use was predicted by narcissism, reward sensitivity, and impulsivity, whereas risky alcohol use was predicted by narcissism, alexithymia, and impulsivity. The ability of narcissism to predict disordered social media use was mediated by reward sensitivity, which was not the case for risky drinking. Conclusions Present results point to similarities and differences in addiction‐linked traits when comparing disordered social media use to risky or problematic substance use

Internet Addiction among Greek University Students: Demographic Associations with the Phenomenon, Using the Greek Version of Young's Internet Addiction Test

Internet addiction (IA) is a new disorder described in 1996 by the psychologist Kimberly Young. The aim of this paper is to estimate the percentage of IA among Greek university students. Results of a sample survey among 1876 Greek university students, 18-27 years old, are presented. The questionnaire consisted of eight questions from Young’s Diagnostic Test for Internet Addiction (YDTIA) as well as an inventory including demographic factors and questions about academic performance, computer and Internet use. YDTIA had a good reliability and diagnostic accuracy, tested with Cronbach’s alpha (0.71) and sensitivity analysis. Results show that the percentage of IA (5-8 YDTIA criteria) is 11.6%, while problematic Internet users were (3-8 YDTIA criteria) 34.7%. Men were more likely to be addicted to the Internet than women, and Internet addicted students were associated with poorer academic performance. Multiple logistic regression showed that significant predictors of IA included increased hours of daily Internet use, increased hours visiting chat rooms, sex pages and blogs, male gender, divorced status, poor grades, and accessing the Internet outside of the home. The results of this study will allow health officials to recognise students who are Internet addicted or on the verge of becoming addicted and stress risk factors indicating a need for intervention in order to prevent the appearance of IA

Resorting to Internet: A look at university students’ problematic Internet use through meaning in life, self-efficacy and self-esteem

Internet can be used in a maladaptive way to escape from or compensate perceived inadequacies or the problems experiencing in daily life. In relation to this, in this study the relationship of meaning in life, self-efficacy and self-esteem to problematic Internet use was examined. Furthermore, the role of meaning in life, self-efficacy and self-esteem in predicting problematic Internet use was investigated. The study was carried out 410 university students (280 females and 130 males) attending the different grades of various departments in a school of education in Rize, Turkey. In the study, Sociodemographic Data Form, Problematic Internet Use Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used as data collection instruments. The data were analyzed through SPSS 15.0 version and descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis were utilized in the analysis. Results showed that presence of meaning in life (r=-.26, p<.01), self-efficacy (r=-.36, p<.01) and self-esteem (r=-.29, p<.01) are negatively and significantly correlated to problematic Internet use, on the contrary, search for meaning’s relationship was found in a positive way (r=.21, p<.01). Besides, presence of meaning in life, search for meaning in life and self-efficacy emerged as significant predictors of problematic Internet use. By discussing these results in line with the relevant literature, directions were given for further studies

Internet addiction, fatigue, and sleep problems among adolescent students: a large-scale study

Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the association between Internet Addiction (IA), fatigue, and sleep problems among university students. Methods: A total of 3,000 Turkish students aged 18 to 25 years were approached and 2,350 students (78.3%) participated in this cross-sectional study from April 2017 to September 2017 in public and private universities in Istanbul. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire including socio-demographic details, lifestyle and dietary habits, Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Fatigue Scale, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]. Descriptive statistics, multivariate and factorial analyses were performed. Results: The overall prevalence of IA among the studied population was 17.7%. There were significant differences between gender, family income, father’s occupation, school performance, frequency and duration of watching television, physical activity, internet use duration, and sleep duration (all p<0.001). Significant differences were also found between participants with IA and those without IA in having headaches, blurred vision, double vision, hurting eyes, hearing problems, and eating fast food frequently (all p<0.001). Using multivariate regression analysis, the duration of internet use, physical and mental symptoms, headache, hurting eyes, tired eyes, hearing problems and ESS scores were significantly associated with (and primary predictors of) IA. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that IA was associated with poor dietary habits, sleep problems, and fatigue symptoms

The dark side of internet: preliminary evidence for the associations of dark personality traits with specific online activities and problematic internet use

Background and aims: Research has shown that personality traits play an important role in problematic internet use (PIU). However, the relationship between dark personality traits (i.e., Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, sadism, and spitefulness) and PIU has yet to be investigated. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships of dark traits with specific online activities (i.e., social media, gaming, gambling, shopping, and sex) and PIU. Methods: A total of 772 university students completed a self-report survey, including the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen Scale, Short Sadistic Impulse Scale, Spitefulness Scale, and an adapted version of the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. Results: Hierarchical regression analysis and a multiple mediation model indicated that being male was positively associated with higher online gaming, online sex, and online gambling, and negatively associated with social media and online shopping. Narcissism was related to higher social media use; Machiavellianism was related to higher online gaming, online sex, and online gambling; sadism was related to online sex; and spitefulness was associated with online sex, online gambling, and online shopping. Finally, Machiavellianism and spitefulness were directly and indirectly associated with PIU via online gambling, online gaming, and online shopping, and narcissism was indirectly associated with PIU through social media use. Discussion: Findings of this preliminary study show that individuals high in dark personality traits may be more vulnerable in developing problematic online use and that further research is warranted to examine the associations of dark personality traits with specific types of problematic online activities

God and the Machine: A Correlational Study on Mobile Phone Dependence, Religious Coping, and Mental Health

Research on the various effects of mobile phones did not begin to be published until after they had already been integrated into society. To date, the results of various studies looking into the relationship between mobile phone use and mental health demonstrate that phones, if used in problematic ways, have negative effects on mental health. Even so, there are no studies looking into problematic mobile phone use and how it correlates with spirituality and positive religious coping as well as mental health. Due to this gap in the research, this anonymous online study was designed to look into correlations between problematic cell phone use, positive religious coping, and mental health. The Adapted Cell Phone Addiction Test (ACPAT) was used to assess problematic cell phone use, the Religious Coping Activities Scales (RCOPE) were used to assess positive religious coping, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-42) were used to assess mental health

Uses and gratifications of problematic social media use among university students: a simultaneous examination of the big five of personality traits, social media platforms, and social media use motives

Recent studies suggest that users' preferences of social media use differ according to their individual differences and use motives, and that these factors can lead to problematic social media use (PSMU) among a minority of users. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the influences of (i) demographics and Big Five personality dimensions on social media use motives; (ii) demographics and use motives on social media site preferences; and (iii) demographics, personality, popular social media sites, and social media use motives on PSMU. The sample comprised 1008 undergraduate students, aged between 17 and 32 years (M = 20.49, SD = 1.73; 60.5% women). The participants completed a questionnaire comprising the Social Media Use Questionnaire, Social Media Usage Aims Scale, and Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Multiple linear and hierarchical regression analyses showed that social media use motives of (i) meeting new people and socializing, (ii) expressing or presenting a more popular self, and (iii) passing time and entertainment were associated with problematic social media use. Moreover, participants that preferred Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook reported higher scores of problematic social media use. Finally, being female, introverted, conscientious, agreeable, and neurotic were associated with PSMU. The findings offer empirical evidence for uses and gratifications theory because the findings demonstrated that (i) different personality traits predict different motives, (ii) different motives predict preference of different platforms, and (iii) different individual differences such as personality, preference of platform, and specific use motives predict PSMU

Childhood emotional trauma and cyberbullying perpetration among emerging adults: a multiple mediation model of the role of problematic social media use and psychopathology

Research suggests that a small minority of social media users experience problems as a result of their online use. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of cyberbullying perpetration and problematic social media use with childhood emotional trauma, Cluster B (narcissistic, histrionic, antisocial, and borderline) personality traits, dissociative experiences (DEs), depression, and self-esteem in a nonclinical undergraduate sample. A total of 344 university students volunteered to complete a questionnaire that included measures on the aforementioned dimensions. Thirty-eight percent of the participants had emotional neglect and 27% had emotional abuse, while 44% of them demonstrated at least one cyberbullying perpetration behavior. Results indicated that cyberbullying perpetrators had higher scores on problematic social media use, dissociative experiences, Cluster B traits, depression and childhood emotional trauma, and lower on self-esteem. Path analysis demonstrated that, while adjusting for gender and age, childhood emotional trauma was directly and indirectly associated with cyberbullying perpetration via Cluster B traits. Moreover, depression and dissociation were directly associated with problematic social media use. The findings of this study emphasize the important direct role of childhood emotional trauma and pathological personality traits on cyberbullying perpetration