Problematic Internet use and physical health

Background and aims: A considerable body of literature has emerged over the past two decades assessing the relationship between problematic or addictive use of the Internet and various indices of psychological well-being. Conversely, comparatively little research has assessed the relationship between problematic or addictive use of the Internet and one's physical health. Method: The current study assesses this relationship using a sample of college students (N = 133) who responded online to two questionnaires: the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ; Demetrovics, Szeredi & Rózsa, 2008) and the SF-36v2 Health Survey (Ware et al., 2008). Results: The findings indicate that problematic Internet use is associated with poorer physical health. These results are consistent with other data that assessed the relationship between these two variables. Furthermore, this relationship supersedes the influence of the number of hours spent online per day. Conclusions: The findings are discussed in terms of the limitations of the study design and conclusions that can be drawn from this preliminary empirical effort

The mediating effect of self-esteem, depression and anxiety between satisfaction with body appearance and problematic Internet use

Background and objectives: Given that dissatisfaction with bodily appearance can sometimes lead to the avoidance of personal contacts and the increase of internet use, this study examines this relationship. The direct role of dissatisfaction with bodily appearance along with the possible mediation effects of depression, anxiety and self-esteem were tested. Methods: A total of 694 participants completed an online questionnaire (58.5% male, mean age 21.5 years), containing measures on problematic internet use, depression and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and satisfaction with body image. Path analyses were used to test direct and indirect effects. Results: Satisfaction with body appearance had a significant negative direct effect on problematic internet use among both sexes. Though, satisfaction with body appearance had a positive effect on self-esteem and negative on anxiety, neither self-esteem nor anxiety had a direct significant effect on problematic internet use. The effect of dissatisfaction with body appearance was mediated via the self-esteem–depression path toward problematic internet use. Conclusions: Dissatisfaction with physical appearance seems to have a significant role in individuals’ immersing themselves in internet use

Problematic Internet Use in Residence Halls

College students are at higher risk to develop problematic internet use (PIU) than the average person and that risk may negatively impact their college success. Since students with PIU are not violating policies, they are not being identified as having a problem through the student conduct process like other students with problems such as alcohol abuse. While research on PIU is still in its infancy, the research that has been conducted indicates that PIU is a growing problem with no agreed upon definition, diagnosis or treatment. The main purpose of this study was to determine the extent that PIU and PVP exists in residence halls on college campuses. The theoretical framework was the addiction syndrome theory (AST) and is the only current model that can be used to explain all addictions, including behavioral addictions which is the category of addiction the PIU falls under. The main measurement tool was the Young internet addiction test (IAT) which measures levels of online activity. The results of this study were inconclusive. There was a low correlation between online activity and academic performance as measured by academic probation. The weak relationship indicates that PIU may be an issue for college students and therefore may need to be considered when administrators are making policies. Whether the AST proves to be a valid conceptual framework for studying PIU and other addictions remains to be seen. The results here were inconclusive and therefore further research involving AST is needed before drawing any real conclusions

eHealth Intervention for Problematic Internet Use (PIU)

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York. Excessive use of the Internet is considered a problematic behaviour by clinicians and researchers. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been advocated for a long time as a treatment approach and has been extended to include family therapy in the recent years. As eTherapy (eHealth) has become an important component in the treatment of many mental health problems, it is prudent to explore the current status of the eHealth approach as an intervention option for this problem. This systematic review aims to examine the current development of online intervention programmes for this particular condition. The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analysis were employed to conduct the search for literature following a systematic and structured approach. Of the 182 articles screened, three satisfied the selection criteria. Information was extracted and analysed systematically for each study and tabulated. All these studies were pilot studies with small sample sizes. Two of these articles aimed to explore the therapeutic efficacy of newly developed online intervention programmes for Internet addiction (IA) and online gaming addiction. The third article described the design and development of an App for smartphone addiction. The results obtained from this review have provided insight into the on-going development of eHealth interventions as well as the health informatics approaches in offering a possible and practical solution to tackle this growing problem

Prevalence of problematic internet use in Slovenia

BACKGROUND: Internet use is an integral part of our everyday activities; however, Internet use may become problematic and harmful in a minority of cases. The majority of reported prevalence rates of problematic Internet use refer to adolescent samples, whereas epidemiological studies on representative adult populations are lacking. This study aimed to reveal the prevalence and characteristics of problematic Internet use in Slovenia. METHODS: Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) was included in European Health Interview Study (EHIS) on representative Slovenian sample. The frequency of Internet use and problematic Internet use were both assessed. RESULTS: 59.9% of Slovenian adult population uses the Internet daily, and 3.1% are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, 11% in the age group from 20 to 24 years. Those being at risk for becoming problematic Internet users are younger (mean age 31.3 vs. 48.3 for non-problematic users), more likely to be males (3.6% of males, whereas 2.6% of females are affected), students (12.0%), unemployed (6.3%) or unable to work (8.7%), single (6.5%), with high education (4.5%). Regression analysis revealed that the strongest predictor of being at risk for problematic Internet use is age (ß=-0.338, p<0.001); followed by high educational level (ß=0.145; p<0.001) and student status (ß=0.136; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: 3.1% of Slovenian adult population are at risk of becoming problematic Internet users, whereas 3 out of 20 Slovenian adolescents aged from 18 to 19 years are at risk (14.6%). Prevention programs and treatment for those affected are paramount, especially for the young generation

Hubungan Antara Loneliness Dengan Problematic Internet Use Pada Mahasiswa Selama Masa Pandemi Covid-19

The Internet has a positive impact on daily use but if it is misused it can have a negative impact, namely problematic internet use (PIU). One of the causes of PIU is loneliness. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between loneliness and PIU for Faculty of Psychology UKSW students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in this research are 122 Faculty of Psychology UKSW students. The measuring instrument used is the GPIUS Version 2 and UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. The results show that there is a positive relationship between loneliness and problematic internet use. The product moment results obtained are r = 0.246, and the significance value is 0.003 (p <0.05). That is, the higher the loneliness felt by students, the higher the problematic internet use experienced by students. On the other hand, the lower the loneliness, the lower the problematic internet use experienced. Internet memiliki dampak positif dalam penggunaannya sehari-hari tetapi jika disalahgunakan dapat memberikan dampak negatif yaitu problematic internet use (PIU). Salah satu faktor penyebab problematic internet use adalah loneliness. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui hubungan antara loneliness dan problematic internet use pada mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi UKSW selama masa pandemi COVID-19. Partisipan penelitian ini adalah 122 orang mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi UKSW. Alat ukur yang digunakan yaitu Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale Version 2 dan UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. Hasil penelitian menunjukan ada hubungan positif antara loneliness dengan problematic internet use. Hasil product moment yang diperoleh adalah r = 0,246, dan nilai signifikansi sebesar 0,003 (p<0,05). Artinya, semakin tinggi loneliness yang dirasakan mahasiswa, maka semakin tinggi problematic internet use yang dialami oleh mahasiswa. Sebaliknya, semakin rendah loneliness semakin rendah problematic internet use yang dialami.

Prevalence and factors associated with problematic internet use in a population of spanish university students

(1) Background: To examine the prevalence, and associated factors of, problematic Internet use in a sample of Spanish university students. (2) Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study of a convenience sample of 698 university students. Self-esteem, alcohol consumption, perceived social support, depression, anxiety, stress and problematic Internet use were evaluated using the Rosenberg, CAGE, DUKE-UNC-11, DASS-21 and Young’s Internet Addiction Test, respectively. (3) Results: Problematic internet use was reported by 21% of respondents. Risk of problematic Internet use was independently associated with the preferred use of the smartphone, time of exposure to the Internet, less perceived social support, problematic alcohol consumption and symptoms of stress and anxiety. We found significant association between problematic internet use and time of exposure to the Internet, residential status, alcohol consumption, self-esteem, perceived social support and psychological distress, after bivariate analysis. (4) Conclusions: A considerable prevalence of problematic Internet use was found; in our sample problematic Internet use was associated with stress, alcohol consumption, anxiety and perceived social support. Strategies aimed at the early identification of problematic Internet use may lead to an improvement in the psychosocial health of the university student population. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The Mediating Role of Bullying and Victimisation on the Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use and Substance Abuse Among Adolescents in the UK: The Parent–Child Relationship as a Moderator

Over the last decade, research into the negative effects of problematic internet use has greatly increased. The current study adopted a mediation-moderation model in exploring the relationship between problematic internet use and substance abuse (drinking, drug use, and smoking tobacco cigarettes) among 1,613 adolescents (aged 10–16) in the UK. The findings of the study revealed a significant positive correlation between problematic internet use and substance abuse, which is mediated by traditional and cyber bullying and victimisation. Furthermore, the parent–child relationship was found to be a protective factor that moderated the correlation between problematic internet use and substance abuse and the correlation between problematic internet use and traditional bullying. The study emphasises the critical need to reduce problematic internet use among adolescents as a risk factor for involvement in bullying as perpetrators and victims, in addition to substance abuse. Furthermore, the findings of the study highlight the importance of a good parent–child relationship as a protective factor among adolescents. In light of the findings of the study, interventions for reducing problematic internet use taking into account bullying and the parent–child relationship are needed among adolescents

What are the relationship between problematic Internet use and subjective well-being and self-esteem? Investigation of an adolescent sample

The aim of this research is to determine whether subjective well-being and self-esteem predict problematic internet use or not. Within the scope of the study, the differentiation of problematic internet use according to some demographic variables was assessed. The study group for the research comprised 385 high school students (203 females, 182 males) attending 6 high schools in Trabzon province. Data were collected using the Problematic Internet Use Scale-E, Subjective Well-Being Scale, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and a Demographic Information Form. The results showed there was a negative significant correlation between problematic internet use with subjective well-being and self-esteem. Additionally, it was concluded that subjective well-being and self-esteem significantly predicted problematic internet use. Problematic internet use differed according to gender, family income level, duration spent on the internet, purpose of internet use and maternal education level, while it did not differ according to class level or paternal education level