Internet use, misuse, and addiction in adolescents: current issues and challenges

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald E. Greydanus ◽  
Megan M. Greydanus

Abstract The Internet has revolutionized education and social communication in the 21st century. This article reviews the growing literature identifying a number of adolescents and young adults with a pathologically excessive Internet use leading to many potential consequences. Current research dilemmas in this area include that Internet addiction is a broad topic with no standard definition and no standard measurement tools. Management of youth with identified problematic Internet use or misuse centers on behavioral therapy and treatment of comorbidities. Pharmacologic approaches are limited at this time but are undergoing research, such as use of opioid antagonists and antidepressants in adults with pathological gambling. Efforts should be expanded on not only the education of all adolescents regarding the benefits but also the potential negative consequences of Internet use. It is vital that we do this for Generation Z, whereas Generation ALPHA will soon benefit or suffer from our efforts in this regard today.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-78
Author(s):  
Mercan Atalay ◽  
Göklem Tekdemir Yurtdaş

The adolescents’ perceptions of social media in relation with problematic internet use were examined in this study. The study group consisted of 209 students (113  girls, 96 boys), who were studying secondary schools in Istanbul. "Problematic Internet Usage Scale-Adolescent" and "Open-ended Questions Form on Internet and Social Networking Sites", were utilized by the researchers, and applied to adolescents in order to determine students' level of problematic use of the internet and their perceptions regarding social media. The analysis revealed that the adolescents who stated that they “needed” to use the internet had the highest level of problematic internet use.  Significant age differences among adolescents with regard to meaning of internet pointed out how the internet played various purposes to individuals in various age groups. It has been determined that students in the 11-12 age group preferred to use the internet for "entertainment” purposes more than for other purposes. It was also found that the problematic use of the internet by these adolescents was associated with their opinions about their own academic achievements - specifically those individuals who thought of themselves as "poor" students showed a higher use of the internet in correlation with high levels of negative consequences. 


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 141
Author(s):  
Samira Ranaiey ◽  
Mohammad Reza Taghavi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Goodarzi

<p class="zhengwen">Because of increased attention to PIU (Problematic Internet Use), some measure had been made, but they seem to be</p><p class="zhengwen">Inadequate, due to new issue of the internet interactions. Therefore the necessity and importance of</p><p class="zhengwen">Standard, valid and reliable tools to assess PIU and the related behaviors are clear.</p>This paper presents results of a study that develops a measure of Reasons of Using Social Networking Sites (S.N.S). The reasons were based on an article by Morahan – Martin and Schumacher. The reasons were arranged as a questionnaire. This questionnaire was completed by 156 volunteer students of Shiraz University. The results indicated that Reasons of S.N.S Use Scale is both reliable and valid. The result of factor analysis showed that two dimensions (Positive and Negative reasons of S.N.S use) explains total variance acceptably.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (04) ◽  
pp. 371-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Aboujaoude

Two decades of research into problematic Internet use have not yielded an established definition, much less an accepted treatment algorithm that is based on the psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions that have been tested. Meanwhile, technology-mediated tools that purport to curb unnecessary use of Internet-related technologies and the associated negative consequences are gaining in popularity, despite the lack of rigorous clinical trials into their efficacy and safety. Some popular new offerings that vary in browser, operating system and platform compatibility are reviewed. While they share similar goals as “traditional” treatments, they may be more efficient, scalable, and affordable. Using technology against itself may be counter-intuitive, but the popularity of these tools and their potential advantages make them worthy of researchers’ attention. Telepsychiatry platforms, which are gaining a foothold in the treatment of established disorders, may, paradoxically, also prove beneficial for the management of problematic use of Internet-related technologies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janki Jhala ◽  
Renu Sharma

Internet has been a very facilitating medium and making lives easier for many of us. Internet is increasingly becoming a channel through which people, and especially adolescents, socialize and be in constant contact with their family, relatives and friends. More than a medium of acquiring knowledge, for adolescents, it has become a medium of expression of their implicit feelings and to know what is happening in their peer group. The current research aims to study the prevalence and nature of Internet use among adolescents. Population for the research included adolescents of Vadodara District in Gujarat. A total of 1657 adolescents were taken as the sample for the study. A survey research was conducted on 1657 adolescents using a self developed questionnaire along with Young’s Internet Addiction test. Results indicate that 44.8% of the participants are Average Users of the Internet, while 14.6% of the participants belong to the category of above average users of the Internet. The present study also shows that participants use the Internet mainly for social communication and social networking sites are the most commonly used sites on the Internet.


Author(s):  
M. Mizanur Rahman ◽  
M. Taha Arif ◽  
Fready Luke ◽  
Santha Letchumi ◽  
Fatin Nabila ◽  
...  

Background: The internet has become an indispensable tool for communication, academic research, information and entertainment. However, heavy users of the internet lead to less confidence in social skills and the tendency to be isolated. The study aimed to assess the pattern of internet use and factors affecting problematic internet use among university students.Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted among the students of a university in Sarawak, Malaysia. A multistage cluster sampling technique was adapted to select the participants. Data were collected from 463 students by self-administered questionnaire. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis was done to determine the potential factors for problematic internet use.Results: The mean age of the students was 22 years, with a standard deviation of 1.6 years. Two-fifths (61.8%) of the students had no problematic internet use. However, 35.4% had moderate and 2.8% had severe problematic internet use. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis found that age of the students, year of study, duration of daily internet use and use of social networking like Skype appeared to be potential predictors of problematic internet use (p<0.05).Conclusions: This study was conducted in only one university, thus did not depict the overall scenarios of the country. The implications of the findings are still worth noting in the process of designing internet addiction studies among university students. Overall, this study has unearthed some useful insights which can serve as a guide to more elaborate studies.


Author(s):  
Aneke Dewi Rahayu ◽  
Ari Prasetyoaji

Individuals with Problematic Internet Use (PIU) who use the internet excessively, it gave the causes of the difficulties to control using the internet and bad impact of physical and mental disorder.   The research aims to show the relationship among biological, psychological, and social factors with PIU so it can be created some relation model which explain about this phenomenon. Simple random sampling is a sampling technique used of this research. Subjects used of this research were 403 individuals who were in the age of emerging adulthood. Data collection method used in this research is PIU and bio psychosocial scale which consists of three parts are biology, psychology, and social. Based on the data processing, a relationship model among biology, psychology, social, and PIU where the relationship model has a chi square score of 0.102 with a probability score of 0.061, a CMIN / DF score of 1.518, a GFI of 0.919, an AGFI of 0.971, a CFI equal to 1.00, TLI of 0.90, and the score of RMSEA 0.072 so the model was proposed as strong and acceptable category. The model shows strongest relationship is the relationship between social and PIU was 0.47, psychology with PIU was 0.22, and biology with PIU was 0.12.


Author(s):  
Benjamin Stodt ◽  
Elisa Wegmann ◽  
Matthias Brand

Internet addiction (IA) and cyberbullying (CB) represent two examples of dysfunctional Internet use (DIU) which are accompanied by negative consequences. In terms of prevention, the training of technical and reflective skills (Internet literacy) will be discussed with regard to these patterns. This study investigates the role of age, conscientiousness, and Internet literacy on IA symptoms and the participation in CB. Analyses reveal that positive attitudes towards online production and interaction and lower self-regulative skills can be associated with severe IA symptoms. Cyberbullies display less skills in reflecting on Internet content and also prove to have less self-regulative skills. Younger and less conscientious individuals are more likely to use the Internet dysfunctionally. Furthermore, significant correlations between experiences as a cyberbully and IA symptoms were found. In conclusion, the authors suggest that current media/Internet literacy curricula should be complemented by teaching reflective and regulative skills to prevent Internet users from negative consequences.


Author(s):  
Shilpa Suresh Bisen ◽  
Yogesh Deshpande

The internet is an essential and integral part of our lives, whether it's about looking for a meaning of a word, searching for a journal, shopping, or connecting to others. Human beings cannot think of life without the internet. Although it's having a positive impact, the negative side is there. Problematic internet use is defined as non-chemical or behavioral addictions, which involve human-machine interactions and can be harmful as it leads to numerous forms of psychological disorders. The chapter addresses various psychopathologies arising due to excessive internet use (e.g., problematic internet use, online gaming, online gambling, and compulsive cybersex). The chapter frames a strong theoretical background along with recent controversial issues related to the disorder. The chapter is delineated to acquaint readers with new concepts arising in clinical psychology that will help mental health professionals to be well equipped with skills required for the prevention and treatment of internet-related psychological disorders.


Author(s):  
Benjamin Stodt ◽  
Elisa Wegmann ◽  
Matthias Brand

Internet addiction (IA) and cyberbullying (CB) represent two examples of dysfunctional Internet use (DIU) which are accompanied by negative consequences. In terms of prevention, the training of technical and reflective skills (Internet literacy) will be discussed with regard to these patterns. This study investigates the role of age, conscientiousness, and Internet literacy on IA symptoms and the participation in CB. Analyses reveal that positive attitudes towards online production and interaction and lower self-regulative skills can be associated with severe IA symptoms. Cyberbullies display less skills in reflecting on Internet content and also prove to have less self-regulative skills. Younger and less conscientious individuals are more likely to use the Internet dysfunctionally. Furthermore, significant correlations between experiences as a cyberbully and IA symptoms were found. In conclusion, the authors suggest that current media/Internet literacy curricula should be complemented by teaching reflective and regulative skills to prevent Internet users from negative consequences.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 307-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
HeungSik Yoon ◽  
Shin Ah Kim ◽  
Hyeon Min Ahn ◽  
Sang Hee Kim

Background: Individuals with problematic Internet use (PIU) are known to experience increased craving for immediate monetary reward despite long-term negative consequences. What remains unclear is whether their sensitivity to monetary loss is altered. We investigated neural alterations in brain regions involved in the anticipation of a monetary reward and loss avoidance in order to advance our understanding of the characteristics of PIU. Methods: A total of 11 adults with PIU and 22 age-matched controls participated in this functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Inside the scanner, participants performed a monetary incentive learning task during which they chose one of two fractal stimuli associated with monetary gain (reward trials) or avoidance of monetary loss (avoidance trials). Results: We found that, relative to controls, activity in the posterior insula during reward anticipation was greater in participants with PIU, whereas its activity during avoidance anticipation was reduced. No group differences in activation were found during reception phases. Conclusions: Given the roles of the posterior insula in the cortical representation of somatosensory arousal, our results suggest that individuals with PIU may experience more elaborate somatosensory arousal during the anticipation of monetary reward and yet experience less elaborate somatosensory arousal during the anticipation of loss avoidance compared with typical controls.


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