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

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 993-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kagan Kircaburun ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Reed ◽  
Nazli I. Bircek ◽  
Lisa A. Osborne ◽  
Caterina Viganò ◽  
Roberto Truzoli

Background: Little is known about the temporal directionality of relationships between problematic internet use and personality disorders such as narcissism. Objective: Although these two constructs are related at a single time, no existent study has determined whether initial problematic internet use is more strongly associated with subsequent narcissism, or vice versa. So, the aim of the research is to verify if problematic internet use predicts the narcissism or vice versa. Methods: Seventy-four university student participants were studied over a four-month period, and completed the Narcissism Personality Inventory, and Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, at baseline and follow-up. Results: The results demonstrated a relationship between problematic internet use and narcissism at baseline. Time-lagged correlations demonstrated that problematic internet use at baseline was positively related to narcissism four-months later, but not vice versa for social media users whose use was primarily visual. This relationship did not hold for social media users whose use was primarily verbal. Conclusion: These results suggest that problematic internet use may serve to discharge narcissistic personality traits for those who use social media in a visual way, but not for those who do not engage in that form of internet use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucien Rochat ◽  
Monika Wilkosc-Debczynska ◽  
Ludmila Zajac-Lamparska ◽  
Stéphane Rothen ◽  
Paulina Andryszak ◽  
...  

Background: Seniors have been only little considered in studies examining problematic internet use and associated health issues, although they may present risk factors that make them particularly vulnerable for the development of problematic internet use.Objectives: (1) To compare Internet use and problematic use among seniors in Switzerland and Poland; (2) To examine the relationships between problematic internet use, impulsivity traits and well-being as previous studies showed that internet can be used to cope with negative emotions or life dissatisfaction.Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted between June 2016 and April 2017 with 264 older internet users aged above 60 years old recruited in Switzerland (88) and Poland (176) assessing sociodemographic variables, online activities, problematic internet use, impulsivity traits and well-being.Results: The two groups differed in their reported online activities in that Polish participants reported more searching for information and buying, whereas Swiss participants reported significantly greater problematic internet use than Polish participants. Finally, a multiple linear regression analysis performed on the whole sample indicated that lower well-being and being a Swiss participant were both significantly associated with greater problematic internet use, after age, gender, level of education, impulsivity traits have been controlled for.Discussion: Swiss seniors showed a more problematic internet use than Polish participants who focused more in their online activities on utility use of internet. The relationships between problematic internet use and well-being suggest that older adults use internet mainly to cope with negative emotion or life dissatisfaction. Socio-cultural differences that could account for these group differences as well as difference with young adults are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 100311
Author(s):  
Md. Saiful Islam ◽  
Md. Safaet Hossain Sujan ◽  
Rafia Tasnim ◽  
Most. Zannatul Ferdous ◽  
Jakir Hossain Bhuiyan Masud ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Alfredo Zarco-Alpuente ◽  
Víctor Ciudad-Fernández ◽  
Rafael Ballester-Arnal ◽  
Joël Billieux ◽  
María Dolores Gil-Llario ◽  
...  

The health and socio-economic challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic have led to greater reliance on the internet to meet basic needs and responsibilities. Greater engagement in online activities may have negative mental and physical health consequences for some vulnerable individuals, particularly under mandatory self-isolation or ‘lockdown’ conditions. The present study investigated whether changes in levels of involvement in online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., watching TV series, online sexual activities, video games, social networks, gambling, online shopping, and instant messaging) were associated with problematic internet use, as well as whether certain psychological risk factors (positive/negative affect and impulsivity) were significant predictors of these changes. A total of 1,275 participants (66.1% female, aged between 18-55 years) completed an online survey while in lockdown in Spain (April 15th-23rd, 2020). The survey assessed current engagement in seven different online activities and their engagement prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as psychological risk factors (affect and impulsivity). Most participants (between 60.8%-98.6% depending on the activity) reported no changes in participation in online activities, but there was a significant increase in weekly internet use (between 25 and 336 min). However, increased internet use was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in problematic use, except for problematic TV series watching and video gaming. Psychological risk factors considered in the study (affect, impulsivity traits) were largely minor or non-significant predictors. Thus, increased internet use during the lockdown in Spain was not related to a proportional growth in problematic usage, suggesting that these behavioral changes may constitute adaptive coping strategies in the context of the pandemic.


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