scholarly journals Effects of the Internet on young people: A view from neuroscience

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linh Pham

It is unimaginable this world without the Internet given its ubiquity, power, and breadth of influence. However, Internet addiction is a real source of worry, and even comparable to substance-related addictive disorders. Changes in brain chemistry and structure resulted from the Internet use and overuse are of particular concern to researchers and educators, because of their profound effects on young people’s development. This paper discusses these impacts by looking at three specific aspects including Internet searching, gaming, and social networking. By drawing particularly on neuroscientific evidence, the paper comes to the conclusion that the Internet proves to be a valuable tool for young people provided that it is used sensibly in close connection with teachers’ guidance.  

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 645-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Molin ◽  
Emma Sorbring ◽  
Lotta Löfgren-Mårtenson

Although research on young people’s identification processes on the Internet is a growing field, few studies illustrate conditions for young people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Previous studies have shown that young people with ID are worried about being marginalized, and that many in fact are lonelier than other young people. Internet and social networking sites might be of vital importance as a space for exploring alternative and less stigmatized identities. This article reports findings from individual interviews with 27 young people with ID in Sweden. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using a thematic content analysis. A prominent finding concerned the informants being well aware of both risks and opportunities using Internet and Social Networking Sites. Consequently, the more they interacted with non-disabled peers, the more they experienced negative consequences of Internet use. These circumstances rather lead to downsizing than upsizing Internet use, and less participation on Social Networking Sites. The experiences of the informants are discussed in a conceptual framework of social identity, participation, and emancipation. We recommend that social work practitioners reflect upon the ways that support can be arranged in order to empower young people with ID to participate on the Internet.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerebih Asrese ◽  
Habtamu Muche

Abstract Introduction: Internet addiction among the youth has become a public health concern. It leads to impairments in several aspects of life. Previous studies identified individual and environmental risk factors for internet addiction. The effect of online activities on youth internet use behavior is not well investigated. This study assessed the prevalence of internet addiction and determined the roles of online activities for internet addiction among students in Bahir Dar University. Methods: Data were collected from 812 randomly selected undergraduate regular program students recruited from 10 departments. Participants completed a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Results: The results indicated that 35.2% of students were classified as being addicted to the internet. The four most important online activities students engaged on the internet are social networking (75.5%), entertainments (73.6%), academic works (72.5%), and online game (60.8%). Including online activity variables improved the explanation of internet addicted behavior over the individual and environmental attributes. Online activities explained 48.4% of the variance in internet addiction. Students who did not use the internet for social networking (AOR = .11; 95% CI: .06 - .21) and online game (AOR = .31; 95% CI: .21 - .46) were less likely to be internet addicted. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that more than one third of the participants were addicted internet users. Online activities better predict students’ addicted internet use behavior than individual and environmental attributes. Thus, university authorities and other concerned bodies need to be aware of the prevalence of IA and introduce regulatory mechanisms to limit the usage of potentially addictive online internet applications and promote responsible internet use behavior.


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.


Author(s):  
Priyanka . ◽  
R K Pal

Introduction: Excessive use of the Internet affects the academic achievements of students. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Internet addiction and the pattern of Internet use among undergraduate medical students. Method: This analytical cross-sectional study conducted on 177 undergraduate medical students in batch 2016, 2017 and 2018, who were included in this study by convenience sampling method. The study tool was  Young’s Internet Addiction Test containing questions regarding the pattern of Internet use. Data entry and analysis was done by using Microsoft excel and SPSS version 21. Qualitative data were described in terms of frequency and percentage while quantitative data were expressed as mean and standard deviation. Chi square test and multiple linear regression were used to find out the relationship between various factors and Internet Addiction (IA).  The significance level was considered 0.05. Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.3 years (± 1.19), and 62 % of the subjects were males. The prevalence rate of Internet Addiction (IA) was found to be 56.5% and 42.9% of them were in mild and 13.6% were in moderate addiction category. Being male (β= -0.143, p=0.038), staying at a hostel (β= 0.167, p=0.018), not having a time preference for using the Internet (β= -0.174, p=0.012), spending more time on the Internet everyday (β= 0.201, p=0.000), being always online (β= 0.276, p=0.000) and more years of using the Internet (β= 0.175, p=0.015) were significantly related with IA in students. Conclusion: A large proportion of medical students were found to be addicted to the Internet. Therefore, this issue should be addressed immediately.


Author(s):  
Neha Priya ◽  
Samreen Khan ◽  
Sachin Lal

Background: Internet is a boon and has certainly helped to bring the world closer. It has been a great medium for students to communicate and get information by transforming the academic landscape. However the excessive and undisciplined use of internet by individuals especially in the last decade, has led to the emergence of the concept of internet addiction. Therefore, a cross sectional study has been conducted to investigate the use of internet facility among undergraduate students from Teerthankar Mahaveer University using a validated questionnaire. There were about 42 million active internet users in urban India in 2008 when compared to 5 million in 2000. India now has the world’s third-largest national digital population, with approximately, 159 million Internet users in 2014, which is projected to reach 314 million by 2017 (IMRB 2014). The aim was to study prevalence and pattern of internet usage among undergraduate students in Moradabad. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among medical students (n=382) belonging to all the professionals of medical college, to assess the pattern of internet usage. A semi-structured proforma along with Young’s internet addiction scale was used. Results: Of the 382 adolescents who took part in the study, 150 (39.27%) were female and 232 (60.73%) were males. Their mean age was 16.20 years. Using Young’s original criteria, 22 (5.76%) were found to be addicts, 230 (60.21%) were moderately addicted, 45 (11.78%) were average users while in 85 (22.25%) of student’s internet use was less than average. Most of internet use was for social networking 183(47.9%), downloading media files 125 (32.7%), online gaming 45 (11.8%), academic purposes 10 (2.6%) and others 19 (5%). About 275 (72%) of the students were using smart phones to access the internet. Conclusions: Most of the internet usage was for the purpose of social networking (Facebook, Whats App, Mails, etc). Availability of high speed free wi-fi internet on mobile phones as well as more reliance on virtual friendship than real may be the reason for spending more time on social network websites. 


Author(s):  
Ravikiran Kamate ◽  
Sulakshna Baliga ◽  
M. D. Mallapur

Background: Internet addiction is not clinical diagnosis, but a potentially pathological behavioral pattern with symptoms: a loss of control over the behavior, preoccupation with the Internet, using the Internet to modify mood, and withdrawal symptoms. Easy access and low cost of Internet packs- are main cause of development of increased internet use in India. Internet addiction – factors like gender, environmental factors, socioeconomic status, etc. have effect on internet use.Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted during January 2016 to February 2016. Data was collected among 500 engineering students of four engineering colleges of Belagavi city using young's questionnaire. Analysis was performed using SPS 20. Chi-square applied as statistical test of significance for the association between age, sex, residence, SES and schooling. P<0.01 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: The present study revealed that 16.2 and 6.2% of participants had moderate and severe form of internet addiction respectively. With increase in age prevalence of addiction increased. Internet addiction was more among Males when compared to females. Addiction was seen more in students whose both parents were working.Conclusions: Internet addiction is an emerging form of addiction among students with males more than females mostly among engineering students who are dependent on internet for their work, carrier and completion of course Hence it's time to develop comprehensive intervention approach to promote healthy and safe internet use from family, college and peers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1750
Author(s):  
Sowndarya T. A. ◽  
Mounesh Pattar

Background: Adolescents use the Internet for a variety of activities besides gaming; they frequently engage themselves with social networking, instant messaging, blogging and downloading information. Heavy Internet use has been associated with potential side effects, such as loss of control over the use of the Internet, adverse effects on other daily activities, emotional status and communication among family members. Objective of present study to assess the prevalence of Internet Addiction (IA) and factors associated with Internet use among Urban and Rural school students.Methods: A school based cross sectional study was conducted in the urban and rural field practice area of a medical college hospital in Mangaluru. Internet addiction was assessed using Young’s Internet Addiction Test.Results: The prevalence of internet addiction among urban school students was found to be i.e. 83.3%, while it was 78% in rural school students. Mild IA was common among both.  Male gender, smart phones and hours spent on internet were common risk factor for IA in both groups.Conclusions: Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is a simple and easy tool to assess Internet addiction among adolescent school students. Need to give importance of outdoor activity and community level education needed to prevent Internet Addiction.


Author(s):  
Bahadir Bozoglan ◽  
Veysel Demirer

The past decade has seen plenty of studies focusing on Internet use and Internet addiction. This is because the Internet provides information about variety of topics all over world and is easily accessed. Arguments concerning the association between excessive use and Internet addiction are ongoing. There is not yet a clear, consensus definition of Internet addiction. In this chapter, we discuss previous research and implications for future studies regarding Internet addiction and its most studied psychosocial variables: depression, loneliness, social anxiety, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and social support.


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.


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