scholarly journals Facing Life Problems Through the Internet. The Link Between Psychosocial Malaise and Problematic Internet Use in an Adolescent Sample.

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Venuleo ◽  
Lucrezia Ferrante ◽  
Simone Rollo

Scholars have highlighted the role of negative affect as key correlates of Problematic Internet Use (PIU). According to the assumption that Internet-related behaviours can be seen as mechanisms to cope with everyday life (Kardefelt-Winther, 2017), the present study aims to explore the relation between PIU and psychosocial malaise, expecting that adolescents with high levels of social anxiety, negative emotions, and loneliness are more likely to be associated to the problem group of Internet users. Measures of PIU (GPIUS–2), social anxiety (IAS), negative affectivity (PANAS), and loneliness (ILS) were detected in a sample of 766 students attending Year 9–11 (13–19 years old; 47% females) of public high schools in the territory of Lecce (Apulia–Italy). A sub-group of problematic Internet users was identified (n = 185) and a control group was selected (n = 187). A logistic regression was applied to estimate the effect of psychosocial variables on the differentiation between problematic and control Internet users. Results of the present cross-sectional study show that a higher level of social anxiety, negative emotions, and loneliness increases the probability of belonging to the group of problematic Internet users. No significant differences between males and females were found in GPIU levels. The findings show that, for a better understanding of PIU onset and maintenance among adolescents, it is important, to take into account the life problems which may lead young people to overindulge in Internet use.RésuméLes scientifiques ont mis en lumière le rôle de l’affect négatif comme corrélat significatif de la dépendance. Partant de l’hypothèse que les comportements dans Internet peuvent être vus comme des mécanismes d’adaptation à la vie quotidienne (Kardefelt-Winther, 2017), notre étude visait à explorer la relation entre la cyberdépendance et le malaise psychosocial. On s’attendait à ce que les adolescents affichant un degré élevé d’anxiété sociale, d’émotions négatives et de solitude fassent partie du groupe d’internautes à problème. Des indicateurs de la cyberdépendance (GPIUS-2), de l’anxiété sociale (IAS), de l’affect négatif (PANAS) et de la solitude (ILS) ont été relevés dans un échantillon de 766 élèves de la 9e à la 11e année (13 à 19 ans; 47 % de filles) choisi dans des écoles secondaires publiques du territoire de Lecce (Apulia, Italie). Un sous-groupe d’internautes cyberdépendants a été défini (n=185) et un groupe contrôle sélectionné (n=187). Un modèle de régression logistique a été appliqué en vue d’estimer l’effet des variables psychosociales sur la différenciation entre joueurs cyberdépendants et joueurs du groupe contrôle. Les résultats de l’étude transversale montrent qu’un degré plus élevé d’anxiété sociale, d’émotions négatives et de solitude augmentait la probabilité d’appartenir au groupe d’internautes cyberdépendants. Aucune différence notable n’a été constatée entre les hommes et les femmes quant au degré de cyberdépendance. Les résultats indiquent qu’une compréhension plus fine du développement de la cyberdépendance et de sa persistance chez les adolescents devra tenir compte des problèmes vécus dans leur vie personnelle qui les inciteraient à un usage excessif d’Internet.

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 651-655
Author(s):  
Milica Jelkic ◽  
Mirko Dolic ◽  
Ivana Popovic ◽  
Bojan Nikolic ◽  
Igor Radulovic ◽  
...  

Background/Aim. The debate about diagnostic criteria for differences and similiraties as psychosocial characteristics of pathological Internet users and Internet and substance addicts still continued. The aim of the study was to investigate the differences between empathy and psychopathy among subjects with pathological Internet use (PIU) and opiate dependence. Methods. The cross sectional study was performed at the Methadone Center of the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia, with 40 consecutively recruited patients with opiate dependence (OD group) and compared to age matched (25 to 35 years) random online recruited subjects (n = 80). They were divided into two groups: 40 subjects with PIU and 40 controls according to cut-off score of 39 or less obtained at Questionnaire regarding the Internet use assessment. The questionnaires for sociodemographic data, Emotion Specific Empathy (EMI) questionnaire and Psychopathy Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) were applied. Descriptive statistics, _2-tests, ANOVA and MANOVA analysis were used for data assessment which was performed by the SPSS software (version 20.0) and p < 0.05 was applied. Results. There were more differences among psychopathy dimensions than empathy dimensions among PIU subjects, controls and heroin dependent subjects. The PIU group demonstrated the lowest psychopathy dimensions except for the lifestyle dimension which was higher than in the control group. On the contrary, the PIU group showed the highest empathy, with two dimensions as the most prominent ones: empathy with negative emotions and emotional reactions provoked by empathy. Conclusion. The PIU subjects are characterized by high empathy and low psychopathy. These findings suggest that it would be useful to consider seriously the dimensions of empathy and psychopathy when developing strategies to prevent PIU and planning educational programs for persons with problems related to the Internet overuse disorder.


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):  
Kavya Rajanna ◽  
Shreyaswi M. Sathyanath

Background: Internet usage is ubiquitous, especially among young population in urban India. The present study aims to assess the burden of problematic internet use and to determine its association with depression, anxiety and stress among adolescents in urban South India. We have also assessed the role of parental/care giver factors in internet usage among the adolescents.Methods: This was a school based cross sectional study among two high schools in urban field practice area. The students were administered validated questionnaire on sociodemographic details, parental/care giver factors, pattern of internet usage, problematic and risky internet use screening scale as well as depression, anxiety and stress scale-21.The descriptive data was analysed as proportions and associations were determined using Chi square tests.Results: 24% of students had PIU and this was significantly associated with stress, depression and anxiety. 33% had stress and class of studying was found to be the only significant determinant. Almost half (48%) had depression and class of studying, type of family as well as mother’s occupation were the significant determinants. Half (50%) had anxiety with the significant determinants being age, class of studying, type of family, type of school, religion and father’s education. The only common factor found to significantly affect internet usage was parental rule setting and supervision.Conclusions: Depression, stress and anxiety were associated with PIU. Setting and enforcing reasonable rules while maintaining trust and emotional support is essential to protect adolescents from the harmful effects of problematic internet usage.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-418
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Ioannidis ◽  
Sarah A. Redden ◽  
Stephanie Valle ◽  
Samuel R. Chamberlain ◽  
Jon E. Grant

ObjectiveProblematic internet users suffer from impairment in a variety of cognitive domains. Research suggests that COMT haplotypes exert differential effects on cognition. We sought to investigate differences in the genetic profiles of problematic internet users and whether those could shed light on potential cognitive differences.MethodsWe recruited 206 non-treatment seeking participants with heightened impulsive traits and obtained cross-sectional demographic, clinical, and cognitive data as well as the genetic haplotypes of COMT rs4680 and rs4818. We identified 24 participants who presented with problematic internet use (PIU) and compared PIU and non-PIU participants using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi square as appropriate.ResultsPIU was associated with worse performance on decision making, rapid visual processing, and spatial working memory tasks. Genetic variants were associated with altered cognitive performance, but rates of PIU did not statistically differ for particular haplotypes of COMT.ConclusionThis study indicates that PIU is characterized by deficits in decision making and working memory domains; it also provides evidence for elevated impulsive responses and impaired target detection on a sustained attention task, which is a novel area worth exploring further in future work. The effects observed in the genetic influences on cognition of PIU subjects imply that the genetic heritable components of PIU may not lie within the genetic loci influencing COMT function and cognitive performance; or that the genetic component in PIU involves many genetic polymorphisms each conferring only a small effect.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 107-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisayoshi Morioka ◽  
Osamu Itani ◽  
Yoneatsu Osaki ◽  
Susumu Higuchi ◽  
Maki Jike ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 82-91
Author(s):  
Marta Kożybska ◽  
Olga Szpak ◽  
Jacek Kurpisz ◽  
Zofia Lebiecka ◽  
Kinga Flaga-Gieruszyńska ◽  
...  

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