Fear of missing out (FoMO) and internet use: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and aims FoMO has been considered a predisposing factor toward excessive internet use, and a great deal of literature has investigated the link between FoMO and internet use. However, there is still a lack of cohesion in the literature. Methods The current study have been conducted and reported in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Results In the current systematic review and meta-analysis of 86 effect-sizes, representative of 55,134 participants (Mean age = 22.07, SD = 6.15, females = 58.37%), we found that the strength of the trait FoMO- internet use association significantly varies from r = 0.11 to r = 0.63. In some populations, FoMO appears to increase with age and it is reverse in other populations. Facebook use was unrelated to FoMO in some populations, and higher FoMO was linked with stopping Instagram use for some individuals. The FoMO- internet use association was independent of their severity, as the interaction was not significant, and this association was neither linear nor curvilinear. The FoMO-internet use association does not appear to be associated with depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms or level of life satisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic was the only significant moderator of the FoMO-internet use association, strengthening this relationship. Discussion and Conclusions FoMO demonstrates a considerable role in internet use; however, there is no evidence of interaction or bi-directional association between the mentioned. Overall, we still don’t know what factors contribute to individuals exhibiting distinct patterns in the FoMO-internet use association.

EXCESSIVE INTERNET USE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN A POPULATION OF NORTH LIMA

Currently, the internet use in conjunction with mobile devices is one of the resources that is increasingly used in the population, however its excess consumption can generate consequences at the mental level of the person. The research objective is to determine the Excessive Internet Use during the COVID-19 pandemic in a population of North Lima. In the results, we observe that, excessive internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic, 67 (59.3%) of the participants have a mild addiction to the internet use and 46 (40.7%) have a moderate addiction to internet use. It is concluded that strategies should be sought to guide parents towards proper management of the Internet use in their children and thus reduce dependence on the Internet use.

Young people's use and experience of the Internet during the COVID-19 lockdown:

No studies we are aware of have explored youth’s experiences of the association between their Internet use and well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown. To fill this void, we used survey data of a representative sample (N = 734) of young Norwegians (16–26 years) collected a few weeks into the lockdown in May 2020. Findings show a substantial increase in use of several Internet activities—in particular, video calls and streaming services. Snapchat and Messenger were the most important services to keep in touch with friends. Online social support significantly predicts higher well-being, while heavy Internet use during a regular lockdown day significantly predicts low well-being, particularly among the older females. Analysis of free text responses shows that excessive Internet use during lockdown has led to poor well-being among many, both mentally (38 percent) and physically (17 percent). Many describe purposeless online scrolling or interactions as problematic. We conclude that future research on online well-being should focus more on perceived level of meaningful online activity.

Eating disorders symptoms and excessive internet use in adolescents: the role of internalising and externalising problems

Background Both eating disorders and excessive internet use represent significant health issues for contemporary adolescents. Yet, the link between them has seldom been investigated. We aim to study this association through their common underlying psychological factors: internalising problems and externalising problems. Methods A representative sample of 7,083 adolescents (Mage = 13.48 years; SDage = 1.32; 50.3% girls) from Slovakia was obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) project in 2018. Study variables included the Excessive Internet Use Scale (EIU) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Eating disorders symptoms (EDS) were assessed by SCOFF and selected items from the Eating Disorder Screen for Primary Care (ESP). Data were analysed separately for boys and girls with Structural Equation Modelling. Results There was a partial correlation between EDS and EIU (r = 0.36 for boys and r = 0.29 for girls) after controlling for the internalising and externalising of problems. Internalising and externalising problems were positively associated with EDS, while EIU was only associated with externalising problems. The results were comparable for both genders. Conclusion The study provides evidence that, during adolescence, EDS and EIU are related and have a tendency to occur together. Also, they are related even when controlled for their shared underlying psychological factors, namely the emotional and attentional/behavioural difficulties.

Personality Correlates of Gaming and Pornography Use

Internet use has become a prominent part of everyday life, with some individuals using the internet as a tool and others for entertainment. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether individuals with certain personality traits are more likely to engage in excessive internet use behaviors.

Internet Addiction in Mexican Medical Students and Family Functioning

Introduction: Internet addiction is a deterioration in the control of the Internet, manifested in various cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms. Internet addiction affects family functioning by generating problems in relationships with family members. The disturbed functioning of the family also makes individuals vulnerable to internet addiction. Objective: To determine the relationship between family functioning and internet addiction. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, survey-type observational study was carried out on 358 students of the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico. to measure the presence of internet addiction. Result: A prevalence of 28% for internet addiction was found in medical students. Conclusions: This research found that following Olson's model, family functioning is not significantly related to internet addiction. The overall prevalence of internet addiction was higher than that found in other countries. Since the family plays an essential role in preventing internet addiction, it should be considered to reduce excessive Internet use.

Association patterns of cannabis abuse and dependence with risk of problematic non-substance-related dysregulated and addictive behaviors

Co-occurrence of drug misuse with other dysregulated behaviors is common. This study was aimed at exploring the associations between the risk of presenting a clinically relevant condition involving non-substance-related addictive or dysregulated behaviors (as measured by the MultiCAGE CAD-4 screening), and cannabis abuse/dependence (CAST/SDS) scores, and the role of gender therein. Participants were recruited using stratified probabilistic sampling at the University of Granada. Mann-Whitney’s U tests were used to compare male and female students in SDS and CAST scores. Associations between gender and MultiCAGE scores were estimated using the γ ordinal correlation index, and tested with χ2. For each MultiCAGE dimension, a Poisson-family mixed-effects model was built with either SDS or CAST as the main input variable, while controlling for nicotine and alcohol dependence, and relevant sociodemographic variables. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were computed for SDS/CAST effects, and the significance threshold was family-wise Bonferroni-corrected. Gender differences were significant for cannabis dependence/abuse and all MultiCAGE scores for non-substance-related conditions, with males showing higher risk scores for excessive gambling, excessive internet use, excessive video gaming, and hypersexuality, and females presenting higher scores in dysregulated eating and compulsive buying. Cannabis dependence and abuse were significantly associated with a higher risk of problematic video gaming. These associations were mostly driven by males. Importantly, although risk of problematic video gaming was specifically associated with cannabis abuse/dependence, there was only a weak non-significant association between problematic video gaming and alcohol use scores. Risk of alcohol use problems, in turn, was strongly associated with all other non-substance-related problems (problematic gambling, excessive Internet use, dysregulated eating, compulsive buying, and hypersexuality). These differential associations can cast light on the etiological similarities and dissimilarities between problematic substance use and putative addictive behaviors not involving drugs.

ASSOCIATION OF INSOMNIA WITH EXCESSIVE INTERNET USE AMONG PHYSICAL THERAPY STUDENTS IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN

Purpose: Objective of this study was to determine the association of insomnia with excessive internet use among physical therapy students in Lahore, Pakistan. Methodology: It was an analytical cross sectional study which was completed in 6 months duration. Sample size of 220 male and female students were taken by non-probability convenient sampling technique from four private universities of Lahore, Pakistan. Insomnia severity Index and Internet Addiction Test used to measure the degree of insomnia and internet addiction among participants. The variables were measured in categorical form and chi square test used to establish the association between the variables. Findings: Out of 69 average online users, 31(44.9%) were not having significant insomnia, 29(42%) with sub threshold insomnia, 8(11.6%) with moderate insomnia, and 1(1.4%) with severe insomnia. Out of 113 participants with occasional problems, 26(19.5%) were not having significant insomnia, 29(21.8%) with sub threshold insomnia, 55(41.4%) with moderate insomnia, and 23(17.3%) with severe insomnia. Insomnia and internet addiction were significantly associated and there was a strong positive relationship between the variables. Recommendations: It was recommended that more studies should be done with larger sample size. Experimental studies should also be done on this topic. It was also recommended that Internet usage in university students should be restricted and monitored by the authorities like parents, hostel wardens etc. This could minimize the incidence of insomnia among students. This could improve the academic performance of students and also be helpful in improving their quality of life. Students should only use internet when required.