Predicting Dysfunctional Internet Use

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.

Communication Between Real-World and Cyber-World

Racism is one of the oldest, most oppressive issues along with other extreme forms of social communications. Nevertheless, the internet has already led to the opportunity of cyber-racism that occurs more surreptitiously and aggressively than before. This study commences by unravelling the abstractions of conventional-racism and cyber-racism, and it introduces the global stakeholders' approaches and counter measures, in particular the EU and the USA and their regulated and non-regulated practices to combat cyber-racism. This paper shall then bring forward informative argumentations on how the stakeholders' perspectives on cyber-racism can be scrutinised by focusing on both values of being human (individualism) and a reconciled global-society (cosmopolitanism) towards contemporary debates in the sociology of education and technology. In this conceptual thinking, even though hate-mongers are using internet technology to spread their hatred what is the acceptable action for us to do in the subject of internet governance?

Being Online in Emerging Adulthood

Internet revolutionized our lifestyle. New generation devices like smartphones and tablets allow us to be always connected: the web represents a significant part of our days. These epochal changes bring with them questions about the potentialities and the risks of web 2.0. This chapter introduces a research whose purpose is to investigate the relationships between Online and Offline lives in Emerging Adulthood. Starting by the concept of functional organ (Leont'ev, 1972) and inverse instrumentality (Ekbia & Nardi, 2012), the goal of the study is to go beyond the research on web addiction, and start to explore a model able to predict why some emerging adults have their life empowered by the web and while others get trapped in the problematic use.

Social Media and Identity

The present chapter aims to explore the relationship between social media and identity by reviewing theoretical frameworks as well as empirical studies on the topic. Considering the complexity of the concept of identity, a multidisciplinary theoretical approach is provided, including Psychological Theories, Sociological Theories and Communication Theories. These theories are revisited in the context of online identity formation and communication through social media. Different aspects of identity such as gender identity, professional identity, political identity etc., are discussed and illustrated through empirical studies in the field. Moreover, the role of social media as a factor that might either promote or hinder identity development is also discussed (e.g., phenomena such as cyber-bulling and internet addiction). Finally recommendations and suggestions for future research are provided, including the need for multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to the investigation of the relationships between social media and identity.

Factors for Resistance to the Use of Mobile Banking

In spite of the great potential for the development of mobile banking in Brazil, since the banking index reaches more than half of the population and the number of internet users is even higher, this potential is not evenly distributed among the age groups in the country. Taking into account the tendency to resist new technologies as one ages, this chapter aimed to identify the factors that lead the Brazilian population aged 45 years or over to use the internet and, within this spectrum, identify the barriers to the adoption of mobile banking technology. A questionnaire was applied and 113 responses were analyzed and categorized between functional and psychological aspects in these barriers. This chapter presents the results of this research.

Factors Influencing Online Shopping Behavior of Urban Consumers in India

This study examines the factors influencing online shopping behavior of urban consumers in the State of Andhra Pradesh, India and provides a better understanding of the potential of electronic marketing for both researchers and online retailers. Data from a sample of 1500 Internet users (distributed evenly among six selected major cities) was collected by a structured questionnaire covering demographic profile and the factors influencing online shopping. Factor analysis and multiple regression analysis are used to establish relationship between the factors influencing online shopping and online shopping behavior. The study identified that perceived risk and price positively influenced online shopping behavior. Results also indicated that positive attitude, product risk and financial risk affect negatively the online shopping behavior.

Mobile Devices and Advertising

This chapter discusses ways of rethinking and reconfiguring advertising models and tools, in order to explore all the potential of mobile devices. The chapter presents a literature review on perceptions and opportunities related to mobile devices and advertising, focusing themes such as branded content, branded apps, advergames, second screening and m-commerce. It also presents results from an exploratory qualitative study conducted in Portugal on perceptions about mobile devices and advertising, based on 4 focus groups with users of mobile devices aged between 18 and 35 years old. The empirical results show that users have negative perceptions and attitudes towards traditional advertising models, such as banners, pop-ups and pre-videos on YouTube. On the contrary, they use some branded apps and value both engagement and community building and providing useful services and information. Thus, opportunities, possibilities, preferences and dislikes were discussed.

Life-Value of Young Smartphone Users

In recent years, Smartphone users are increasing rapidly. Moreover, Smartphone users' age occupies from young to old. In the past, studies focus on Smartphone users generally targets the office workers rather than younger users. Yet, previous studies do not talk about the income and life-value of younger users. Therefore, the significant value of this study is different compare to older research. In this research, it will use qualitative study to discuss the importance of Smartphone for younger users and to find out the facts how Smartphone interacts with their meaning of life. The result indicates six results at the end of this research paper, there are sharing, group identity, recording, relation, function, and time.

Supporting Students' Mental Health and Academic Success Through Mobile App and IoT

Smartphones have become devices of choice for running studies on health and well-being, especially among young people. When entering college, students often face many challenges, such as adaptation to new situations, establish new interpersonal relationships, heavier workload and shorter deadlines, teamwork assignments and others. In this paper, the results of four studies examining students' well-being and mental health as well as student's perception of challenges and obstacles they face during their academic journey are presented. In addition, a mobile application that acts as a complement to a successful tutoring project implemented at the authors' University is proposed. The application allows students to keep their schedules and deadlines in one place while incorporating virtual tutor features. By using both, the events from the student's calendar and his or her mood indicators, the application sends notifications accordingly. These notifications encompass motivational phrases, time management guidelines, as well as relaxation tips.

The Trend of Mobile Malwares and Effective Detection Techniques

The usefulness of mobile phones nowadays has gone beyond making calls and sending text messages. In fact, most of applications available on desktop computer are presently easily accessible on mobile devices, especially smartphone based on Androids, iOS, and Windows phone platforms. However, at the same time, malware is increasingly becoming pervasive on a mobile platform for financial, social and political exploitation. This chapter examines the trends of mobile malware and different efforts of anti-malware writers and researchers in addressing mobile malware on smartphones.