Digital Wellness

Are you addicted to your phone? Using the term “addiction” when discussing activities involving technologies is a metaphor. It is intended to portray behaviors that are similar to what is experienced during a drug addiction (Essig, 2012), but it is not an actual addiction. Granted, the metaphor is successful because it relates the experience of being “out of control”. It is proposed that counselors and educators approach problematic behavior from more of a perspective of “wellness” and healthy behaviors - as opposed to approaching it from an addiction model or concept. Digital Wellness is the optimum state of health and well-being that each individual using technology is capable of achieving. The purpose of this chapter is to present the Digital Wellness Model (Royal, 2014) and provide recommendations for how the model can be implemented by users of technology. Specific strategies for promoting digital wellness are shared.

Avoiding Adverse Consequences From Digital Addiction and Retaliatory Feedback

This chapter looks at the role of the participation continuum in helping to improve relationships that have been damaged as a result of digital addiction. Digital addiction in this context refers to what happens when a person with a compulsion who is not getting that compulsion fulfilled turns to the Internet and other digital technologies in order to fill the void. The chapter is a case study of two people called Person D and Person G in order to make them anonymous. Using medical and other records, it was found that a number of different interventions using the participation continuum could have resulted in changes in the relationship in either holding it together or preventing one party from posting malicious and defamatory comments. The chapter found that a theoretical model, with algorithmic principles applied, called the transitional flow of persuasion model would be able to understand the impacts of digital addiction and provide a means to remedy it.

Psychological Traits, Addiction Symptoms, and Feature Usage as Predictors of Problematic Smartphone Use Among University Students in China

This study investigates the effects of psychological traits (i.e., procrastination, leisure boredom, and impulsivity) and addiction symptoms on problematic smartphone use. Data were collected from a multistage random sample of 649 university students. The results showed that procrastination, impulsivity [including sensation seeking and (lack of) perseverance], symptoms of addiction (e.g., inability to control craving, withdrawal, and complaints), and frequent usage of smartphone features for instrumental, relational, expressive, and informational purposes were significant predictors of problematic smartphone use.

Gratification, Loneliness, Leisure Boredom, and Self-Esteem as Predictors of SNS-Game Addiction and Usage Pattern Among Chinese College Students

This study investigated the relationships between perceived social network sites (SNS)-game addiction and gratifications, loneliness, leisure boredom, self-esteem, and usage of SNS-games. Data were gathered from a sample of 342 college students aged 18 to 22 in mainland China. Factor analysis yielded a three-factor gratifications structure (achievement, inclusion, and entertainment) based on the 11 motives for playing an SNS game obtained in a focus group. As hypothesized, loneliness and leisure boredom were found to be significant predictors of the level of SNS-game use and likelihood of addiction. SNS-game addicts tended to be male, lonely, often leisurely bored, and motivated by winning virtual money and gaining a sense of achievement. However, self-esteem was not a significant predictor. Implications for university administrators and suggestions for future research were discussed.

Social Capital, Self-Esteem, Popularity, Need for Accessibility to Friends, and Stress Predict Cyber Technology Use

The authors examined social capital, self-esteem, popularity, need for accessibility to friends, and stress as gendered predictors of cyber technology use in 149 undergraduates. The authors investigated four kinds of cyber technology use: social networking, texting, internet surfing, and MP3 player listening. Stress was the most consistent predictor of cyber technology use in men (social networking, texting, and MP3 player listening), while popularity was the most consistent for women (social networking, texting, and MP3 player listening). Furthermore, self-esteem inversely predicted use of internet surfing in men and MP3 player listening in women. On the other hand, the social capital dimension of bridging online which is establishing weak social ties, predicted the use of both internet surfing and MP3 player listening in men and women. The authors extended the literature by establishing gendered social-cognitive dimensions of cyber technology use among undergraduates in the United States.

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.

The Impact of the Internet in Twenty-First Century Addictions

In the era of digital technology, the internet has its significant role in sprouting vulnerability toward the different form of addictions and psychiatric disorders as well as providing the platform to manage them effectively. The internet provides ready access to illicit drugs, nonprescription medications which facilitate a sale of controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription which contributed to the rise of several forms of addictions. Studies have linked the severity of Problematic Internet Use to increase chances of substance Use disorder. Utilization of internet for longer durations serves as a booster for behavioral addictions like online gambling. Web based interventions on the positive side provides a cost effective, readily accessible and user-friendly platform to reach out majority of patients to help them in seeking treatment of Addictions and various psychiatric disorders. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the contribution of the internet in a positive and negative way to develop as well as resolve Psychiatric disorder.

The Effect of Parental Demographics on Parental Assessment of Adolescent Internet Addiction

This article investigates how adolescent Internet addiction is assessed by parents based on children's Internet use time and parental demographic characteristics. The authors measured children's level of Internet addiction based on Young's scale evaluated by their parents to mitigate the social desirability bias in self-reported surveys when children evaluate themselves. Based on Korean General Social Survey data, which is nationally representative in South Korea, they analyzed 219 individuals and found that as the time of Internet use of children increased, the level of Internet addiction evaluated by parents increased. In addition, this relationship was moderated by parental demographic characteristics such that higher age, lower educational attainment, and higher Internet use time tend to decrease the parental evaluation of their children's Internet addiction. Results suggest that policies and programs related to children's Internet addiction should be focused more on parents from specific demographic groups.

The Role of Social Networking in the Social Reform of Young Society

Social networks are virtual communication sites that allow its participants to connect, building relationships, and collaborate on social issues. It became part of our lives and spread rapidly among youth. Young people join these sites to keep strong relationships with friends and to make new ones. Therefore, it is important to investigate the factors that influence the intention to use social networking sites (SNSs) to gain better position in the social reform among young people. This study developed an integrated theoretical model which has five major factors that predict the intention to use SNSs. An empirical test was conducted, where a sample of 302 university students and an instrument containing 27 items was used. The results provide consistent evidence that all hypothesized positive associations exist except for the isolation variable. After taking into account different demographic and attitudinal variables, Facebook use still predicted respondents' social reform. The future work might focus on a specific context such as the effects of using social networks on education, and focus on students' environment in education and the influence of social network. Detailed results, conclusions and future work are stated in later sections.

Exploring Online Dating in Line With the “Social Compensation” and “Rich-Get-Richer” Hypotheses

Computer-mediated communication offers a range of potentially appealing features, including selective self-presentation, social presence control, and simultaneous as well as asynchronous interaction tools. The study examines the influence of personality (introversion and extraversion) and personal variables (social anxiety and public self-consciousness) on online dating preferences from two competing perspectives: the “social compensation” (SC) hypothesis and the “rich-get-richer” (RGR) hypothesis. Survey results (N = 162) revealed that the SC and RGR hypotheses do not hold true within the context of online dating. The findings suggest a stronger role of social influence (e.g., peers) in the decision to online date. The SC and RGR hypotheses may be limited in terms of the extent to which these frameworks adequately explain this online behavior. This may also be due to the increasing popularity of online dating sites, which may make personality and personal traits less informative of whether individuals will opt to use such services.