Abstract
Studies have identified high rates and severe consequences of Internet Addiction/Pathological Internet Use (IA/PIU) in university students. However, most research concerning IA/PIU in U.S. university students has been conducted within a quantitative research paradigm, and frequently fails to contextualize the problem of IA/PIU. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study using the focus group approach and examined 27 U.S. university students who self-identified as intensive Internet users, spent more than 25 hours/week on the Internet for non-school or non-work-related activities and who reported Internet-associated health and/or psychosocial problems. Students completed two IA/PIU measures (Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire and the Compulsive Internet Use Scale) and participated in focus groups exploring the natural history of their Internet use; preferred online activities; emotional, interpersonal, and situational triggers for intensive Internet use; and health and/or psychosocial consequences of their Internet overuse. Students’ self-reports of Internet overuse problems were consistent with results of standardized measures. Students first accessed the Internet at an average age of 9 (SD = 2.7), and first had a problem with Internet overuse at an average age of 16 (SD = 4.3). Sadness and depression, boredom, and stress were common triggers of intensive Internet use. Social media use was nearly universal and pervasive in participants’ lives. Sleep deprivation, academic under-achievement, failure to exercise and to engage in face-to-face social activities, negative affective states, and decreased ability to concentrate were frequently reported consequences of intensive Internet use/Internet overuse. IA/PIU may be an underappreciated problem among U.S. university students and warrants additional research.
Highlights
Each generation is more familiar with and more reliant upon the Internet
In order to address this critical gap, our research team conducted an exploratory qualitative study to investigate a range of issues relating to Internet Addiction/Pathological Internet Use (IA/Pathological Internet use (PIU)) including the natural history of Internet addiction (IA)/PIU problems; common affective, interpersonal, and situational triggers of intensive Internet use; preferred patterns of Internet activity; and adverse psychiatric, psychosocial, and health consequences of intensive Internet use
We employed focus group methods in this study because: a) the target population, university students who self-identify as Internet over-users, could directly provide insights and knowledge regarding their intensive Internet use; and b) group dialogue tends to generate rich information as group discussions inspire participants to share personal experiences and perspectives in a way that teases out the nuances and tensions of complex topics [50]
Summary
Each generation is more familiar with and more reliant upon the Internet. The number of U.S Internet users increased 257% between 2000 and 2012 [1]. In order to address this critical gap, our research team conducted an exploratory qualitative study to investigate a range of issues relating to IA/PIU including the natural history of IA/PIU problems; common affective, interpersonal, and situational triggers of intensive Internet use; preferred patterns of Internet activity; and adverse psychiatric, psychosocial, and health consequences of intensive Internet use. Findings of this qualitative research will provide a more detailed picture about IA/PIU in university students that may help us to contextualize the results from previous quantitative research and discover all relevant IA/PIU-related experiences in U.S university students
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