CLICK BAIT: PROBLEMATIC INTERNET PORNOGRAPHY USE AMONG OLDER ADULTS: Session 305

Abstract

An increasing number of people over 60 years old accessing the internet. Some accounts report that over 65% of older people in developed countries use the internet. Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is a wide-spread phenomenon that is becoming increasingly prevalent in contemporary society. While only Internet Gaming Disorder was identified by the DSM-V as a condition of further study, growing evidence supports that a variety of other internet-based activities can impede function and cause distress. These online based activities include among others gambling, use of social media, online shopping and pornography. More evidence is emerging of problematic internet use among older population. Some authors suggest that older age predisposes to increased rates of certain kinds of PIU over others, including certain kinds of games and streaming of online media. Other studies conclude that older patients might be using more pornography as their ability to engage in sexual intercourse is more limited. This might have particular effects on the quality of their intimate relationships and their mental wellbeing. Gender seems to be another factor that associates with different PIU types. For example, while men in general might be more susceptible to all types of PIU, women tend to be more likely to engage in problematic online shopping, chatting and social media. PIU has been linked to worsening physical health due to sedentary lifestyle and worsening mental health due to suffering consequences such as financial strain and loneliness. Other risk factors for PIU in older populations include the presence of GAD or OCD symptoms. There are public health implications in terms of better understanding the risk of PIU in the elderly. The elderly may be especially vulnerable to PIU, because of decreased mobility and dwindling social circles which might lead to increased reliance on online shopping and social media for connecting to others. In turn increased internet use might lead to diminished use of other more adaptive coping mechanisms and at the expense of deepening or maintaining real world relationships. As pornography use increases in the elderly, so does the opportunity for compulsive or impulsive use of pornography. Diminishing cognitive reserve and executive function in the elderly may be predispose these individuals to engage in more PIU due to impaired impulse control. Furthermore, patients with Parkinson's disease who take agonists might be at higher risk of PIU. There is evidence that increased PIU may be increasing loneliness in older adults which in turn has been connected to increased incidence of suicide. Because certain platforms and activities might be more likely to lead to the development of PIU, targeting the delivery of online services and platforms to the elderly may positively affect public health.