Comparison of Problematic Internet and Alcohol Use and Attachment Styles Among Industrial Workers in Korea

Psychopathological factors associated with problematic alcohol and problematic Internet use in a sample of adolescents in Germany

Prior research shows a link between alcohol use and problematic Internet use among adolescents. This relationship likely indicates a vulnerability to addiction; however, little is known about factors that may increase this vulnerability. One potential factor is social motivation. Adolescents often engage in Internet use and alcohol use as a way of connecting socially. This study examines the moderating effects of social motivation for Internet use on the relationship between problematic Internet use and alcohol use among adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 582 adolescents selected randomly from one middle school and one high school in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Participants answered questions related to demographics/background (including reasons for Internet use), problematic Internet use, and alcohol use. Hierarchical regression modeling examined the moderating effects of social Internet use on problematic Internet use and alcohol use, controlling for age and gender. Social Internet use and problematic Internet use accounted for a significant amount of variance in alcohol use (R2 = .126, F(4, 575) = 20.77, p < .001). When the interaction term was entered, social Internet use was found to moderate the relationship between problematic Internet use and alcohol use (β = .525, t = 3.293, p = .001), and the direct effects of social Internet use (β = -.062, t = -0.663, p = .507) and problematic Internet use (β = -.129, t = -1.053, p = .293) were no longer significant. This study highlights the role that social connections may play in contributing to problematic Internet use and alcohol use among adolescents. Interventions aimed at preventing problematic and addictive behaviors among adolescents should address the role of social motivations.

Background Problematic Internet use is an important emerging public health problem. Among youth, the link between problematic Internet use and other risky behaviors needs to be define. The National Institute on Drug Abuse was recently questioning if this new problem can explain the downward trend in substance use among young people. The objective of the systematic review is to explore the association between Internet use (with an average time measure and a problematic Internet use measure) and psychoactive substance use (alcohol, cannabis) among youth. Methods Empirical studies meeting inclusion criteria were chosen from important databases and then screened. Quality assessment and narrative synthesis were executed giving the high heterogeneity. Forty-three studies were eligible. Results A majority of studies found a positive association for the association between Internet problematic use and alcohol use, and between Internet problematic use and cannabis use. High heterogeneity in the assessment of alcohol and cannabis use made the synthesis a great challenge. Studies with substance use assessment that were reflecting a higher risk measure more often found a positive association. Conclusions Despite the diversity of the measures used, it seems that Internet use has a potential association with alcohol and cannabis use among youth around the world. When addressing risky behavior such as substance use among youth, professionals should also address problematic Internet use. Further studies are needed to assess the longitudinal impact of Internet use on youth substance use. A golden standard on how to assess alcohol and cannabis use among youth would be welcomed and certainly help future knowledge synthesis. Key messages Internet problematic use has a potential positive association with alcohol and cannabis use among youth around the world. Prevention programs for youth addressing risky behavior should include problematic Internet use, an important emerging public health problem.

Background Adolescence is a period marked by significant physical, psychological, and emotional changes as youngsters transition into adulthood. During this time, many adolescents consume alcohol, and in some cases, this leads to binge drinking, a behavior associated with various health risks and other problematic behaviors. However, knowledge about binge drinking in this population remains limited. Additionally, many adolescents engage in intensive technology use, which has been linked to mental health issues and substance abuse. Stress is often considered a precursor to both alcohol consumption and problematic internet use. In this context, emotional regulation could serve as a protective factor. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between stress, problematic internet use, emotional regulation, and binge drinking among adolescents using structural equation modeling. Methods A cross-sectional survey was completed by a sample of 876 high school adolescents (63.57% female, mean age 16.86 years). Data were collected using an online survey, which included sociodemographic information and measures of perceived stress, emotional regulation, excessive alcohol consumption, and problematic internet use. Problematic alcohol use was assessed using several questions adapted from the ‘Survey on Drug Use in Secondary Education in Spain’. Results Problematic internet use emerged as a mediator between stress and binge drinking, suggesting that stress contributes to the development of problematic internet use, which in turn increases the likelihood of binge drinking. Furthermore, stress was negatively correlated with emotional regulation, indicating that inadequate emotional management may predispose adolescents to problematic internet use and binge drinking. The complex interplay between stress, emotional regulation, problematic internet use, and binge drinking underscores the need for comprehensive interventions targeting these factors among adolescents. Conclusions The results provide insights into potential pathways linking stress and binge drinking via problematic internet use and highlight the importance of emotional regulation as a protective mechanism against maladaptive behaviors.

Aboujaoude's review of problematic Internet use is a timely contribution to the literature on a poorly understood behaviour that has apparently caught the attention of the media more than that of mental health professionals. And, while psychiatrists and clinical psychologists seem to be sceptical about many aspects of the problematic Internet use, concern in the community about the adverse effects of the Internet use seems to be growing exponentially. This revolves mainly around two issues. The first is the impact of violent video games and other violent online content; the second is what has increasingly been referred to as "Internet addiction". The focus of this commentary will be on the latter issue. The problem starts with terminology, as the appropriate name for the condition or behaviour often labelled "Internet addiction" is not clear. Progress in this area can hardly be made without first reaching a consensus as to what terms to use. "Internet addiction" is a troublesome term, not only because of its pejorative connotations, but also because there is no evidence that this is really an addictive disorder, i.e., that it is characterized by the hallmarks of substance addiction such as tolerance and withdrawal. If adopted without sufficient evidence, "Internet addiction" will clearly be an arbitrary term. It is appropriate to be cautious and retain more descriptive and "neutral" terms, such as problematic (or problem) Internet use. Other terms have also been proposed, e.g., "pathological use of electronic media" 1, but "Internet addiction" still seems to dominate the literature and professional jargon. The terminological rigour should go hand in hand with conceptual clarity. A part of the reason for the ongoing struggle with terminology is the lack of clarity about the key features of problematic Internet use. Several features have been proposed, but many of them seem to overlap and boil down to the basic two characteristics. The first pertains to the aspects of Internet use, described as excessive or compulsive, along with preoccupation with and loss of control over the Internet use. The second refers to various adverse consequences of spending too much time on the Internet, such as neglecting social activities, relationships, health and work or school duties, and altering sleep and eating habits in a detrimental way. Further research is needed to ascertain more precisely to what extent these features characterize problematic Internet use. Problematic Internet use appears to be too heterogeneous as a concept. It has been suggested that it consists of at least three subtypes: excessive gaming, problematic sexual behaviour, and e-mail/text messaging 2. The Internet may also be used excessively and with negative consequences to gamble, shop, or chat. These different purposes of using the Internet may be associated with different patterns of use, different underlying psychopathology, and different adverse consequences. It may then be inappropriate to lump together all the instances of problematic Internet use and perhaps more useful to consider online gambling as a manifestation of pathological gambling, Internet-related problematic sexual behaviour as a feature of a sexual or some other disorder, and so on. In accordance with this approach, we have formulated and tested preliminary criteria for problem video game use 3, but these require further study. "New" disorders or patterns of behaviour may be no more than alternative expression of various psychopathological entities. Accordingly, it has been debated whether addictive disorders, including problematic Internet use, represent primary conditions in their own right or whether they can be better understood as a manifestation of some underlying psychopathology or poor coping, that is, a "secondary addiction" 4,5. Various mental and other disorders often co-occur with problematic Internet use, which suggests that in many cases the latter may be conceived of as being related to the former. The co-occurring conditions and corresponding dimensions of psychopathology include depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety disorders (especially social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder), sleep disturbance, substance use disorders, impulse control disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, personality disorders and traits (especially borderline, narcissistic, antisocial, and avoidant), and psychotic disorders. Several issues should be addressed when elucidating whether and when problematic Internet use is primary or secondary. First, prospective studies need to ascertain the sequence in the development of problematic Internet use and psychiatric disorders. Second, it is important to understand to what extent the relationship between problematic Internet use and the associated psychopathology is specific. Finally, treatment of individuals with problematic Internet use crucially depends on whether an underlying condition accounts for problematic Internet use, as that condition should then be targeted by treatment. There have been calls to conceptualize problematic Internet use as a mental disorder, include it in the DSM-V, and classify it as a "compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorder" 2. However, doing so seems premature in view of the following: a) it is not yet clear whether and how problematic Internet use can be distinguished from a pattern of behaviour usually labelled by others as undesirable or disturbed; b) the boundary between normal and problematic Internet use has not been established; c) it remains to be ascertained whether problematic Internet use possesses conceptual validity, including distinct presentation and sociodemographic and neurobiological correlates, internal homogeneity, and sufficient longitudinal stability with distinct course, prognosis, and response to treatment. Not endowing problematic Internet use with the status of a mental disorder would prevent its psychiatric reification at the time when so little is known about it, while fostering an open-minded attitude towards further research.

Problematic Internet use and problematic alcohol use from the cognitive–behavioral model: A longitudinal study among adolescents

Background/aimIt is known that various temperament and character dimensions, and parenting styles could be associated with problematic internet and smartphone use. This study aimed to examine the association between temperament, character, and parenting styles and problematic smartphone and internet use in nonclinical female teenagers.Materials and methods244 nonclinical female adolescent were included the study. Young’s Internet Addiction Test Short Form, Smartphone Addiction Scale, Junior Temperament and Character Inventory and Parenting Style Scale were used for collecting data.ResultsProblematic smartphone use was significantly negatively correlated with cooperativeness character type, strictness/supervision, and acceptance/involvement subscales of the parenting style scale. A significant correlation was found between problematic internet use and acceptance/involvement, strictness/supervision subscales of Parenting Style Scale. In ANOVA analysis, it was found that the authoritative parenting style was associated with less problematic use, and the neglectful, authoritarian, and indulgent parenting styles were associated with increased problematic use. A negative correlation was found between the cooperativeness character style and problematic smartphone use.ConclusionAccording to our results, parenting style is more important for problematic internet and smartphone use among female adolescents than temperament and character.

Problematic technology use needs to be tackled so that children and adolescents can reap positive benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background and aimsCognitive control and reward-related abnormalities are centrally implicated in addiction. However, findings from longitudinal studies addressing neurocognitive predictors of addictive behaviors are mixed. Further, little work has been conducted predicting non-substance-related addictive behaviors. Our study aimed to assess predictors of substance and non-substance addictive behaviors in a community sample, systematically evaluating each neurocognitive function's independent influence on addictive behavior.MethodsAustralians (N = 294; 51.7% female; M[SD] age = 24.8[4.7] years) completed online neurocognitive tasks and surveys at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Self-report scales assessed problematic alcohol use, addictive eating (AE), problematic pornography use (PPU), and problematic internet use (PUI) at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Linear regressions with bootstrapping assessed neurocognitive predictors for each addictive behavior across a 6-month period.ResultsNeurocognition at baseline did not predict AE or PUI severity at 6-month follow-up. Less delay discounting at baseline predicted higher PPU at 6-month follow-up (β = −0.16, p = 0.005). Poorer performance monitoring at baseline predicted higher AE at 3-month follow-up (β = −0.16, p = 0.004), and more reward-related attentional capture at 3-months predicted higher AE at 6-month follow-up (β = 0.14, p = 0.033). Less reward-related attentional capture (β = −0.14, p = 0.003) and less risk-taking under ambiguity (β = −0.11, p = 0.029) at baseline predicted higher PUI at 3-month follow-up. All findings were of small effect size. None of the neurocognitive variables predicted problematic alcohol use.Discussion and conclusionsWe were unable to identify a core set of specific neurocognitive functions that reliably predict multiple addictive behavior types. However, our findings indicate both cognitive control and reward-related functions predict non-substance addictive behaviors in different ways. Findings suggest that there may be partially distinct neurocognitive mechanisms contributing to addiction depending on the specific addictive behavior.

Adolescents frequently show risky behavior, and these problematic behavior patterns often do not occur in isolation, but together. Problematic alcohol use is widespread among youth, as is problematic use of the Internet and of specific online applications (video games or social media). However, there is still a lack of findings for minors regarding the relations between these behavioral patterns (particularly between problematic alcohol use and problematic gaming or problematic social media use). Standardized instruments were used to survey problematic alcohol use, problematic gaming, problematic social media use, problematic Internet use and mental health among 633 adolescents (mean age: 15.79 years). Bivariate correlation and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. The correlation analyses showed statistically significant positive bivariate relationships between all four behavioral patterns each. Antisocial behavior was related to all problematic behavioral patterns. Whereas, emotional distress, self-esteem problems and hyperactivity/inattention were associated with substance-unrelated problematic behavior patterns only. Anger control problems were related to problematic alcohol use and problematic gaming. In adolescence, the findings revealed small effect sizes between substance-related and substance-unrelated problematic behavior patterns, but moderate to large effect sizes within substance-unrelated behavioral patterns. Similarities and differences were found in the relations between the behavioral patterns and mental health.

“Belonging without being”: Relationships between problematic gaming, internet use, and social group attachment in adolescence

Self-compassion is a psychological construct associated with enhanced well-being, which, to a lesser extent, has been examined in relation to addictive behaviors. The present study aims to: (1) examine gender differences in self-compassion, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and problematic Internet and smartphone use; (2) analyze the relationships among these variables; and (3) determine whether self-compassion moderates the association between anxiety and depressive symptomatology and problematic Internet and smartphone use. The sample consisted of 953 Spanish secondary school students aged 13 to 18 years (M= 15.42,SD= 1.17; 55.0% females). Significant gender differences were found in all study variables except problematic Internet use, with females reporting higher levels of anxiety, depression, and problematic smartphone use, and males scoring higher in self-compassion. Moderation analyses revealed that depression and anxiety were positively associated with both problematic Internet smartphone use, while self-compassion showed negative associations with both outcomes. Significant interactions were observed, with stronger positive associations between anxiety and depression and both problematic Internet and smartphone use at higher levels of self-compassion. Our results underscore that association between depressive and anxiety symptoms and problematic Internet and smartphone use in adolescents varied across levels of self-compassion, supporting its consideration in interventions targeting behavioral addictions.

Although a surge of interest has recently emerged in investigating the simultaneous problematic use of various technology-based tools, the findings are still inconclusive. The present web-based survey aimed at examining whether (a) personality traits, coping strategies, and sociodemographics are associated with problematic internet, smartphone, and SMS use among Greek users and (b) personality traits mediate the relationship between maladaptive coping strategies and problematic use of the three media. A cross-sectional study. A convenience and snowball sample of 1016 participants (84.4% female, mean age of 30.3 years) completed the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-9 (PIUQ-9), the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS), the Self-Perception of Text Message Dependency Scale (STDS), the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire 4+(PDQ-4+), and the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief COPE). Shared predictors between problematic use of the three technology-based tools were younger age and low educational level, the coping strategy of substance use, and the narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent personality disorders. Predictors of problematic internet and smartphone use were coping strategies of emotional support, self-distraction, and behavioral disengagement. According to structural equation models (SEM) models, cluster C personality disorders fully mediate the relationship between maladaptive coping strategies and problematic use of technology-based tools. Addressing factors that predispose (i.e., personality traits), precipitate, or maintain problematic use (i.e., coping strategies) can lead to effective and cost-saving preventive (i.e., screening of vulnerable groups) and therapeutic efforts (i.e., teaching adaptive coping strategies).

BackgroundDigital technology use is nearly ubiquitous among young adults; this use provides both benefits and risks. The risks of technology use include maladaptive technology use or technology addiction. Several conceptualizations of these addictions have emerged, each with its own assessment tools. These conditions include problematic internet use (PIU), internet gaming disorder (IGD), and social media addiction (SMA). These conditions have been associated with health outcomes such as problematic alcohol use, sleep disorders, and mental illness. These maladaptive technology conditions have been most commonly studied in isolation from each other.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine PIU, IGD, and SMA together to better inform future research approaches and provider screening practices for young adults.MethodsThis cross-sectional survey study was conducted using Qualtrics panel-based recruitment and survey hosting. We recruited US young adults aged 18-25 years. The survey assessed PIU, IGD, and SMA. Survey measures also included assessments of problematic alcohol use, sleep, depression, and anxiety. We evaluated the frequency of and overlap in positive screening scores among PIU, IGD, and SMA and modeled each condition using multivariate logistic regression. Finally, we calculated sensitivity and specificity, as well as the positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the screening tools using the most prevalent maladaptive technology type.ResultsOur 6000 participants had an average age of 21.7 (SD 2.5) years. Of these 6000 participants, 3062 (51.03%) were female, 3431 (57.18%) were Caucasian, 1686 (28.1%) were in a 4-year college program, and 2319 (38.65%) worked full time. The mean PIU score was 3.5 (SD 3.1), and 53.58% (3215/6000) of participants met the criteria for PIU. The mean IGD score was 2.7 (SD 2.6), and 24.33% (1460/6000) of participants met the criteria for IGD. The mean SMA score was 7.5 (SD 5.7), and 3.42% (205/6000) met the criteria for SMA. Across all 3 maladaptive technology use diagnoses, there were varied associations with demographic variables and similar overlap with health outcomes. The sensitivity of PIU screening to detect IGD was 82% and to detect SMA was 93%, whereas the specificity and positive predictive value were much lower (37%-54% specificity; 6%-37% positive predictive value).ConclusionsThis cross-sectional survey screened a large national sample of adolescents and young adults for PIU, IGD, and SMA to determine prevalence and overlap, demographic associations with each, and associations between these technology-related conditions and health outcomes. There was overlap across PIU, IGD, and SMA in some associated demographic variables and health outcomes. However, the patterns in the associated variables demonstrated unique qualities of each of these conditions.

Problematic Internet and smartphone use is associated with serious mental health problems. We thus investigated the effectiveness of psychological interventions on problematic Internet and smartphone use. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched in PubMed, PsyArticles, PsycInfo, Medline and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed experimental and quasi-experimental research published between 2008 and 2021. A total of 10 studies accompanied by 14 effect sizes were included in the meta-analyses for problematic Internet use and 3 studies accompanied by 4 effect sizes for problematic smartphone use. The total sample size was n = 1439 with a mean age of 20.34 (SD = 6.63) years. Psychological interventions were effective for both problematic Internet use (g = -1.41, 95% confidence interval = [-1.90, -0.91], p < 0.001) and problematic smartphone use (g = -0.40, 95% confidence interval = [-0.79, -0.01], p < 0.001). Current evidence indicates that psychological interventions can be effective in reducing problematic Internet use/problematic smartphone use. However, the results must be considered preliminary due to the limited number of studies available in the respective fields.