Higher Levels Of Internet Addiction Research Articles

Cross-Cultural Examination of Problematic Internet Use and Associated Psychological Variables: A Comparative Study in Italy, Spain, Ecuador, and Peru.

Background: Several studies focused on the escalating prevalence of Problematic Use of Internet (PUI) and its consequential impact on mental health globally. This study investigates the relationship between PUI and associated psychological variables across different cultural contexts in Italy, Spain, Ecuador, and Peru. Method: A total of 675 participants, aged 18 to 54 (M = 22.73; SD = 4.05), completed measures assessing Internet addiction, social media addiction, Fear of Missing Out, Internet Gaming Disorder, and Phubbing. Results: Significant cultural variations were found, with Italian participants showing higher levels of Internet addiction but lower levels of social media addiction compared to other countries. Fear of Missing Out was higher in Italy, while the Italian sample exhibited lower Internet Gaming Disorder levels compared to Peru. As regards the communication disturbance caused by Phubbing, the Italian sample demonstrated significantly higher scores than the Peruvian sample. Linear regression analyses revealed distinct predictors for problematic Internet use in each country, emphasizing the importance of considering the cultural context in understanding this phenomenon. Conclusions: These findings contribute valuable insights into the interplay of cultural factors, psychological variables, and problematic Internet use, guiding future research and interventions.

The relationship between internet addiction and fear of childbirth in pregnant women.

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between internet addiction and fear of childbirth in pregnant women. The study was conducted with 200 pregnant women who applied to two hospitals in province located in eastern Türkiye between April and August 2023 and were voluntary to participate in the study. In this descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study,a"Personal Information Form", the "Internet Addiction Scale", and the "Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire" were used. The data were analyzed using independent samples t test, analysis of variance, and regression analysis. The pregnant women 40.5% expressed that they always accessed the information they sought. Pregnant women had high levels of internet addiction and fear of childbirth. In pregnant women, internet addiction was a significant predictor of fear of childbirth. With a multidisciplinary approach a preventive and supportive environment should be established in health services for the internet used during pregnancy.

Internet Addiction and Sleep Quality in Students of SMA Negeri (Public Senior High School) 9 Manado

Sleep is vital for cell regeneration and repair in the human body. Adequate sleep, typically 7-8 hours per day, is crucial for adolescents, as its deficiency can impact various aspects of their lives including physical health, academic performance, school activities, and concentration. However, numerous factors, such as internet addiction, can disrupt sleep quality. Internet addiction, characterized by excessive and uncontrollable internet usage, is particularly prevalent among adolescents and has been linked to sleep disturbances. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and sleep quality among students at SMA N 9 Manado (Public Senior High School). Employing quantitative research methods and correlation analysis, data were collected from 110 active students at SMA N 9 Manado using quota sampling techniques. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were utilized as measurement scales. Statistical analyses including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, one-way ANOVA test, and Pearson's Product-Moment correlation coefficient were performed. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation (r = 0.533, p < 0.05) between internet addiction and sleep quality among students at SMA N 9 Manado, indicating that higher levels of internet addiction were associated with poorer sleep quality. This underscores the need for interventions aimed at reducing internet addiction among students, with an emphasis on fostering self-awareness regarding internet usage behaviors. Such interventions hold promise for improving the sleep quality and overall well-being of adolescents.

Internet Addiction and Psychological Distress: Can Social Networking Site Addiction Affect Body Uneasiness Across Gender? A Mediation Model.

The Internet, with its unlimited information, revolutionary communication capabilities, and innovative potential to expand knowledge, is ubiquitous throughout the world, but it also has significant implications for users' mental health. Given the not yet clearly defined and distinguishable nosographic categories of online addiction and the resulting difficulties in describing the impact on users' mental health, the present cross-sectional study aimed to gain new insights into the relationship between Internet addiction (especially social networking site [SNS] addiction), psychological distress, and physical discomfort, as well as gender differences in impact among users. A sample of 583 Italian speakers (50.8% males; 48.7% females) with a mean age of 30.96 (SD = 12.12) completed an online survey in July 2021. A set of psychometric self-report instruments was administered to assess the study variables. Mediation analyses were performed for both the whole sample and across genders. The study found that men exhibited higher levels of Internet addiction and craving than women, but no differences were found for SNS addiction. Furthermore, indicators of psychological distress (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, insomnia, and self-esteem) mediated the association between SNS addiction and body uneasiness, with slight differences across genders. This paper contributes to the existing literature on online addictive behaviors by also highlighting gender differences. The findings underscore the need for educational experiences that can prevent problematic use of the Internet and SNSs.

Relationships between internet addiction, quality of life and sleep problems: a structural equation modeling analysis

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship between internet addiction, quality of life, and sleep problems among adolescents. MethodThis research was conducted with a representative sample of 875 adolescents. This cross-sectional study used the Internet Addiction Test, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ version 4.0, Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale, and sleep duration. Sociodemographic factors were also analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate relationships between variables. ResultsAfter adjusting the model for covariances between the latent variables of daytime sleepiness and correlations between the physical and emotional domains of quality of life, the authors obtained satisfactory fit indices (RMSEA = 0.031, CFI = 0.926, TLI = 0.909, SRMR = 0.058). Internet addiction was positively associated with daytime sleepiness (rho = 0.549, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with quality of life (rho = −0.173, p < 0.001). By contrast, sleep duration was negatively associated with daytime sleepiness (rho = −0.089, p = 0.007), positively associated with quality of life (rho = 0.105, p = 0.014), and dependent on school shift (rho = 0.453, p < 0.001). ConclusionsAdolescents with higher levels of internet addiction had lower perceptions of quality of life and higher daytime sleepiness. Moreover, sleep duration had a positive correlation with quality of life. Given its detrimental effects on quality of life and daytime sleepiness, parents should better supervise internet use in adolescents.

A quantitative analysis of factors related to adolescent cybervictimization in Spain: A multilevel logistic regression approach

Building on ecological systems theory, this study seeks to explain cybervictimization as the result of interactions among microsystems (parents and close friends), mesosystems (the school environment), and potential vulnerability factors of adolescents. Internet addiction is proposed as a key risk factor that increases adolescents’ likelihood of suffering cyberbullying. A multilevel logistic regression is performed using data from a nationally representative sample of school students in Spain aged 14–18 years (n = 35,369). The survey was carried out by the Spanish Government’s Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs. Results show that high levels of Internet addiction and a lack of support from family and friends increase the probability of suffering cyberbullying. The association between being cyberbullied and Internet addiction is stronger when students lack support from family and friends. School factors such as academic grades and repetition as well as vulnerability factors such as parents’ employment and immigrant status are also associated with higher cybervictimization levels. Implications for policymakers and public health managers are highlighted.

Studyholism and Health Outcomes: Could Internet Addiction Make the Difference?

Recently, Loscalzo and Giannini have proposed Studyholism as a possible new clinical condition, highlighting its potential antecedents and outcomes. The present study investigates the moderating role of Internet addiction in the relationship between Studyholism, academic exhaustion and insomnia. Three hundred and eighteen Italian university students (85.50% female; mean age = 22.98 ± 4.34) participated in the survey during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two moderation models were tested using the structural equation model with Mplus 7. Results showed a significant direct effect of Studyholism on both academic exhaustion and insomnia and also confirmed the moderating role of Internet addiction in the aforementioned relationships. Although there is a linear relationship between Studyholism and the outcomes, at lower levels of Internet addiction, there is a greater effect of Studyholism on both academic exhaustion and insomnia than at medium and high levels of Internet addiction. Based on these findings, we suggest screening students who report insomnia and academic exhaustion for both Internet addiction and Studyholism, as they might both contribute to these negative health-related aspects.

Validation of the Turkish version of the questionnaire of Internet use motives (MUI)

The present study adapted the “questionnaire of Internet use motives” (MUI) into Turkish based on data collected from 638 adults. Results showed that the Turkish version of the MUI has a high internal consistency (α= .88) along with convergent and discriminant validity. The confirmatory factor analysis results supported the five-factor structure of the original MUI. Internet Addiction Test Short Form (IAT-SF) was used to test concurrent validity. The results indicated a significant positive correlation between the MUI and IAT-SF (r= .83), suggesting that individuals having higher levels of MUI may also tend to have higher levels of Internet addiction. The findings indicated that the adapted scale is a reliable and valid instrument to measure motives for Internet use in the Turkish population.

Internet Addiction and the Treatment of Depression? A Prospective Naturalistic Outcome Study.

The increasing prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) has been linked with a wide range of psychological disorders, including depression. We explored how IA was prospectively associated with effectiveness of treatment for adult patients with depressive symptoms (n = 241) in the context of a New York-based outpatient clinic. Although IA was not correlated with symptoms at intake, patients with higher IA attended fewer total sessions on average. Multilevel regression modeling also revealed that patients with higher IA scores terminated treatment with higher depression scores compared with those with lower IA scores. In addition, those with higher levels of IA were more likely to exhibit rising levels of depressive symptoms toward the end of the treatment, whereas patients with lower levels of IA maintained reduced depressive symptoms through termination. These results suggest that presence of IA may predict a less successful treatment outcome for adults with depression, as IA may slow down the process of symptom reduction and correlate with relapse.

Impulsivity and Depressive Brooding in Internet Addiction: A Study With a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Lockdown.

This contribution presents a study conducted on a sample of Italian adolescents (n = 411) in the period of the first COVID-19 lockdown. The study investigated the role and predictive weight of the impulsivity and depressive brooding variables on Internet addiction, using a hierarchical regression analysis. The participants were administered the Uso-Abuso e Dipendenza da Internet [Internet Use-Abuse and Addiction] (UADI-2), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). In terms of percentage distribution, 28% of the participants were in the full dependency range, while 34.7% demonstrated Internet abuse behavior. The results highlighted not only the predictive value of impulsiveness (β = 0.323) and ruminative thinking (β = 0.258), but also the role of gender (β = −0.205) on Internet addiction. Thus, male participants showed higher levels of Internet addiction, with higher scores on impulsiveness and brooding way of thinking. The study shows that the issue in question is significantly present among adolescents; in addition, not only targeted awareness programmes but also psycho-educational and clinical interventions to promote greater emotional and cognitive control would be necessary as a preventive and mitigating measure. Psychological interventions can help increase self-awareness, develop emotional regulation and impulse control, and correct maladaptive cognitions which in adolescents are mostly driven by a ruminative cognitive style.

Exploring Internet Addiction in Italian Nurses during the COVID-19 Outbreak

(1) Background: Nomophobia is considered a digital and virtual contemporary society disorder and refers to discomfort, anxiety, nervousness, or distress caused by being out of contact with a cell phone or computer. The present study had a twofold objective: to evaluate the expert use of the Internet among Italian nurses by correlating it with socio-demographic characteristics, such as: sex, years of work experience, professional role, and level of nursing education; and to assess a possible increase in the levels of nomophobia among Italian nurses during COVID-19 compared to the pre-pandemic period. (2) Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted from April to September 2020, such as during the First Wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. (3) Results: A total of 502 nurses were enrolled in the present study. Significantly differences were reported in the IAT (Internet Addiction Test) levels according to socio-demographic characteristics since males reported significantly higher IAT levels than females (p &lt; 0.001). Nurses who worked more than 6 years reported significantly higher IAT levels (p = 0.031) than their younger colleagues. More nursing managers and coordinators reported significantly higher IAT levels than registered nurses (p &lt; 0.001). This trend was repeated by considering the nursing educational level, as nurses who recorded more years of nursing educational level reported significantly higher IAT levels than the others (p = 0.003). Additionally, significant differences were reported according to all the socio-demographic characteristics considered and IAT subdimensions, namely: Salience, Excessive Use, Neglect Work, Anticipation, and Lack of Control. (4) Conclusions: The study revealed higher levels of Internet addiction in men than in women during the COVID-19 pandemic period, as well as a significant correlation between nomophobia, years of work experience, and the role of nursing coordinator/manager.

Examining the Relationships among Internet Addiction Procrastination Social Support and Anxiety Sensitivity

In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationships between individuals' levels of internet addiction, procrastination, perceived social support and anxiety sensitivity levels. The study group consisted of 358 participants (278 women 80 men). The data were collected using Demographic Information Form, Young Internet Addiction Test Short Form, Procrastination Tendency Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3. Correlational analysis was used to determine the relations among variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether the independent variables predicted internet addiction. Procrastination (β= .38), social support (β= -.11), and anxiety sensitivity (β= .33) predicted internet addiction at a statistically significant level. It can be inferred considering this finding that, the regression model which involves procrastination, social support, and anxiety sensitivity predicts 31% of internet addiction. Individuals who are lonely have higher levels of internet addiction than those who have a statistically significant relationship, and their perceived social support levels are lower than those who have a statistically significant relationship. Based on the findings some suggestions were made.

Internet addiction, cognitive, and dispositional factors among US adults

While a growing body of literature has examined internet addiction in the context of psychological factors, most of this work has focused on younger populations outside of the United States. A sample of 898 US adults ranging from 18 to 76 years of age were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk platform to complete the Internet Addiction Test and key measures of affect, disposition, and cognitive function. A series of multiple regressions were conducted to examine Internet Addiction level as a predictor of outcome variables. ANCOVAs with Fisher's LSD post-hoc analyses were conducted using level of internet addiction as the grouping variable to examine differences between groups. Results found that Internet Addiction was a significant predictor of depression, impulsiveness, self-control, need for cognition, theories of cognitive abilities, creativity achievement, cognitive failures, smartphone use behaviors, mental rotation test, and cognitive reflection test. Further, even mild levels of internet addiction were associated with less optimal outcomes. Additionally, a significant relation between age and internet addiction also emerged such that older adults were less likely to have higher levels of internet addiction than younger adults.However, age did not appear to modulate the association between internet addiction status and key psychological variables. To further elucidate the mechanisms and impact of internet addiction throughout the life course, future studies should collect online and in-person data, from individuals across a variety of backgrounds, throughout the lifespan.

How Does Psychological Distress Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Internet Addiction and Instagram Addiction in Emerging Adults?

International research has underlined a worrying increase in Internet and Instagram addiction among emerging adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the role played by alexithymia and psychological distress due to COVID-19 has been evidenced, no study has explored their complex relationship in predicting emerging adults’ Internet and Instagram addiction. The present study aimed to verify whether peritraumatic distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic mediated the relationship between emerging adults’ alexithymia and their Internet/Instagram addiction, in a sample composed of n = 400 Italian emerging adults. Results showed that females had higher peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 than males, whereas males had higher externally oriented thinking and higher levels of Internet addiction than females. Emerging adults’ psychological distress due to COVID-19 significantly mediated the effect of alexithymia on Internet and Instagram addiction. Our findings supported the presence of a dynamic relationship between individual vulnerabilities and the co-occurrence of other psychological difficulties in predicting emerging adults’ Internet and Instagram addiction during the pandemic, with important clinical implications.

Psychological aspects of dependence on social networks of middle-aged people

This article explores the level of social networking addiction among middle-aged people. The aim of the study was to investigate the psychological aspects of social media addiction. Priority was given to studying the components of social media addiction, stress and anxiety. The respondents were middle- aged people aged 30-49 from Nur-Sultan, including 33 women and 27 men (N = 50). During the study, the level of dependence on social media was determined by the Internet Addiction Test (K. Young), anxi- ety level by the Anxiety Scale (Spielberger-Hanin), stress level by the Stress Diagnostic (K. Schreiner). The methodology was implemented by respondents online via a link. In addition to the methods, there was a question “What social network do you spend the most time on?”. As a result, 38.2% answered Whats App and 31.8% answered Facebook. According to the social media addiction test: 66% of people have a high level of addiction, 22% have a medium level and 12% have a low level. It was also found that people with high levels of internet addiction (33 people) have higher levels of personal anxiety and stress. For some people, using social media becomes the most important activity. Psychological or be- havioural dependence on social media can lead to significant impairment of functions in various areas of life over a long period of time. Therefore, the results presented in the experimental work can be used by psychologists in their work. Key words: internet, social networks, internet addiction, anxiety, stress.

Internet addiction among Czech adolescents.

Our study estimates the prevalence of Internet addiction in Czech adolescents as well as differences by gender and school type. A total of 3,950 adolescents (n=1,940 boys, n=2,010 girls) from 11 to 19 years of age (M=15.73, SD=1.99) participated in the research. They completed the Internet Addiction Test, which consists of subscales for Salience, Excessive Use, Neglect Work, Anticipation, Lack of Control, and Neglect Social Life. The results indicate that adolescent girls have higher levels of internet addiction. In boys, unlike girls, internet addiction was associated with a reduction in social relationships and interactions. Our findings show interesting differences between adolescent girls and boys and the type of school attended in the Czech population in terms of Internet addiction.

ONLINE AT RISK! ONLINE ACTIVITIES OF CHILDREN IN DORMITORIES: EXPERIENCES IN A CROATIAN COUNTY

The virtual environment available through the internet is an important domain of children’s subjective well-being. Widespread usage of information technology brings risks as well as benefits, a topic now under intensive study by professionals in multiple fields. To date there has been a lack of research about the experiences of children from group accommodation settings when navigating the virtual environment. The main goal of the present study, which involved 510 high school students living in dormitories in Split-Dalmatia County, was to determine and document patterns of internet usage and internet addiction, and to examine another internet behavior, cyberbullying. Our results show that 3.73% of the children we studied manifested a severe level of internet addiction, while about one third took part in cyberbullying as victim, perpetrator, or both. An important finding is that children involved with cyberbullying have significantly higher levels of internet addiction, suggesting a relationship between these phenomena. In the second, qualitative, phase of the study, the quantitative research findings were discussed with children, parents, teachers, and staff. Our results enable a better understanding of young people`s behaviors in the online world, and could contribute to the development of educational programs for children and young people and the promotion of evidence-based practice in dormitory settings.

Examining the Anxiety and Internet Addiction Levels of Divorced and Married Individuals

This study aims to examine the anxiety and internet addiction levels of divorced and married individuals. In this study, a statistically significant difference was found between the anxiety and internet addiction levels of married and divorced individuals, where the divorced persons had higher levels of anxiety and internet addiction than the married ones. No statistically significant difference was found between the anxiety and internet addiction levels of divorced and married individuals by gender. However, a statistically significant difference was determined between the anxiety levels of married individuals with respect to gender, where the females had higher anxiety levels than the males. In addition, no statistically significant difference was found between the anxiety and internet addiction levels of divorced individuals with respect to status of having children, whereas the level of internet addiction in married individuals varied statistically significantly according to this variable. It was noteworthy that individuals without children had significantly higher levels of internet addiction than those with children.

Academic procrastination of medical students: The role of Internet addiction.

Introduction: The internet is an essential and widely used tool for college students; however, high internet dependency can have negative consequences for students, especially regarding academic careers. Such students may tend to postpone their academic tasks. Hence, the current study examines the effect of Internet addiction on academic procrastination among medical students.Methods: We applied a cross-sectional correlational research design. 233 medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were selected through convenience sampling and participated in this study. To collect the data, we used two valid and reliable questionnaires. The first was Young's Internet addiction questionnaire (IAT-20), which consists of 20 items based on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The second was Solomon and Rothblum academic procrastination questionnaire, which consists of 18 items based on a 5 point Likert-type scale. We used Pearson correlation, independent T-test, and One-Way ANOVA to analyze the data in SPSS version 22, and considered a significance level of p < 0.05.Results: Results showed that 57.1% of the respondents were females, and the remaining were males. Findings indicated that 8 (3.43%) of the participants were classified as severe internet-addicted, and 28.85% of them had a high level of academic procrastination. The results indicated that there was a positive and significant correlation between Internet addiction and academic procrastination (r=0.39, with p<0.01). Also, there was a positive correlation between academic procrastination dimensions (writing a term paper, studying for an exam, keeping up with weekly reading assignments, performing administrative tasks, attending meetings and performing academic tasks in general) and Internet addiction (r=0.22, r=0.32, r=0.21, r=0.29, r=0.33, and r=0.23, respectively, with p<0.01). Finally, the results revealed that male students and those living in the dormitory had a higher level of Internet addiction and procrastination compared to female ones and those living at home (p<0.01). Conclusion: The findings of the current research reveal that a considerable number of students have levels of Internet addiction and procrastination; the study highlights that students with high levels of Internet addiction are more likely to be at an increased risk of negative outcomes such as insufficiently controlled Internet use.

The Role of Self-Control and Identity Status as Predictors of Internet Addiction among Israeli-Palestinian College Students in Israel

The rising immersion of the internet within global society has been associated with an increased risk of internet addiction, and prevalence rates are particularly high in Arab countries. Notably, adolescents living in Arab societies may have unique challenges that may elevate the likelihood of exhibiting internet addiction, though this population is understudied. Thus, the current work investigated whether self-control and identity style were related to internet addiction among a sample of Israeli-Palestinian adolescents. Participants (n = 500) completed self-report measures to assess the associations of self-control and four identity styles (achieved, diffused, foreclosed, and moratorium) with internet addiction. Correlational analyses and a multiple regression model were used to examine these associations. The multiple regression model demonstrated that (1) higher levels of self-control predicted lower levels of internet addiction (β = − .20, p < .01); (2) achieved (β = − .24, p < .01) and moratorium (β = − .22, p < .01) statuses predicted lower levels of internet addiction; and (3) foreclosed (β = .18, p < .01) and diffused (β = .16, p < .01) statuses predicted higher levels of internet addiction. These findings are consistent with previous literature in samples from Western cultures regarding the contribution of self-control and identity style in decreasing risky behaviors in general and addictive behaviors specifically. Thus, the current research indicates the importance of these variables in non-Western societies as well.