Internet Use For Purposes Research Articles

Prevalence of Internet Use among Adolescents of 15 to 18 Years of Age in A Village under RHTC of A Medical College: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The environment in which today’s adolescents are growing has changed drastically and affected their access to internet as well. The study was conducted with the aim of estimating the prevalence of internet use and pattern of internet use among adolescents of a village area. Methods: About 114 adolescents of a village in Western Maharashtra belonging to age group 15-18 years participated in the study. They were selected based on the inclusion criteria of age group and willingness to participate in the study via universal sampling method and were interviewed with the help of semi-structured questionnaire, which included questions regarding socio-demography, internet use and its interrelationship with other variables. Chi-square test was used as a test of statistical significance to study the association between the predictor variable and the outcome with (p<0.05) as a level of significance. Results: The prevalence of internet use was 99.12%. Where 74% of adolescents used internet for an average of 1-2 hours in a day and 26% used internet for an about 2-4 hours in a day. Taking p < 0.05 as a level of significance we found gender was significantly associated with duration of internet use (p = 0.01) and Purpose of internet use (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Almost all adolescents have access to internet and are more inclined towards its use for non-educational purpose which can be detrimental for their educational progress and long-term career goals. Hence, monitoring of internet use by adolescents has to be done by guardians/teachers. Further studies should be conducted on cause-effect relationship to study the either way of association.

Examining the Relationship Between Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults: Analyses of Mediators and Moderators

ABSTRACT Objectives The study aimed to investigate the influence mechanism underlying the relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults. Methods Data were derived from the 2018 wave of China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using Ordinary list squares (OLS) regression analysis. To address potential endogenous issues, we employed the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method to explore the association between Internet use and depressive symptoms. Results Our findings indicate that Internet use can significantly reduce depressive symptoms and enhance mental health of older adults. Loneliness mediated the relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults, while socioeconomic status (SES) moderated this relationship. Furthermore, the four purposes of Internet use, namely online chatting, information searching, recreational activities, consumption and investment, were negatively associated with loneliness and depressive symptoms among older adults. Conclusions The findings emphasize the positive effects of Internet use on the mental health outcomes of older adults. Clinical Implications The proper use of the Internet possesses considerable promise for clinical rehabilitation, targeting the enhancement of the mental health outcomes of older adults during their later life.

Context Matters: Internet Usage and Loneliness Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Later life is often categorized by higher-than-average levels of loneliness, but individual differences are vast and not well understood. Emerging evidence indicates that broad-based contextual factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic - and the use of the internet throughout - are differentially associated with the experience of loneliness. We therefore target internet usage and loneliness among middle-aged and older adults during the pandemic and examine the moderating role of age, gender, and limiting illness therein. We applied hierarchical regression models to data from the COVID-19 sub-study Wave 1 (June/July 2020) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N= 4,790; Mage= 70.2; SD= 9.0; range: 50-90; 43.5% male). Infrequent internet use was associated with less loneliness compared to very frequent users - an association that strengthened with age. Conversely, purpose of internet use was associated with more loneliness, with higher levels exhibited by those searching for health-related information - an effect stronger among those with a limiting illness. Findings imply that infrequent internet use may reduce loneliness, while health-related internet searches may increase loneliness among older adults with different physical capacities. Findings are contrary to pre-pandemic reports, underscoring the importance of broad-based contextual factors for understanding loneliness across adulthood and old age.

Patterns of Internet use by the Teenagers: An Inquiry of School students of Nagarjun Municipality

The internet has changed the whole perspective of information dissemination and communication systems, making the world a global village through the World Wide Web. However, studies regarding the patterns of teenagers' use of the internet in Nepal in the light of their attitudes and purposes for using the internet are scarce. This study aims to identify the patterns of teenage students towards the use of the internet. This study adopted a descriptive research design with a quantitative approach, based on a sample of 91 students from government and private schools in Nagarjun Municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal. Data were collected from the selected students through questionnaires, analyzed, and presented with the help of tables and graphs. Respondents were selected using convenience sampling technique. Primary data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The study found that 49% of respondents spent 20-60 minutes daily on the internet. Mobile phones were the most common mode to access the internet. 24% of the respondents stated that the purposes of internet use were to seek general information and communication. Similarly, about 73% of teenagers learnt to use the internet themselves. Results showed that users frequently used the internet for educational and entertainment purposes. It also revealed that mobile phone usage leads to an increase in internet accessibility. The study recommended for the productive use of the internet in education. It provides meaningful data for developing policies on education and enhancing digital literacy in developing countries.

The Relationship between Purpose of Internet Use and Depression among Older Adults : The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Social Networks

The Relationship between Purpose of Internet Use and Depression among Older Adults : The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Social Networks

Internet Usage and its Addiction among School-going Adolescents in an Urban District of India

Abstract Introduction: Internet addiction is inability to control the use of internet, leading to physical, psychological or social difficulties. Materials and Methods: A school based study was conducted among adolescents of urban Rohtak, Haryana, using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire and Young’s Internet Addiction test. Results: Out of 600 participants, 44.17% were female. This study showed widespread internet use among adolescents (86%). The main purpose of internet use was entertainment (95%). The estimated prevalence of internet addiction was high (66.86%). Internet addiction was higher among males (P = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a need to counsel children regarding the appropriate use of internet and balancing the time between internet surfing, studies and outdoor physical activities.

The Purpose of Internet Use and Face-To-Face Communication With Friends and Acquaintances Among Older Adults: A JAGES Longitudinal Study.

Internet use influences social interactions in society. However, there is no consensus on whether and what kind of Internet use increases face-to-face communication (FFC). This study investigated the mode of Internet use that increases FFC among older adults after three years. Participants were 8734 adults aged 65 or older who responded to the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) surveys in 2016 and 2019. The exposures were the purposes of Internet use in 2016. The outcome was the frequency of FFC with friends or acquaintances in 2019. The confounders included 13 demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological variables. We performed modified Poisson regression analyses and found that Internet use for communication in 2016 increased FFC in 2019, especially for low-frequency FFC in 2016. Internet-based non-FFC may help promote FFC and prevent social isolation among older adults who are less likely to interact with others.

Problematic usage of the internet among Hungarian elementary school children: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionProblematic usage of the internet (PUI) is perhaps one of the most frequently studied phenomena of the 21st century receiving increasing attention in both scientific literature and the media. Despite intensive research there have been relatively few meaningful studies among elementary school students in Hungary and worldwide, who may be considered as a high-risk population with regard to problematic internet use. The aim of our study was to carry out a complex research focusing on the prevalence and risk factors of PUI among elementary school children aged 10–15 years (Grade 5–8).MethodsDemographics included were gender, age, place of stay, type of residence, family type, parental education, start of internet use, used devices, daily internet use, purpose of internet use, internet accounts, ways of keeping in touch with friends and sporting activities. PUI was evaluated using the paper-based version of the Potentially Problematic Use of the Internet Questionnaire.ResultsOverall, 2000 paper-based questionnaires were successfully delivered and the final analysis included 1168 responses (overall response rate 58.4%). Mean age was 12.55 ± 1.24 years. Female gender (OR = 2.760, p = 0,006, CI 95% 0.065 to 0.384), younger age (11–12 years) (OR = 3.812, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 1.747–4.731), early exposure to the internet (OR = 3.466, p = 0.001, 95% CI 1.535–5.446), living in a small village (OR = 1.081, p = 0.002, 95% CI 1.041–1.186) urgency to answer online (OR = 4.677, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 2.714–6.639), decreased frequency of personal contact with friends (OR = 2.897, p = 0.004, 95% CI: 1.037–1.681), spending more than 6 h online (OR = 12.913, p < 0.001, 95% CI: 10.798–14.892), morning and nighttime internet use (OR = 3.846, p < 0.001, CI 95% 1.886–5.810) and never doing any sports (OR = 2.016, p = 0.044, 95% CI: 1.050–3.354) were independently associated with problematic internet use.ConclusionsBased on the results of our questionnaire survey more than 10% seemed to be problematic users in our study population, which is a relatively high rate. Early exposure to the internet as well as younger age were strongly related to this phenomenon. Duration of being online as well as daily time interval of internet use are important predisposing factors. Scarcely studied social factors such as being online at the expense of personal relationships and the lack of physical activity should be payed more attention to prevent the development of PUI.

Investigating the effects of postural habits and awareness on early adolescent's internet addiction levels.

Early adolescence is a period of growth and development determined by the onset of puberty, during which important changes in psychological development andsocial roles occur. Excessive use of the internet, especially in adolescents in this period, causes health problems such aspostural disorders, vision problems, sedentary life, and unbalanced nutrition. When the studies are analyzed, it is observed that postural disorders are observed in children and adolescents. This study was planned to investigate theeffect of postural habits and awareness on the level of internet addiction in early adolescents. Physical characteristics of the participants (age, height, weight, gender, body mass index) were recorded. Duration and purpose of internet use and internet addiction were determined with the Young Internet Addiction Test-Short Form, body composition sensitivity level with the BodyAwareness Questionnaire, and postural awareness with the Postural Habit and Awareness Scale. There was a significant positive correlation between internet addiction and duration of internet use (r=0.466) (p=0.000). In addition, there was no relationship between internet usage time and body awareness (r=-0.117) (p=0.084) and postural awareness and habit (r=-0.017) (p=0.798). When internet addiction was compared with body awareness, a significant relationship was found in the opposite direction (r=-0.145) (p=0.031). When internet addiction was compared with postural awareness and habit, a positive relationship was found (r=0.190) (p=0.005). Our study showed that internet addiction negatively affects body awareness, and does not affect postural habits, but positively affects postural awareness.

Effect of Internet Use on Cognitive Function of Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults in China: Evidence from China Family Panel Studies.

The development and popularization of the Internet provides an important opportunity to advance national strategies for healthy aging, particularly the impact of the Internet on cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults. This study aimed to quantify the impact of Internet use on the cognitive health of middle-aged and older adults (aged≥45 years). We used data from the Chinese Family Panel Study (CFPS) survey, tested the robustness of the baseline findings by variable substitution and instrumental variables methods, and analyzed heterogeneity. Subsequently, five purposes of Internet use that affect cognitive function were analyzed in depth. Internet use may improve cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults. The effect of Internet use on cognitive function was more pronounced in the lower age group (45-59 years), among males, in rural areas, and among middle-aged and older adults with higher levels of education. Cognitive functioning of middle-aged and older adults varied according to how often they used the Internet for entertainment, socialization, study, work, and business activities. The use of the Internet may be considered a practical non-pharmacological intervention to slow cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.

Diversity of purposes of use, time spent online, and depression among older Chinese Internet users

Objectives: Previous studies on the associations between Internet use and older people’s depression have mostly focused on single types of online activities, especially online social engagement. The current study investigated the diversity of purposes of Internet use and its interaction with the time spent online in shaping older Chinese Internet users’ depression. Method: A sample of 974 Internet users aged 60 and above was adopted from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies wave. We adopted a latent class analysis (LCA) to explore the diverse purposes of internet usage. Results: The participants were classified into three distinct types: socializers, basic users, and maximizers. Basic users and maximizers use the Internet for various purposes, despite different intensities; socializers use the Internet only to keep connected with families and friends. Compared with basic users and maximizers, a longer time spent online among socializers was significantly associated with a higher level of depression. Conclusion: This study calls for a closer examination of online profiles among older Internet users; more attention should be paid to the potential harms of excessive Internet use for social reasons only among older adults. Practitioners should enhance older Internet users’ digital literacy to maximize the wide-range benefits of Internet use and reduce potential health inequality.

Association between internet use and self-rated health of patients living with diabetes in the community.

It is not clear whether self-rated health is associated with internet use among community-dwelling patients living with diabetes. This study investigated what kind and level of use of the internet is desirable for the subjective sense of health among patients living with diabetes in the community. This was a cross-sectional study of patients living with diabetes aged 18 years or older who visited our clinic between April 2022 and June 2022. The final analysis included 654 subjects (mean age: 56-90 years). The objective variable was self-rated health, and the explanatory variable was purpose of internet use. We used logistic regression analysis to identify odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between internet use and self-rated health by purpose of internet use. Of the 654 patients living with diabetes using our clinic, 488 (64.7%) were internet users. Communication with friends/family (66.6%) was the most common use of the internet, followed by social media (54.3%) and shopping (36.7%). Logistic regression models showed that social media (OR: 1.81; 95% CI [1.02, 3.21], p = 0.04), shopping for food and other items (OR: 1.95; 95% CI [1.00, 3.77], p = 0.04), online securities and banking (OR: 2.75; 95% CI [1.02, 7.39], p = 0.04) were associated with self-rated health. Using the internet for social media, shopping, and banking were found to be associated with self-rated health. Use for these purposes could help support diabetic care.

Purposes of Internet Use and Its Impacts on Physical and Psychological Health of Korean Older Adults.

Older adults engage in online activities for various purposes. An increasing number of studies are establishing connections between the purposes of internet use and their impacts on health outcomes. This study aimed to examine how the purposes of internet use affect self-rated health and depressive symptoms among Korean older adults. A nationally representative survey of community-dwelling older adults in Korea was used in the analysis (n = 5094). Instrumental internet use (using the internet to access various forms of information, services, and other resources) in Korean older adults was as common as interpersonal communication use, and the purposes of internet use were mainly for information seeking for everyday needs and engaging in various activities for enjoyment. Internet use for interpersonal communication and instrumental purposes was significantly associated with depressive symptoms and self-rated health. Internet use for instrumental purposes had a greater impact on self-rated health (β = -0.186) and depressive symptoms (β = -0.160) compared with the impacts of interpersonal communication internet use on self-rated health (β = -0.101) and depressive symptoms (β = -0.047). The findings highlighted the necessity of designing interventions that take into account the different purposes of internet use for older adults in order to maximize its benefits, paying special emphasis for information seeking online.

The impact of Internet use and involvement on residents' attitudes to healthcare in China: A propensity score matching analysis.

The recent surge in Internet growth has significantly altered how residents obtain health information and services, underscoring the need to investigate its impact on healthcare perceptions. However, current studies often fail to distinguish between Internet use and involvement, as well as the diverse range of healthcare stakeholders, resulting in incomplete and inconsistent understanding. To address this, this study utilized data from the 2018 China Family Panel Study (CFPS 2018), categorizing attitudes toward healthcare into three dimensions: doctor trust, satisfaction with medical institutions, and perception of systemic healthcare issues. Employing propensity score matching (PSM) to control for thirteen confounding variables, this study examined the Internet's impact on public attitudes toward healthcare among similar demographic, psychological, and health-related variables. Results revealed that both Internet use and involvement affect residents' attitudes toward healthcare to some extent, with involvement having a more pronounced effect. While Internet use increased the perception of systemic healthcare issues, Internet involvement enhanced doctor trust, yet reduced satisfaction with medical institutions and exaggerated the perception of systemic healthcare issues. These findings have significant theoretical and practical implications. They enhance the comprehension of diverse levels and purposes of Internet use, thereby advancing our knowledge of its multi-faced influence on public attitudes toward healthcare. Furthermore, they offer insights for medical institutions to improve service quality, assist Internet media in optimizing information delivery, and illuminate the implications for residents who effectively use the Internet to assess health information.

Cyber victimization with increasing digitization during the COVID‐19 pandemic and coping strategies used by adolescents

AbstractPandemics, a current and important public health problem, can increase the risk of cyberbullying. Especially in adolescence, knowledge about coping with this type of victimization is limited. This study aimed to reveal the cyberbullying victimization experiences of adolescents with the increased digitalization during the pandemic and the coping strategies they employed. The study is a descriptive and cross‐sectional study. The research sample consists of adolescents (n = 344). The data were collected online using Personal Information Form, Cyber Victim Scale, and Coping with Cyberbullying Scale. The mean Cyber Victim Scale score of the adolescents was 21.97 ± 5.83, and the mean Coping with Cyberbullying Scale score was 63.33 ± 9.06. It was found that the increase in the frequency of Internet use, the change in the purpose of Internet use during the pandemic, and the sharing of the negative experiences with others negatively affect cyber victimization (p &lt; 0.05). In today's world where digitalization is increasing, it is recommended to provide interdisciplinary trainings to adolescents, to include families in various trainings with school–family cooperation, and to receive support from nurses in this process.

Association between digital literacy, internet addiction, and cyberloafing among higher education students: A structural equation modeling

The current study aims to examine the association between digital literacy (DL), Internet addiction (IA) and cyberloafing (CL) levels of higher education students in Turkey. In addition, the study examined the correlation between “daily Internet use,” “initial Internet usage,” and “purpose of Internet use” with the variables of DL, IA, and CL. The study groups consisted of 1220 higher education students including all faculties and all grades of a state university. The “Digital Literacy Scale,” “Internet Addiction Scale,” and “Cyberloafing Scale” were used as data collection instruments. The study’s findings revealed initial Internet usage to be a predictor of DL, IA, and CL. Similarly, participants who spent more than 6 h using the Internet during a day have a higher level of DL, CL, and IA. Results from structural equation modeling reported a positive association between DL and IA, a negative association between DL and CL, and a positive relationship between IA and CL. Moreover, an indirect effect was revealed from DL to CL through IA. The study suggests improving students’ DL skills, as they form the basis of avoiding CL behavior, and using the Internet mostly for educational purposes.

Prevalence of Online Gaming Addiction Amongst College Students, during Online Pedagogy, COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown, Tamil Nadu, India

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shift from the traditional classroom setup to online method of teaching and learning. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of online gaming addiction among college students, during online pedagogy, COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: A non-experimental descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted among individuals pursuing online collegiate pedagogy due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown who had access to android mobile phones and who responded to the e-survey. Web-based link was created on Google forms and shared through WhatsApp application. A demographic profile sheet and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale were used to collect the data. Results: More than half of the respondents were non-disordered gamers (51.9%) and a minimum of them were disordered gamers (3.7%). Gender (P = 0.006), life time of first internet use (P = 0.023) and the purpose of Internet use (P = 0.021) were found to be significantly associated with online gaming addiction. Conclusion: The tools utilised to attain online pedagogy were often used to engage in online gaming. Synchronously individuals need to be educated of the risk of harmful use of the same technology in the event of losing control over it, the technology taking control over the individual, resulting in addiction.

The Association between Internet Use and Physical Exercise among Middle-Aged and Older Adults—Evidence from China

In an aging and digital society, Internet use is significantly associated with residents' physical exercise. This study aimed to explore the association between Internet use and physical exercise among Chinese middle-aged and older adults in two respects: Internet use and the purpose of Internet use. The data used in this study were obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) conducted by Peking University. The logit model and the ordered probit model were used to analyze the association between Internet use and physical exercise, and the substitution variable method was used to examine the robustness of the results. (1) Internet use and the frequency of Internet use significantly increased the probability and frequency of middle-aged and older adults' participation in physical exercise (p < 0.001). (2) "Watching news", "chatting" and "watching videos" via the Internet were positively associated with physical exercise, while "playing games" had no impact. (3) Internet use had a greater impact on physical exercise participation among middle-aged adults and those living in urban areas than among older adults and those living in rural areas. This study suggests that Internet use among middle-aged and older adults is positively associated with their participation in physical exercise; the government should try to increase the popularity of Internet use to encourage their participation in physical exercise.

Covid-19 Pandemi Sürecinde Ortaokul ve Lise Öğrencilerinin Depresyon ve Anksiyete Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi

Bu araştırmada Covid-19 pandemi sürecinde ortaokul ve lise öğrencilerinin kaygı ve depresyon düzeylerindeki olası farklılıkların bazı demografik değişkenlere göre incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma verileri; Demografik Bilgi Formu ve Çocuklarda Anksiyete ve Depresyon Ölçeği-Yenilenmiş Formu ile toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2020-2021 akademik yılı bahar döneminde eğitimlerine devam eden 191 ortaokul (%47) (117 kız, 74 erkek) ve 215 lise (%53) (141 kız, 74 erkek) öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Öğrenciler 10-19 yaş aralığında olup, yaş ortalaması 14,76’dır (Ortaokul, X̅ =13,07; Lise, X̅ =16,26). Yapılan analiz sonuçlarına göre, öğrencilerin kaygı düzeyleri ile okul türü, cinsiyet, kendisine veya çevresindekilere hastalık bulaşma durumu, pandemi sonrası internet kulanım süresi ve kulanım amacı, salgına yönelik endişe düzeyi ve salgınla ilgili tedbirlerin uygulanma düzeyi değişkenleri açısından gruplar arasında anlamlı farklılıklar vardır. Ayrıca öğrencilerin depresyon düzeyleri, okul türü, cinsiyet, pandemi öncesi ve sonrası internet kullanım süresi ve internet kullanım amacı, salgına yönelik endişe düzeyi ve salgınla ilgili tedbirlerin uygulanma düzeyi değişkenlerine göre anlamlı düzeyde farklılaşmaktadır.

The Gender Gap in Online Shopping in Turkey

The main aim of this study is to explore the gender gap in online shopping in the Turkish population. The gender gap in internet use and online shopping is investigated using the results of annual national surveys on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage in Households and by Individuals by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). The study results reveal that females in Turkey tend to be on the wrong side of the digital divide. Even though internet use has increased over the years in the Turkish population, there remains a significant and persistent gap between females and males in internet use and online shopping. It is also found that there are differences between females and males in the purpose of internet use and the type of goods purchased online.