Problematic Technology Use Research Articles

Subclinical attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours.

Literature emphasises the importance of identifying and intervening in the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (ULBs) during adolescence at an early stage, to mitigate their long-term detrimental effects. Among the possible associated factors contributing to ULBs, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to play an important role. However, little is known about ADHD subclinical manifestations. The present study aimed to bridge the gap in the literature and shed light on the relationship between subclinical ADHD and early adoption of ULBs during adolescence. Through a clinimetric approach, prevalence of ULBs, severity of ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors (i.e. allostatic overload, abnormal illness behaviour, quality of life, psychological well-being) were investigated among adolescents. The associations between different degrees of ADHD, ULBs and psychosocial factors were also explored. This multicentre cross-sectional study involved 440 adolescents (54.5% females; mean age 14.21 years) from six upper secondary schools. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, ULBs, ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors. The most common ULBs were energy drinks/alcohol consumption and problematic smartphone use. Of the sample, 22% showed subclinical ADHD and 20.2% showed clinical ADHD. The subclinical ADHD group showed several ULBs (i.e. altered mindful eating, impaired quality of sleep, problematic technology use) and psychosocial factors, akin to those of ADHD group and different from peers without ADHD symptoms. Since subclinical ADHD manifestation is associated with ULBs, similarly to clinical ADHD, identifying subthreshold symptoms during adolescence is crucial, as it could improve health-related outcomes in adulthood across different domains.

Anime watching: is a new kind of addiction? Evaluation of psychopathologies and psychosocial factors associated with problematic anime watching among adolescents

BackgroundIn recent years, with the rapid development of technology, research on behavioral addiction concepts such as digital gaming disorders and problematic internet use has increased. As anime-watching has become widespread worldwide, it is thought that this behavior may be one of the areas of problematic technology use, especially in adolescence. However, studies evaluating problematic anime-watching behaviors within the framework of behavioral addictions are quite limited in the literature. In this study, problematic anime-watching behaviors, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and possible psychosocial factors were evaluated in 86 anime watchers aged between 12 and 18 years. Problematic anime-watching behaviors were evaluated according to the diagnostic criteria of other defined disorders related to addictive behaviors in ICD-11. A semi-structured interview tool was used to assess psychiatric comorbidities, and the IGDS9-SF adapted form for anime-watching, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, KIDCOPE, and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents were used to collect other data.ResultsIt was determined that 36.8% of the 86 adolescents in our study had problematic anime-watching behavior. Compared to other adolescents, the problematic anime-watching group had significantly lower self-efficacy scores and significantly higher social anxiety and avoidant coping scores. A significant relationship was found between social anxiety disorder and watching problematic anime.ConclusionsThe present study showed that problematic watching of anime may be a variant of behavioral addiction. In conclusion, the relationship between problematic anime-watching behaviors and mental health warrants further examination.

Examining the Mediation Role of Parental Guilt in the Relationship Between Working Mothers’ Smartphone Addiction and Their Children’s Problematic Technology Use

Examining the Mediation Role of Parental Guilt in the Relationship Between Working Mothers’ Smartphone Addiction and Their Children’s Problematic Technology Use

The Associations Between the Problematic Social Media and Smartphone Use, Social Phobia, and Self-Esteem: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

AbstractSocial phobia has often been associated with problematic social media use (PSMU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU). Studies have also shown an association between social phobia and self-esteem. However, no studies have analyzed the relationship between social phobia, self-esteem, PSMU, and PSU in an integrated model. The present study hypothesized that social phobia may influence PSMU and PSU through the role of self-esteem. A cross-sectional study comprising 400 Italians (74.75% female) with a mean age of 37.11 years (SD = ± 10.83) participated in the study that included Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Severity Measure for Social Phobia Disorder, and Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale. The results indicated direct positive associations between social phobia and both types of problematic technology use (PSMU and PSU). The results also indicated that self-esteem was a partial mediator in this complex relationship, suggesting that excessive technology use could be a way to compensate for low self-esteem among individuals with social phobia. The present study contributes to the understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between social anxiety, self-esteem, and problematic technology use.

Sleep Disturbance Mediates the Relationship between Problematic Technology Use and Psychotic-Like Experiences: A Large Cross-Sectional Study in 87,302 Chinese Adolescents

Sleep Disturbance Mediates the Relationship between Problematic Technology Use and Psychotic-Like Experiences: A Large Cross-Sectional Study in 87,302 Chinese Adolescents

The effect of social media fatigue on compulsive buying

ABSTRACT Behavioural research regarding the dark side of social media warrants greater attention. Based on stress coping theory, this study explores the impact of social media fatigue on compulsive buying and, more specifically, examines the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating effect of social media self-efficacy on that relationship. Social media fatigue refers to users’ negative experiences when using social media. Compulsive buying is repetitive buying in response to adverse events. Self-reported questionnaires are used to collect data; the sample is mainly young people. The findings of utilising SPSS23.0 and Amos21.0 to analyse are that social media fatigue significantly impacts loneliness and compulsive buying. Loneliness positively affects compulsive buying and partially mediates the influence of social media fatigue on compulsive buying. Social media self-efficacy attenuates the effect of social media fatigue on loneliness. The study theoretically expands research on the impact of social media fatigue and refines research on the factors of problematic technology use in compulsive buying, thereby increasing knowledge of the dark side of social media; practically, it provides a new perspective for recognising and evaluating the negative behavioural consequences of social media fatigue, while also offering new insights for controlling compulsive buying in the social media environment.

Social Group Work Practice in Coping with Problematic Technology Use in Adolescents: A Mixed Method Research

Problematic technology use is a growing concern among adolescents, with those aged 12-18 being particularly vulnerable. This study aims to investigate the technology usage habits of students, assess their addiction levels, and mitigate any problematic patterns. Conducted at a pilot high school in Ankara, Türkiye, the research involved 630 students aged 14-17. Quantitative data collection utilized the Personal Information Form, Technology Addiction Scale, and Technological Addiction Scale. Qualitative data collection included selecting 10 students for group social work sessions. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS, while NVIVO was used for qualitative analysis. The study identified high, medium, and low levels of technology addiction among students, highlighting psycho-social difficulties such as social exclusion, impaired functionality, difficulty in controlling technology use, and deprivation. Applying a cognitive-behavioral approach, group social work sessions in the form of psycho-educational groups proved effective in addressing problematic technology use in adolescents. The findings were contextualized within existing literature, with recommendations for future research including the inclusion of control groups and exploration of different therapeutic approaches in group studies.

Evaluation of Problematic Technology Use in Preschool Children

IntroductionIndividuals have difficulty controlling their use of technology, it constantly on their minds when they don’t have access to it, it takes up too much time in their daily lives, and these situations negatively impact daily life are referred to as “problematic technology use”. The widespread use of technology from a young age is leading to an increase in the number of children with problematic technology use. Problematic technology use negatively impacts children’s development, especially their mental development. Important risk factors for problematic technology use include a long stay at home, a previous traumatic event, and low life satisfaction. In addition, it is possible that problematic technology use is more common in children with low social competence and low behavioral levels.ObjectivesThe aim is to determine the level of problematic technology use in 48-72-month-old children receiving preschool education, to examine some variables thought to be related to it, and to assess their level of social competence and behavior.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional research conducted between January and September 2023 among the parents of children studying in Eskişehir and Bolu. The study group consisted of the parents of 883 children. In our study, the Problematic Technology Use Scale for Young Children (PTUS-YC) and the Social Competence And Behavior Evaluation-30 Scale (SCBE-30) were used.Results The age of the parents ranged from 20 to 54 years (mean: 35.5±4.8), 740 of them were women. The average age of the children was 63.2±7.3 months and 442 of them were boys. The scores obtained from PTUS-YC ranged from 26-104 and the mean was 55.1±14.9 points. Among the variables associated with problematic use of technology, those related to parents were place of residence, age and marital status, while those related to children were time spent at home with technological devices, parental control over content used, adaptation to school and ownership of a technological device. There is a weak positive correlation between children’s scores on the PTUS-YC and the SCBE-30 (r:0.336; p < 0.05).Conclusions It can be said that problematic technology use in our study was at a moderate level. As the level of social competence and behavior increase, problematic technology use decreases. It is recommended to limit the time children spend with technological devices, ensure that parents control the content they use on technological devices, support their adaptation to school, and work on gaining social competence and positive behavior.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Technological Addictions: The New Frontier in Addiction Psychiatry

IntroductionAddiction to video games, cybersex, internet gambling, social media, texting and emailing, and online auctions can be as addictive as substances. These technological addictions have real-world ramifications and lead to the loss of jobs, money, and loved ones. As technology becomes integrated into many facets of modern life, the appreciation of such addictions has become increasingly challenging. This session will explore the addictive potential of technology and discuss the legitimacy of technological addictions as psychiatric conditions worthy of medical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.Objectives1.List five forms of Technological Addictions as they appear in the scientific literature of 2023.2.Describe the psychology and culture surrounding Internet Gaming addiction.3.Distinguish between normal use and addiction.MethodsLecture and discussionResults1.Research on the phenomenology and nosology of these illnesses helps us further elucidate the distinction between problematic and nonproblematic use of technology, especially in children and young adults.2.Another area of new research involves emerging technologies. By the time clinicians get a firmer grasp of today’s ailments, the technology of tomorrow—such as virtual reality and smart devices powered by artificial intelligence—will be commonplace enough to bring about a host of new problems.ConclusionsThough data on the prevalence of technological addictions are sparse, most people use computers, tablets, and smartphones regularly with great benefits and no serious adverse consequences. We will need to be ready to guide our patients, our colleagues, and the general public on how to best handle technology with an eye on maximizing its enormous potential for fulfillment, gratification, and happiness while minimizing its significant risks for dissatisfaction, misery, and despair.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The mindfulness-based digital wellbeing retreat: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Concerns about the health and wellbeing impacts of online activities, such as gaming and social media, have led to the development of psychological interventions targeting problematic technology use. The efficacy of these interventions is typically assessed using quantitative metrics, such as decreased screen time and reductions in behavioural addiction or mood disorder symptomatology. However, few studies have examined participants' subjective evaluations and perceptions of these interventions. This study explored the experiences of seven young adults who participated in a mindfulness-based digital wellbeing retreat. Semi-structured interviews, focusing on rationale for attendance, program experience and perceived impact, were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants described varied struggles with technology, suggesting the retreat represented a safe space to discuss such issues while exploring alternative ways of being with their digital devices. The experience was valued for providing a connection to a supportive peer group and the natural outdoor environment. Aligned with the proposed mechanisms of mindfulness, participants also described developing a heightened awareness of their tech-use idiosyncrasies and maladaptive habits, leading to usage characterised by greater intentionality and choice.

Problematic online anime (animation) use: It's relationship with viewers' satisfaction with life, emotions, and emotion regulation

Although there are numerous studies on problematic technology use, such as problematic video game use and problematic smartphone use, little is known about problematic online anime use. However, problematic online anime use warrants further examination because of anime's popularity and commercial importance. Furthermore, how emotion strategies and emotions (such as pleasure and arousal) invoked upon watching the online anime are associated with problematic online anime use is not examined in previous studies. To bridge these literature gaps and to contribute to the fields of emotion regulation and media psychology, this study adopts the emotion regulation theory and considers the relationships among viewers' satisfaction with life, feelings of pleasure and arousal arising from watching a particular online anime, cognitive emotion regulation strategies activated because of anime viewing, and potential to exhibit problematic behavior related to online anime use, which is operationalized as viewers' inability to control or reduce watching online anime. Data was collected from viewers who have watched the popular romantic comedy anime Kaguya-sama: Love Is War online via a major online discussion board in Taiwan through the purposive sampling method. Data analysis on the 190 online questionnaire returns (mostly from males and students) through the partial least squares analysis reveals that the emotion regulation theory can be used to examine viewers' perceptions of anime. In the online anime context, the emotion regulation strategy most likely to be invoked is positive refocusing (mean value of 3.68, measured through a 5-point Likert scale) which is in line with how people typically watch anime for immersion and escapism. Satisfaction with life demonstrates its robustness and flexibility in invoking the positive refocusing (path coefficient = 0.17) and refocus on planning (path coefficient = 0.13) strategies. It also lowers the adoption of the maladaptive strategy of catastrophizing (path coefficient = −0.18). While catastrophizing strategy (path coefficient = 0.31) and arousal (path coefficient = 0.24) add to problematic online anime use, pleasure (path coefficient = −0.27) lowers problematic online anime use. Thus, when viewers keep magnifying the severity of a bad situation they are in while watching online anime, instead of making them better, could lead them to the undesirable outcome of problematic online anime use. Although this study has provided several interesting insights, this study has only considered Kaguya-sama: Love Is War and used survey respondents' perception of their extent of problematic online anime use. To increase generalization, future studies could consider other types of anime and alternative means to measure problematic use, such as frequency of online anime viewing.

The Relationship between Problematic Technology Use and Mental Health Problems in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on individuals both psychologically and socially. The current research shows that problematic technology use and mental health problems increased during the pandemic period. 
 Method: In this study, studies examining the relationship between problematic technology use and mental health problems in the COVID-19 pandemic were examined and a meta-analysis was conducted. The present meta-analysis focused on the problematic technology use (i.e., internet addiction, smartphone addiction, social media addiction, and game addiction) and mental health problems in the COVID-19 pandemic. Searches were conducted for relevant studies using the ProQuest, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and TR Dizin databases. A total of 56 studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 53,047 participants were reached in these studies. 
 Results: Rosenthal’s classic fail-safe N analysis reveals that the meta-analysis result is statistically significant (p=.000). Moreover, the fact that the Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation is not significant indicates the absence of publication bias (p=0.28). In addition, no missing studies were found in Duval and Tweedie’s trim and fill analysis. The results demonstrated that problematic technology use was moderately positively correlated with mental health problems (r=0.33, n=53.047). In addition, the Q statistic (1833.059) examined to control heterogeneity shows that all variables are heterogeneous. The results of the I2 statistic (93.4%) show that a high level of heterogeneity has been achieved. 
 Discussion: This finding shows that problematic technology use was associated with various mental health problems during the pandemic period.

The Degree of Problematic Technology Use Negatively Affects Physical Activity Level, Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Psychological State of Adolescents.

The previous scientific literature has shown how detrimental addictive internet and mobile phone use can be for the adolescent population. However, little is known about their influence on the physical activity, kinanthropometry and body composition, nutrition patterns, psychological state, and physical fitness of this population. For this reason, the objectives of this research were (a) to determine the differences in the physical activity level, kinanthropometric and body composition variables, adherence to Mediterranean diet (AMD), psychological state, and physical fitness according to gender and different levels of problematic use of the internet and mobile phones; and (b) to establish the differences in the physical activity level, kinanthropometric and body composition variables, AMD, psychological state, and physical fitness among adolescents when considering problematic use of the internet and mobile phones in combination. The sample consisted of 791 adolescent males and females between 12 and 16 years of age (1st to 4th course) from four compulsory secondary schools (404 males and 387 females; mean age: 14.39 ± 1.26 years-old; mean height: 163.47 ± 8.94 cm; mean body mass: 57.32 ± 13.35 kg; mean BMI: 21.36 ± 3.96 kg/m2). The physical activity level (baseline score: 2.64 ± 0.67), kinanthropometric variables and body composition, AMD (baseline score: 6.48 ± 2.48), psychological state (baseline life satisfaction: 17.73 ± 4.83; competence: 26.48 ± 7.54; autonomy: 25.37 ± 6.73; relatedness: 24.45 ± 6.54), and physical condition variables were measured. The results showed that adolescent males and females with problematic internet and/or mobile phone use presented a worse psychological state, but it is especially relevant to highlight that females also had a lower level of physical activity and AMD, with problematic mobile phone use being especially relevant, mainly in the psychological state of adolescents. In conclusion, problematic use of the internet and mobile phones can have detrimental effects on the level of physical activity, AMD, and psychological state of adolescents, with the differences found in females being particularly relevant.

The Dark Triad and Trait Emotional Intelligence as Predictors of Problematic Social Media use and Engagement: The Mediating Role of the Fear of Missing Out.

Problematic social media use is becoming a significant social and clinical concern, and there is growing research interest in the psychological factors involved, such as personality predispositions and the fear of missing out (FOMO). The present study investigated both the dark triad (DT, namely, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) and trait emotion intelligence (trait EI) in relation to the problematic use of technology and social media engagement and the mediating role of FOMO. A total of 788 people between 18 and 35 years old (M = 24.22; SD = 3.91; 75% women) were surveyed. The results showed that social media engagement was positively related to problematic social media use and negatively related to trait EI. In addition, problematic social media use was positively related to DT and negatively related to trait EI. Fear of missing out was positively related to social media engagement, problematic social media use, and DT, and negatively related to trait EI. Fear of missing out had a mediating effect on the relationship between personality dimensions, problematic social media use, and social media engagement. The extent to which personality traits may underpin problematic use of social media and the practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Leisure time activities in adolescents predict problematic technology use.

The problematic use of technology of children and adolescents is becoming a growing problem. Research has shown that excessive technology use predicts a variety of psychological and physical health problems. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of leisure time activities (structured and unstructured) in adolescents as a predictor of problematic technology use. Participants were 7723 adolescents, of which 55% were girls, from four Spanish-speaking countries (Chile, Spain, Mexico, and Peru) between the ages of 13 and 18years. The evaluation instrument applied was the YOURLIFE project self-report questionnaire. Two executive functions were measured: goal setting and inhibitory control. Using structural equation modeling, findings indicated that structured leisure time activities predicted less PTU, whereas unstructured activities predicted more PTU, MLχ2 (69, N = 7723) = 806.60; CFI = 0.929, RMSEA = 0.042, and the model had good predictive capacity for PTU (R2 = 0.46). Structured and unstructured activities also showed indirect effects on PTU through executive functions. As adolescents spent more time in unstructured leisure activities, poorer goal setting, inhibitory control skills, and more PTU were found. The opposite was true for structured leisure time activities. Implications of structured leisure activities to develop executive functioning and to prevent PTU for adolescents are discussed.

Features of personality trust of Russian and Indonesian students in terms of network activity

Introduction. The process of modern youth’s cybersocialisation is caused by the digitalisation and the inclusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) in daily life. Network activity is a part of students’ socialisation. The interaction of student youth in the virtual space is conditioned by personality trust, which is revealed through the categories of trust in oneself, other users and the virtual world. The personality trust of students, as a belief in the reliability of other people and the world, regulates network activity and the life of society. Trends in the formation of personality trust in traditional and virtual space have similar prerequisites.Aim. The aim of the study is to identify the features of personality trust of Russian and Indonesian students in terms of network activity.Methodology and research methods. The study was conducted on the basis of the subject-personal approach. A set of methods was used: “Assessment of trust/distrust of a person in other people” (A. B. Kupreychenko) (the authors introduced an additional construct “virtual world”); “The study of trust/distrust of the individual in the world, other people, oneself”; “Questionnaire for the problematic use of social networks”; “Assessment of involvement in the use of ICT”.Results and scientific novelty. For the first time, personality trust is considered in the context of network activity in the framework of a comparative study of Russian and Indonesian students. Indonesian students tend to display personality trust in communication by accepting participants in network activity, in choosing more authoritative sources of information and participants with a positive reputation. Students from Russia trust reliable and credible sources and network users, basing on empathy and a similar worldview. The personality trust of students in the virtual world and network users is more pronounced among Indonesians, and trust in oneself is equally important for both groups of students. The Russian student youth is characterised by a low level of trust in the information on the network, in comparison with the Indonesian youth. General trends in the problematic use of technology have been identified, such as cognitive absorption, emotion regulation, and Internet addictive behaviour. Both groups of students prefer online communication and strive for open and effective relationships in the virtual space with like-minded people, for mutual assistance and unity.Practical significance. The results of studying the personality trust of Russian and Indonesian students in terms of network activity can be used to build open and productive relationships between young representatives of the countries, to organise psychological and pedagogical support for the socio-cultural adaptation of foreign students, to develop digital educational environment of an international university.

The Mediating Role of Selfitis in the Associations between Self-Esteem, Problematic Social Media Use, Problematic Smartphone Use, Body-Self Appearance, and Psychological Distress among Young Ghanaian Adults.

Selfie-related activities have become pervasive to the point that they may affect the mental health of people who engage in them. To ascertain this mechanism, this study examined the mediating role of selfitis in the associations between self-esteem, problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, body-self appearance, and psychological distress among young Ghanaian adults. A total of 651 participants completed a questionnaire with measures on self-esteem, body-self appearance, problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, depression, anxiety, stress, coping skills, and selfitis. There were direct associations between all the variables except between self-esteem and selfitis. In addition, selfitis mediated the associations between problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, body-self appearance, and psychological distress except between self-esteem and psychological distress. These findings suggest that selfitis can serve as a pathway by which people who overly engage in problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, and have poor body-self appearance may experience psychological distress. Hence, there is a need for health communicators, school authorities, and opinion leaders to educate young adults on the consequences of the problematic use of technology, especially for selfitis behaviour. Future studies can examine the factors that predict selfitis behaviour among adults.

The associations between parents’ technoference, their problematic use of digital technology, and the psychological state of their children.

The associations between parents’ technoference, their problematic use of digital technology, and the psychological state of their children.

Classes of problematic smartphone use and information and communication technology (ICT) self-efficacy

The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in adolescent development is considered a double-edged sword because it can both meet the needs of adolescents and cause potential damage to them. Previous studies primarily relied on variable-centered approaches and failed to reveal the heterogeneity among groups concerning problematic technology use and ICT literacy. This study employed a person-centered approach to identify distinct subgroups and examined their associations with smartphone use content types. Using a longitudinal design, we investigated 1275 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.22 years, SD = 1.23) twice in two years. Latent class analysis and regression mixture model were implemented. Six classes were identified. Less use of entertainment and more use of information-seeking and learning types of smartphone content a year earlier were predictors of well-adjusted group membership. The heterogeneity of ICT use among adolescents found in this study emphasizes the importance of personalized policy advice.

The role of life satisfaction in the association between problematic technology use and anxiety in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The main aim of this study is to explore problematic technology use among adolescents (Internet, video games, mobiles, and television) and its association with anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, we also analysed the possible moderating role of life satisfaction in this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. A cross-sectional survey of 4025 children and adolescents (52% females and 48% males) between 12 and 18 years old was carried out to explore problematic technology use and its correlation with anxiety and life satisfaction after pandemic lockdown. Four multivariate regressions containing the independent variable (problematic technology use), the moderator (life satisfaction), and their interaction were entered to predict the outcome (anxiety). The moderated models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro software (Model 1). Analyses showed significant positive correlations with anxiety and negative correlations with life satisfaction regarding problematic technology use (mobile phone, television, and internet). Both gender and age had a significant direct effect on anxiety (showing that women and older participants had the greatest anxiety). In the moderation analysis, when life satisfaction was higher, the presence of anxiety symptoms depended to a greater extent on the problematic use of technology. Our results confirm that problematic technology use is related to higher levels of anxiety in adolescents, with differences by age and gender. The results also showed that life satisfaction mediated the relationship between technology abuse and anxiety, such that when life satisfaction was higher, the presence of anxiety symptoms was more dependent on problematic technology use. These findings have implications for health and education professionals.