Problematic Technology Research Articles

Perceptions of young adults’ problematic technology use among Australian youth professionals

The effects of excessive and problematic technology use on young people’s mental health has not been explored from the perspective of those who work closely with youth in a professional capacity. This study reports on findings from focus group interviews with 22 professionals in the fields of education, counselling and mental health, community and housing, social work, and drug and alcohol services. Most problems participants observed related to video gaming (predominantly amongst men) and social media use (predominantly amongst women). Participants perceived most harms to be related to social or psychological difficulties such as relationship breakdowns, isolation, low self-confidence, depressive symptoms, and unrealistic expectations of success. More tangible harms relating to homelessness, physical fighting resulting from online exclusion, and sleep disturbances leading to absence from school and work commitments were also reported, albeit less frequently. The relationship between technology use and poor psychosocial outcomes was conceptualised as being complex and often cyclic in nature, whereby disadvantage and family dynamics were often predictive of problems. Most services did not formally screen for technology-related problems, however many were interested in upskilling by way of training, awareness, and implementation of screening measures and formal referral procedures. This research suggests that young people are presenting with technology-related problems but that more needs to be done to provide youth services and organisations with adequate support to identify and assist with these issues.

Debate: Behavioural addictions and technology use - risk and policy recommendations for problematic online gambling and gaming.

Digital technology allows people to connect and share similar interests across geographical and temporal borders. Two behavioural disorders related to Internet use have been officially recognised as mental health disorders: Gambling Disorder by the American Psychiatric Association and Gaming Disorder by the World Health Organization. The prevalence estimates and risk indicators of developing problems associated with excessive technology use differ considerably across countries. Individual, structural and situational factors need to be taken into consideration when evaluating existing study outcomes. Based on the current evidence base regarding prevention of problematic technology use including gaming and online gambling and reducing harm, whilst paying attention not to overpathologise everyday behaviours, we recommend a multi-stakeholder approach, engaging researchers, clinicians, regulators and government bodies, community organisations and the industry. Implications for clinical practice include engaging in dialogue across experts and using evidence-based treatment approaches to support those in need of professional help.

The negative impact of technological advancements on mental health: An epidemiological approach

Internet and smartphone are inventions that have brought significant benefits to humanity. However, many individuals have become addicted to using these technologies and, as a consequence, they experience negative mental effects. The home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened this situation. Here, an epidemic model is proposed to represent the spread of the problematic technology use. The model is written as a set of differential equations, which describes the time evolution of the numbers of non-users, light/moderate users, heavy users, and problematic users. This model presents a single endemic steady-state, which is asymptotically stable. This result is illustrated by numerical simulations and its relevance is examined from a public health perspective.

Problematic technology use, leisure time activities and executive functions in adolescents

Problematic technology use, leisure time activities and executive functions in adolescents

Childhood Trauma, Reflective Functioning, and Problematic Mobile Phone Use Among Male and Female Adolescents

Background: The association between traumatic experiences, different forms of emotion dysregulation and problematic technology uses is well established. However, little is known about the role of childhood traumatic experiences and reflective functioning in the onset and maintenance of mobile phone addiction symptoms among adolescents. Methods: Self-reported measures on childhood traumatic experiences, reflective functioning, and Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) were administered to 466 high school students (47.1% females) aged 13-19 years old. Participants also reported the number of hours per day spent on using a mobile phone. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that increased time spent on the mobile phone, low reflective functioning scores and high childhood trauma scores predicted PMPU scores in the sample. Moreover, two gender-specific pathways were found. Among males, PMPU was positively related to time spent on mobile phone and childhood traumatic experiences and negatively related to reflective functioning. Among females, PMPU was negatively associated with time spent on mobile phone for video gaming and with reflective functioning. Conclusion: These results might have relevant clinical implications in highlighting the importance of planning gender-tailored interventions for adolescents who report mobile phone addiction symptoms.

The relationship between maladaptive personality functioning and problematic technology use in adolescence: A cluster analysis approach.

In the last two decades, scientific research has explored the problematic use of internet, videogames and mobile phones. However, there is still little consistent knowledge regarding the co-occurrence of problematic technology use and the role of maladaptive personality characteristics in adolescence. The present study aimed to investigate adolescents' styles of technology use with a cluster analysis approach focusing on personality functioning. The sample comprised 408 Italian adolescents (46.3% males) aged 11 to 18years (M age =13.80; SD=2.08). Data were collected using the Internet Addiction Test, the Videogame Dependency Scale, the Test of Mobile-Phone Dependence Brief Form and the Personality Inventory for DSM5 Brief Form. Results provided a four-cluster solution based on the co-occurrence of problematic technology use. The four clusters were labeled as follows: cluster 1: "Above average internet and mobile-phone use"; cluster 2: "Below average technology use"; cluster 3: "Above average videogame use"; and cluster 4: "Problematic technology use." Analyses on demographic variables (e.g., gender and age) demonstrated significant differences between the four groups. Adolescents with high levels of problematic technology use reported greater overall personality dysfunction than the other three groups. This finding supported our hypothesis on maladaptive personality functioning in adolescents at risk for addiction. Finally, the Antagonism domain played a specific role in differentiating the severity of adolescents' involvement in technology use. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings and to plan preventive interventions as well as therapeutic treatments.

Making a Place for Alternative Technologies: The Case of Agricultural Bio‐Inputs in Argentina

AbstractThis article characterizes the ways in which the actors in charge of designing and implementing public policies intervene to promote the emergence of alternatives to problematic technologies. It is based on a case study conducted in Argentina that focuses on initiatives to promote the development of biological agricultural inputs in the context of increasingly controversial chemical inputs. The study spotlights the political, institutional, and semantic efforts made by policy makers and public administrations to ensure these new inputs find their way into organizations and onto their agendas. Their work consists in attenuating the boundaries between chemical and biological inputs, and reducing opposition by creating categories and organizations that downplay potential dissension and highlight the possible coexistence of technological paradigms. Contrary to what the injunctions of technological substitution suggest, we show that putting alternative technologies on the public agenda depends largely on their inclusion in institutional and regulatory infrastructures originally designed for technologies that are likely to decline. More broadly, it relies on the construction of continuity between the two types of technologies.

Problematic Technology Use and Well-Being in Adolescence: The Personal and Relational Effects of Technology

Problematic Technology Use and Well-Being in Adolescence: The Personal and Relational Effects of Technology

Fear of Missing Out Predicts Employee Information Security Awareness Above Personality Traits, Age, and Gender.

The role of human factors in employee information security awareness (ISA) has garnered increased attention, with many researchers highlighting a potential link between problematic technology use and poorer online safety and security. This study aimed to present additional evidence for this by exploring the relationship between of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and ISA in employees. A total of 718 participants completed an online questionnaire that included a measure of FoMO, ISA, as well as the Big Five personality inventory. Participants who reported higher levels of FoMO had lower overall ISA, as well as having poorer knowledge, a more negative attitude, and engaged in riskier behaviors in relation to ISA. FoMO was also demonstrated to be the largest single negative predictor for ISA, above that of age, gender, and the key personality traits tested. The potential reasons for the influence of FoMO over ISA are discussed, as well as the implications for organizational information security.

Problematic Facebook use and anxiety concerning use of social media in mothers and their offspring: An actor–partner interdependence model

Previous research has shown significant and positive associations between social anxiety of parents and their adolescent offspring. The main aim of this study was to investigate this relationship in the social media (SM) context. We tested one hundred and fifty-two couples comprising mothers and their adolescent offspring (12–14 years old) on their levels of problematic Facebook use (PFU) and social anxiety concerning SM use. An actor–partner interdependence model highlighted the positive relationship between the PFU scores of mothers and their offspring on the levels of SM social anxiety in the offspring. We discuss the results in the context of intergenerational transfer of problematic technology use and social anxiety.

Приемы обучения иностранных учащихся пониманию текстов на этапе довузовской подготовки (русский язык как иностранный)

This article is devoted to the methods of teaching to work with text in such innovative technologies as а problematic technology and project technology as well as in technology of functional reading for the purpose to build skills and abilities of understanding and interpretation of the texts. The article is devoted to instructional techniques that are used when working with text in such innovative technologies as a problem and design technology, as well as technology training functional reading. These techniques make it possible to teach cognitive strategies to understand text information, necessary for the formation of skills and abilities of text activity in the target language. Most effectively they are used in the methods of teaching functional reading, in which the basic elements and principles of innovative technologies are implemented in the system and on a fundamentally new basis. The terms “functional literacy” and “minimum literacy”, which were introduced in 1975, UNESCO designated range of skills and abilities, providing the ability to understand, evaluate and interpret texts, as well as the use of textual information in daily, academic and professional activities. Functional reading is one of the components of the minimum (functional) literacy. In the PISA study and PIRLS, dedicated to the analysis of the level of functional literacy in reading skills are defined as the ability to the comprehension of written texts and reflection, to extract the textual information and its use for their own purposes. In the modern methodological literature under the functional reading is understood reading to search for information to solve a particular problem, perform certain tasks, which uses methods of viewing, analytical, studying reading. In this article reveal indicates content of teaching the concept of functional reading and substantiates its effectiveness already in the elementary and basic levels of mastery of Russian as a foreign language including language specialty. The publication suggested possible forms of learning strategies of text comprehension and skills functional reading on the example of the organization of work with educational texts on language specialty “Jurisprudence” Basic level (A2) is shown system tasks, which use before the texts and after texts justified their didactic expediency and describes a method of implementation. In an e-textbook has been used as a didactic material “Russian language (as a foreign language)” (Anokhina, Antipova, Grivina et al. 2018) in development of which the author participated.

Foes and allies: the Catholic Church, Acción Cultural Popular (ACPO), and the emergence of the indigenous movement in Cauca, Colombia

ABSTRACTLiterature on Latin American social movements has discussed the contributions of post-Second Vatican Council (SVC) (1963–1965) progressive branches of the Catholic Church in the formation of indigenous movements. However, this literature has largely ignored discussions on the intervention of non-SVC and conservative branches of the Catholic establishment. This article illustrates the role of the modernizing educational program Acción Cultural Popular (ACPO) (1949), a Catholic organization aligned with conservative forces of the Colombian State and developmental agencies from abroad, in the formation of the indigenous movement of the department of Cauca by Misak and Nasa indigenous people, who pioneered the indigenous movement in the country. ACPO provided educational tools and contacts that contributed to the creation of the indigenous movement of Cauca in the 1970s. However, it also promoted problematic technologies that affected indigenous territories and modes of understanding indigenous cultures that belittled the traditions of the Misak and Nasa indigenous people.

Role of social anxiety on high engagement and addictive behavior in the context of social networking sites

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to tackle the problem of technology addiction by investigating the differences between the antecedences of addictive (problematic technology usage) and high-engagement behavior (non-problematic technology usage). The case of social networking site usage (SNS, e.g. Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) is taken as the case out of the reason of prevalent user population.Design/methodology/approachIt is revealed that people tend to use SNS not only for building a relationship, but also for communicating. In other words, there are inner needs of adopting the SNS technology. However, no clear definitions can be followed for determining the problematic SNS usage, addictive behavior and the high-engagement behavior. Therefore, this study adopts the notion of uses and gratification theory (U&G theory) for investigating the SNS usage behavior. Also, the social anxiety is also first introduced to integrate into the research for an empirical study.FindingsResults reveal that gratification sought and relationship maintenance are associated with the addictive behavior, whereas the relationship maintenance is significantly related to high-engagement behavior.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the selected data represents a sample of SNW users in the Asian Pacific region and mainly from the group of young college users. Therefore, caution must be taken when generalizing the findings to other SNW users or groups. Second, the time aspect related to social media dependence may need to be considered in future studies. Third, the authors found marginal support for the influence of intentions of high engagement¸ and future studies may consider applying other theories that could better explain these types of behavior.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide strong evidence that inner anxiety perceived by users should not be neglected while tackling the problematic internet use due to SNW addiction because it can strengthen the force for depending on SNW for seeking social support. Apart from the value of perceived enjoyment as asserted in previous studies, this study opens up a new opportunity to tackle SNW dependence.Social implicationsThe key implication of this research is that the impact of the mental health of users on SNW problematic should not be overlooked . The higher the level of anxiety perceived, the more likely is the SNW dependence. Therefore, the online behavior depending on psychological health should be addressed because it may be a critical point for assisting users to adopt SNW wisely.Originality/valueThis study confirms that social anxiety people experience in real (offline) life has impacts on online behavior of SNS usage (online). It suggests that the difference between users as the perceived level of social anxiety can trigger different levels of SNS usage. Second, U&G theory is proven valid in understanding SNS addiction. Third, relationship maintenance through the use of SNS reveals its dissimilar effects on SNS addiction and high engagement.

PROVIDING OF PREPAREDNESS OF CIVIL PROTECTION SPECIALISTS TO PROFESSIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-TERRORIST ACTIVITY TASKS

Problem. Active scientific, theoretical and practical activities in developing strategies and tactics for combating terrorism are at the center of attention of law, political science, psychology, sociology, as well as other branches of science. At the same time, the pedagogical problem with regard to determining the specificity of vocational training and ensuring the readiness future civil servants to perform professional tasks in the field of antiterrorist activity is not sufficiently studied. The main result of the educational process of higher education institutions should not be the system of knowledge, skills and abilities itself, but the readiness for modern intellectual, social-legal, communicative, informational practices that will provide the ability and ability to use a set of knowledge of the chosen specialization, basic knowledge from different directions, including legal training, including in the field of antiterrorist activity.
 Goal. Identify innovative forms and methods of training and ensure the readiness of future civil servants to carry out their professional tasks in the field of antiterrorist activity.
 Methods. The research methods were chosen: theoretical ones - the study of psychological and pedagogical and legal literature on the problem under study, the processing of documents and normative materials in order to clarify the content of vocational training and to ensure the readiness of civil protection officers to professional fulfillment of tasks in the field of antiterrorist activity; multicriteria system analysis and problem-oriented synthesis to determine the leading definitions of research and the theoretical substantiation of pedagogical innovations in the training of civil defense officers for professional accomplishment of tasks in the field of antiterrorist activity, in particular ICT tools, problem educational technologies, ICT; empirical - pedagogical observation, questionnaires, interviews, interviews, expert assessment methods, testing, pedagogical modeling, forecasting for the purpose of studying and diagnosing the state of readiness of civil protection officers for professional implementation of tasks in the field of antiterrorist activity.
 Results. Professional training and ensuring the readiness of civil servants to perform their professional tasks in the field of antiterrorist activity should take place in a coherent educational process using innovative approaches in the educational process. Such training becomes more realistic and purposeful, subject to the use of problematic educational technologies. The most effective of their components are the following groups of methods of innovation training, with the use obligatory ICT tools: modeling; designing; research. Important part of the process of training civil servants and ensuring their readiness to carry out professional tasks in the field of counter-terrorism activities is the practical elaboration of crisis situations during the command-and-control game. In connection with this, an algorithm of command-and-control game is developed, which includes the following stages: molding - formation of the working group of the command-staff team; preparatory - preparation for the command-staff game; the main thing is to conduct a command-and-control game; the final is an analysis of the command-and-control game, the definition of the overall assessment and evaluation of each participant in the team-based game.

Can the Thought of Teilhard de Chardin Carry Us Past Current Contentious Discussions of Gene Editing Technologies?

The advent of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has increased attention, and contention, regarding the use and regulation of genome editing technologies. Public discussions continue to give evidence of this debate falling back into the previous polarized positions of technological enthusiasts versus those who are more cautious in their approach. One response to this contentious relapse could be to view this promising and problematic new technology from a radically different perspective that embraces both the excitement of this technological advance and the prudence necessary to use it well. The thought of Teilhard de Chardin provides this desired perspective, and some insights that may help carry forward public discussions to achieve widely accepted uses and regulations.

Addressing FoMO and telepressure among university students: Could a technology intervention help with social media use and sleep disruption?

The fear of missing out (FoMO) and telepressure are two individual difference characteristics linked to increased technology and social media use. FoMO and telepressure have also been linked to negative health outcomes among university students, including poor sleep hygiene. In a sample of 97 university students we tested the potential buffering effects of a sleep and technology educational intervention on relations among FoMO and telepressure and sleep hygiene, social media use, and sleep-disruptive technology use (i.e., technology use before and during sleep). At time one, students were administered either a sleep hygiene intervention, a sleep hygiene plus technology education intervention, or information regarding sleep with no intervention (i.e., a control group). Students also completed a series of self-report measures assessing technology use before sleep, technology use during sleep, social media use, and sleep hygiene. There were no differences between conditions at post-intervention in any outcome variable. However, we found relations among FoMO and social media use were weaker for individuals in both intervention conditions. Our findings have implications for the improvement of health and well-being among students particularly prone to problematic technology use.

Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?

AimsIn light of the rise in research on technological addictions and smartphone addiction in particular, the aim of this paper was to review the relevant literature on the topic of smartphone addiction and determine whether this disorder exists or if it does not adequately satisfy the criteria for addiction.MethodsWe reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies on smartphone addiction and analyzed their methods and conclusions to make a determination on the suitability of the diagnosis “addiction” to excessive and problematic smartphone use.ResultsAlthough the majority of research in the field declares that smartphones are addictive or takes the existence of smartphone addiction as granted, we did not find sufficient support from the addiction perspective to confirm the existence of smartphone addiction at this time. The behaviors observed in the research could be better labeled as problematic or maladaptive smartphone use and their consequences do not meet the severity levels of those caused by addiction.Discussion and conclusionsAddiction is a disorder with severe effects on physical and psychological health. A behavior may have a similar presentation as addiction in terms of excessive use, impulse control problems, and negative consequences, but that does not mean that it should be considered an addiction. We propose moving away from the addiction framework when studying technological behaviors and using other terms such as “problematic use” to describe them. We recommend that problematic technology use is to be studied in its sociocultural context with an increased focus on its compensatory functions, motivations, and gratifications.

The Mediating Role of Self/Everyday Creativity and Depression on the Relationship Between Creative Personality Traits and Problematic Social Media Use Among Emerging Adults

Personality is one of the important contributory factors in the development of problematic technology use. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the direct and indirect associations of creative personality traits with problematic social media use via self/everyday creativity, depression, and loneliness. A total of 460 Turkish emerging adults aged between 18 and 26 years (61% female) were surveyed. Findings indicated that (i) task-orientedness was indirectly associated with problematic social media use via self/everyday creativity, (ii) self-confidence was directly and indirectly associated with problematic social media use via self/everyday creativity and depression, (iii) risk-taking was indirectly associated with problematic social media use via depression, and (iv) self/everyday creativity and depression were directly associated with problematic social media use. The present study is the first to suggest that creative personality traits (i.e., task-orientedness, self-confidence, and risk-taking) and self/everyday creativity are associated with problematic social media use and that these factors should be taken into account when considering the etiology of problematic social media use.

El uso de la tecnología de la información y la comunicación entre adolescentes

En este siglo, el uso de la tecnología se ha incrementado dramáticamente en España e Internet se ha convertido en un contexto social importante para el desarrollo de los adolescentes. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en una muestra de 175 adolescentes canarios (12 y 16 años). Asimismo, se explora la prevalencia del uso problemático de la tecnología (PTU), Internet, videojuegos y teléfonos móviles, y su relación con el bienestar psicológico. Los resultados muestran que el uso de Internet y del teléfono móvil aumenta con la edad. Aunque no se observan diferencias de género en el tiempo de uso, sí se observan diferencias en el tipo de uso y de contenido. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados para la práctica educativa familiar.

Withdrawn and wired: Problematic internet use accounts for the link of neurotic withdrawal to sleep disturbances.

Objective Although neuroticism is the strongest personality predictor of sleep disturbance, it is not clear whether dysphoric (Withdrawal) or angry (Volatility) aspect of neuroticism is more important and whether problematic technology use plays an intervening role. To this end, this study examined distinct contributions of neurotic withdrawal and volatility in predicting self-reported sleep disturbance while testing the mediating role of problematic internet use. Methods: One-hundred and fourty-three college students completed an online survey that included measures of neuroticism, sleep quality, and problematic internet use. Results: Although both aspects of neuroticism predicted poor sleep, Withdrawal emerged as a stronger and the only unique predictor. Furthermore, problematic internet use explained a portion of Withdrawal’s relationship to worse sleep, especially nighttime and daytime disturbances. Discussion: The findings suggest that dysphoric rather than angry features of neuroticism are more important for sleep problems and that the problematic use of modern technology may be an important contributing factor.