The role of metacognitions in problematic Internet use

Research has suggested that negative emotions are associated with problematic Internet use. This study investigated the role of metacognitions as a mediator of the relationship between negative emotions and problematic Internet use. A sample of 97 university students completed the following questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Boredom Proneness Scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, and Internet Addiction Test. All dimensions of metacognition were found to be positively and significantly correlated with problematic Internet use. Positive and significant correlations were also observed between problematic Internet use and negative emotions (anxiety, depression and boredom). Structural equation modeling was used to test a mediation model in which negative emotions predicted metacognitions which in turn predicted problematic Internet use. The results supported the hypothesis that the relationship between negative emotions and problematic Internet use is fully mediated by metacognitions, suggesting that metacognitive theory may be relevant to understanding problematic Internet use. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Problematic Internet use: Functions of use,cognitive absorption,and depression

Although researchers have studied problematic Internet use for almost a decade, there is a dearth of quantitative models to describe this phenomenon. We aimed to create a structural equation model by which we explored the extent to which the functions of the Internet use, cognitive absorption, and depression affected and explained an individual’s problematic Internet use. In 2011 and 2012 years, 244 high school students (117 boys and 127 girls) participated in this study to complete the Problematic Internet Use Scale, the Cognitive Absorption Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Internet Use Function Questionnaire. We found that the students’ functions of Internet use, cognitive absorption, and depression explained the problematic Internet use to some extent.     

Exploration of problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety among Turkish pre-service teachers

The current study investigated the relationship between problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety among pre-service teachers. Participants were 1235 students attending teacher training programs at a Turkish state university. The “Problematic Internet Use Scale” and “Social Interaction Anxiety Scale” were used to collect the data. Independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine the differences; and correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between variables. Findings revealed that male students’ use of the Internet was more problematic compared to female students’. As the time spent on the Internet increased, so did the problematic Internet use levels. In addition, the problematic Internet use levels of students varied with regard to departments. A significant relationship was found between the level of problematic Internet use and social interaction anxiety, and social interaction anxiety was found to be among the predictors of problematic Internet use. Implications and suggestions for further research are provided.     

Gender,Internet and computer attitudes and experiences

It is widely assumed that participation by females on the Internet is hampered by their attitudes towards computers, which in turn is reflective of their attitudes towards new technology. Research generally supports that females have less overall experience with computers and are more likely than males to have negative attitudes towards computers. Although limited, research on Internet experiences and attitudes has found parallel gender differences, with females reporting lower levels of experience and more negative attitudes. This paper explores whether Internet and computer experiences, skills and attitudes are related, using evidence from two studies of incoming college students, in 1989/90 and 1997. There were significant gender differences in many computer experiences and attitudes of incoming students in 1989/90. Males were more experienced with computers, more likely to have taken high school courses requiring computer use, and reported higher skill levels in applications such as programming, games and graphics than females. By 1997, incoming students were more experienced with using a computer than the earlier students. However, gender differences in computer experience and skill levels had diminished in some areas. The 1997 survey also assessed Internet experiences, skills, competence and comfort. Students had more exposure to computers than to the Internet. Males were more experienced and reported higher skill levels with the Internet than females, with the exception of e-mail. The overall competency and comfort level for students in 1997 was significantly higher for computers than for the Internet; 19% of the students did not feel competent and/or comfortable with the computer compared to 36% with the Internet, with females reporting higher levels of incompetence and discomfort for both. Competence and comfort levels with the Internet and computers were highly intercorrelated, and both predicted Internet skills and experiences.     

Problematic Internet use,loneliness and dating anxiety among young adult university students

The Internet, an important modern means of obtaining information and establishing communication with others, has become an increasingly essential element of human life. Although Internet use makes life easier, it can become problematic in the event of non-functional use. Debate and research into whether Internet addiction is a cause or an effect are continuing. This study investigates problematic Internet use among young adult university students and examines correlation between problematic Internet use and loneliness and dating anxiety. University student Internet use patterns are also investigated. The study was conducted among 493 students from the Karadeniz Technical University Fatih Faculty of Education. The Online Cognition Scale, Dating Anxiety Scale, Loneliness Scale and Personal Information Questionnaire were employed in the collection of data. Pearson correlation analysis, the t-test, one-way analysis of variance and chi-square test were used for data analysis. The Pearson correlation analysis results reveal a significant positive correlation between problematic Internet use and loneliness (r = 0.194, p < 0.001), communication anxiety (r = 0.15, p < 0.001), unpopularity anxiety (r = 0.174, p < 0.001) and physiological symptoms (r = 0.125, p < 0.001) dating anxiety sub-scales. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine whether problematic Internet use varies according to length of Internet use, and a significantly high level of problematic Internet use was observed among those going online for more than 5 h a day compared to other users (F = 14.327, p < 0.001). Chi-square results reveal a significant association between length of Internet use and how students feel when they do not go online (chi-square = 116.543, p < 0.001). The t-test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in levels of Internet use according to gender, and levels of problematic Internet use were significantly higher among male students than females (t = 4.046, p < 0.001).     

The effects of computers on older adult users

This study examined the effects of computer anxiety and computer knowledge on self-efficacy and life satisfaction within the retired older adult computer users. Participants consisted of older adults (aged 53–88) recruited from computer clubs in Florida. Path analysis revealed that computer use helped to increase self-efficacy and lower computer anxiety thereby increasing overall life satisfaction. Gender differences in computer use were also examined. Males and females used computers at about the same rate but females reported more anxiety and less computer knowledge. Furthermore, more males reported using the Internet. Of those who reported using the Internet, more females reported browsing for health- and hobby-related information. The implications of these findings were discussed.     

Social relationship on problematic Internet use (PIU) among adolescents in South Korea: A moderated mediation model of self-esteem and self-control

Despite previous research efforts on identifying the risk and protective factors of problematic Internet use (PIU), the specific mechanism among these factors are largely unknown. Thus, the present study examined the effect of adolescents’ social relationships on their PIU, as well as the effect of self-esteem as a mediator and the effect of self-control as a moderator. Survey data from 750 South Korean middle and high school students in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results are as follows. First, PIU is significantly associated with relationship with peers and with mother. Second, self-esteem did not mediate the effect of communication with mother on PIU, but was found to partially mediate the effect of peer relationship on PIU. Third, adolescents’ self-control significantly moderated the indirect effect of peer relationship on PIU via self-esteem. Through detailed analyses, this study identified self-esteem as a mediator and self-control as a moderator in the relationship between social relationships and PIU. Implications of these results for understanding the relationship among social relationships, self-esteem, self-control, and PIU are discussed.     

Problematic online experiences among Spanish college students: Associations with Internet use characteristics and clinical symptoms

Internet access is almost universal among Spanish young people, and university students appear particularly vulnerable to developing problematic use patterns. This study examined the prevalence of a broad range of problematic online experiences in this population, and their associations with diverse Internet use characteristics and clinical symptoms. A sample of 493 students completed an online survey including the Index of Problematic Online Experiences (I-POE) by Mitchell, Sabina, Finkelhor, and Wells (2009), five subscales of the Trauma Symptom Inventory, and questions regarding Internet use characteristics. One in ten participants met criteria for problematic online use. Boys showed higher levels of problems in most I-POE domains. Spending more hours a day online predicted more problems related to overuse, daily obligations, and interactions with people online, whereas using dating websites predicted more problems with online behavior (e.g. identity deception). Higher concerns about own Internet use predicted higher levels of most clinical symptoms. In conclusion, although a minority of students may be considered problematic Internet users, this should be cause for concern and encourage preventative measures. Consistently with the cognitive-behavioral model (Davis, 2001) maladaptive cognitions seem to play a relevant role in the understanding of problematic Internet use. Besides, this study supports the utility of the I-POE as a quick assessment tool to identify problematic online experiences.     

Identifying commonalities and differences in personality characteristics of Internet and social media addiction profiles: traits,self-esteem,and self-construal

Excessive use of the Internet and social media has been associated with behavioural addiction, which sparked the researchers’ interest in gaining a better understanding of this global phenomenon. The aim of this study was to fill a gap in knowledge by using just one sample to identify similarities and differences in relationships between technology addictions and personality characteristics, especially traits, self-esteem, and self-construal. The sample consisted of 512 undergraduate students. The results showed that Internet addiction and social media addiction shared many more similarities than differences. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experiences, emotional stability, self-esteem, the frequency of checking account, and Internet usage were predictors of both Internet addiction and social media addiction. Age, satisfaction with life, and interdependent self-construal did not predict Internet addiction or social media addiction, whereas real self and extraversion predicted Internet addiction only, and gender, posting updates, a number of friends, and independent self-construal predicted social media addiction only. These results provide some basis for an understanding of Internet and social media addiction profiles.     

Gender and cultural differences in Internet use: A study of China and the UK

This study investigates differences in use of, and attitudes toward the Internet and computers generally for Chinese and British students, and gender differences in this cross-cultural context. Two hundred and twenty Chinese and 245 British students’ responses to a self-report survey questionnaire are discussed. Significant differences were found in Internet experience, attitudes, usage, and self-confidence between Chinese and British students. British students were more likely to use computers for study purposes than Chinese students, but Chinese students were more self-confident about their advanced computer skills. Significant gender differences were also found in both national groups. Men in both countries were more likely than women to use email or ‘chat’ rooms. Men played more computer games than women; Chinese men being the most active games players. Men in both countries were more self-confident about their computer skills than women, and were more likely to express the opinion that using computers was a male activity and skill than were women. Gender differences were higher in the British group than the Chinese group. The present study illustrates the continued significance of gender in students’ attitudes towards, and use of computers, within different cultural contexts.     

Culture, gender and information technology use: A comparison of Chinese and US children

This research addressed four basic questions about culture, gender and information technology (IT) use. First, are there differences between Chinese and US children in their computer and Internet use? Second, are there differences between Chinese and US children in their use of other technologies, namely, videogames and cell phones? Third, does gender moderate the influence of culture on the use of computers, the Internet and other technologies? Fourth, are there differences among subcultural groups within cultures in their IT use? Using samples of 600 Chinese and 600 US children whose average age was 12 years old, findings indicated cultural and gender differences in technology use as well as interactions between the two. US children used computers and the Internet more than did Chinese children, with Chinese females being the least intense users. Males played videogames more than did females, with US males playing more than did Chinese males. US females lead all other groups in cell phone use, whereas Chinese females were least likely to use them. Racial and ethnic group differences indicate that diversity within cultural groups among subcultures must be considered in understanding children’s IT use. Implications of cultural, gender and subcultural group differences in technology use for equity in access to technology and educational interventions for children in the use of technology are discussed.     

The media equation and team formation: Further evidence for experience as a moderator

This study extends previous media equation research, which showed that interdependence but not identity leads to team affiliation effects with computers. The current study used an identity manipulation that more closely replicated the manipulation used in traditional team and group formation research than the original media equation research in this area. The study also sought further evidence for the relationship between experience with computers and behaviour reflecting a media equation pattern of results. Sixty students from the University of Queensland voluntarily participated in the study. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions: control, human team (a team made of only humans) or human–computer team (a team made of computers and humans). Questionnaire measures assessing participants’ affective experience, attitudes and opinions were taken. Participants of high experience with computers, but not low experience, when assigned to either of the team conditions enjoyed the tasks completed on the computer more than participants who worked on their own. When assigned to a team that involved a computer, participants of high experience, but not low experience, reacted negatively towards the computer (in comparison to high experience participants working on their own or on a team without a computer as a team member)—rating the information provided by the computer lower, rating themselves as less influenced by the computer and changing their own ratings and rankings to be less like those of the computer. These results are interpreted in light of the ‘Black Sheep’ literature and recognized as a media equation pattern of results.     

Online flow experiences,problematic Internet use and Internet procrastination

This study explores the theoretical and practical overlap between online procrastination, problematic Internet use, and flow on the Internet. At the theoretical level there is a great deal of interrelatedness between these three concepts (for example, all three concepts deal with the issue of a lack of control over time spent online and acknowledge the distracting and entertaining properties of the Internet); yet, one can also argue that the concepts are theoretically distinct (for example, flow is a total absorption in the work at hand, whereas procrastination is the avoidance of the work at hand). All three concepts have been used to describe either desirable (flow) or undesirable (procrastination and problematic Internet use) states when online. In this study a sample of 1399 Internet users was obtained from a survey placed on a South African online information technology magazine. Using the problematic Internet use questionnaire (PIUQ), the distraction subscale of the online cognition scale (OCS), and a modified version of the Flow scale it was found that there were strong positive relationships between all three variables (the strongest relationship being between problematic Internet use and online procrastination). The results also suggested that procrastination may be a connector between PIU and flow; also that PIU is a connector between procrastination and flow, but that flow is independent of the relationship between PIU and procrastination. These results are discussed in relation to previous studies on problematic Internet use and in particular, whether these relationships are unique to respondents involved in the information technology sector.     

Internet Abusive Use Questionnaire: Psychometric properties

Regardless of the different theoretical positions held at present, we can probably agree that an abusive and problematic use of the Internet exists. We present an instrumental study whose objective is to develop a brief, valid, and reliable questionnaire to measure this abuse in epidemiological contexts. The Internet Abusive Use Questionnaire (IAUQ) consists of 12 items to respond to according to the Likert scale. A total of 908 respondents participated, 48% males, with ages ranging between 17 and 70 years. The IAUQ showed a single factor structure. This model presents a good adjustment, with CFI, GFI, and NFI fit index over .90. Internal consistency was found to be .90. The IAUQ showed direct correlations with the Internet abusive use self-assessment, anxiety and depression, and inverse correlations with quality of life. All correlations were significant (p < .001), which demonstrated convergent validity. Significant differences were also found in the IAUQ scores among groups with different age, cultural level, and other addictions, which evidenced discriminant validity. In conclusion, the obtained results demonstrate structural validity and adequate indices of convergent validity and discriminative capacity. These psychometric characteristics —combined with the fact that the IAUQ evaluates harmful use of Internet briefly and simply— fulfill our goal.     

Self-concept,self-esteem,gender, race and information technology use

This research addressed two fundamental questions regarding self-concept, self-esteem, gender, race and information technology use. First, is technology use related to dimensions of self-concept and/or to self-esteem? Second, are there gender and/or race differences in self-concept, self-esteem and technology use? Approximately 500 youth, average age 12 years old, one-third of whom were African American and the remaining two-thirds were Caucasian American, completed multidimensional measures of self-concept, the Rosenberg (1965) self-esteem scale and measures of frequency of Internet use, Internet use for communication (email and instant messaging), videogame playing and cell phone use. Findings indicated that technology use predicted dimensions of selfconcept and self-esteem, with videogame playing having a negative influence, and Internet use having a positive influence on self-concept dimensions. Gender differences were observed on several self-concept dimensions but contrary to expectations not on the social self-concept dimension. Only one race difference was observed and this was in behavioral self-concept. Implications of the benefits and liabilities of youth’s current and future technology use are discussed.     

Who are problematic internet users? An investigation of the correlations between problematic internet use and shyness,loneliness, narcissism,aggression and self-perception

This study investigated correlations between university students’ problematic internet use behaviors and shyness, narcissism, loneliness, aggression and self-perception. The participants were 424 students attending seven different faculties of a public university in Turkey; 215 were female and 209 male. Student’s ages ranged between 17 and 23, with a mean of 18.69. The Problematic Internet Use Scale, Shyness Scale, Narcissistic Personality Inventory, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Aggression Questionnaire, Social Comparison Scale and a Personal Data Form were used for data collection. Correlation analysis results showed positive associations between problematic internet use and shyness and aggression. No statistically significant correlation was determined between problematic internet use and narcissism, loneliness or self-perception. The results demonstrate that individuals who are problematic users are shier and more aggressive. Shyness and aggression emerged as significant antecedent variables of problematic internet use. Suggestions are made for further studies in the light of these findings.     

Academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination as predictors of problematic internet use in university students

Although computers and the internet, indispensable tools in people’s lives today, facilitate life on the one hand, they have brought new risks with them on the other. Internet dependency, or problematic internet use, has emerged as a new concept of addiction. Parallel to this increasing in society in general, it is also on the rise among university students and is widely believed to have a negative impact on their lives. The aim of this study was to investigate whether academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination can act as predictors of problematic internet use among university students. The study group consisted of 398 students attending education, medicine, architecture and economics programs at the Karadeniz Technical University in Turkey. The Problematic Internet Use Scale, Academic Self-efficacy Scale, Academic Procrastination Scale and a Personal Data Form were used as scaling instruments. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data collected. The results show a significant negative correlation between academic self-efficacy and problematic internet use, while the relation between problematic internet use and academic procrastination was not statistically significant. Furthermore, academic self-efficacy was determined to be a significant predictor of problematic internet use. The results also show a significant difference in problematic internet use in terms of students’ programs, though levels of problematic internet use did not differ in terms of sex or ownership of a computer. These findings are discussed in the light of the relevant literature and some new directions for further studies are suggested.     

The relationship of self-perception,personality and high school type with the level of problematic internet use in adolescents

As adolescents spend a substantial part of the day using internet, they constitute one of the risk groups for problematic internet use. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between problematic internet use and the self-perception, personality type, gender of adolescents, and how these relationships varied depending on the type of high school the students attended. This study was conducted with 771 students studying at Anatolian high schools, science high schools, arts high schools, vocational high schools for girls, vocational technical high schools, trade vocational high schools, and common high schools in the city of Kars, Turkey. In this study, 433 (56.2%) of the participants were girls, while 338 (43.8%) were boys. The forms, scales and questionnaires administered during the study included the Personal Information Form, the Problematic Internet Use Scale, the Self-Perception Scale for Adolescents, and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis and the one way ANOVA test. The present study examined whether personality type (extraversion, neuroticism, lie and psychoticism), self-perception (romantic appeal, physical appearance, social acceptance/close friendship, behavioral conduct, athletic competence and job competence), gender, and duration of internet use can predict problematic internet use. Based on the study results, it was observed that gender, duration of internet use, lying type personality, neuroticism, psychoticism, romantic appeal, physical appearance and behavioral conduct were significant predictors of problematic internet use, while positive attributes such as extraversion, athletic competence, job competence, and social acceptance/close friendship were not. Moreover, it was determined that the type of high school led to significant differences with regards to problematic internet use among students, and that students at technical high school were more prone to problematic internet use.     

Children's Internet information seeking,life satisfaction,and loneliness: The mediating and moderating role of self-esteem

This study investigated the longitudinal associations between children's Internet information seeking, life satisfaction, and feelings of loneliness as well as the mediating and moderating role of self-esteem in these associations. A total of 455 Chinese elementary school students participated in two waves of a survey with a 6-month interval, and 19 of these students participated in focus group interviews. The results indicated that seeking school- and life-related information on the Internet predicted more life satisfaction and less loneliness through improved self-esteem. Furthermore, self-esteem moderated the effects of Internet information seeking on loneliness. Internet information seeking predicted less loneliness only for children with low self-esteem. A moderating role of self-esteem in the associations between Internet information seeking and life satisfaction was not found in this study.     

Loneliness and new technologies in a group of Roman adolescents

This study was carried out on 331 Italian secondary school students (64 females and 267 males; their mean age was 17.25, S.D.=0.87). The first aim of this study was to explore the relationships among type of class (computer science or not), gender and socio-economic status and frequency and modality of using the computer, Internet and the mobile phone. The second aim was to explore the relationship between the use of Internet and feelings of loneliness. Two instruments were administered: a questionnaire to explore some of the social habits of adolescents and their use of the three technologies considered, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The results confirmed that those with a higher socio-economic status use Internet more; the computer is used more by those who frequent a computer science section and by those with a higher socio-economic status. Loneliness emerged in relation to gender (higher in females), but not in relation to socio-economic status. Moreover it emerged at both the univariate and multivariate level in relation to the use of Internet and in negative relation to frequenting an informal peer group. A positive relationship between feelings of loneliness and number of friends who go on-line emerged only at the univariate level. The use of the mobile phone was almost completely independent of the variables examined here.