Problematic Internet use or Internet addiction?

The aim of this paper is to review the gradually evolving body of the literature on Internet addiction. Two schools of thought have emerged: those authors who believe that Internet addiction merits classification as a new or emerging psychiatric disorder in its own right, and those who define certain individuals as having problematic Internet use in relation to specific online activities, such as gambling, email or pornography. Despite a total lack of methodologically sound research, the evidence appears to support the second perspective. It appears that individuals who are premorbidly vulnerable, especially with a history of impulse control and addictive disorders, are especially at risk of using the Internet in a problematic way. Aside from the personal and social implications of this finding, this behavior has important implications for the workplace and may be resulting in substantial loss of productivity in companies who are not implementing Internet governance policies.     

网上银行的安全问题及对策

网上银行以网络技术为手段,向客户提供信息服务和金融交易服务,是一种新兴的银行服务模式,给用户办理银行业务提供了快捷和便利。通过对网上银行发展的现状和存在的安全问题进行分析,提出了解决网上银行安全问题的对策建议,旨在促进网上银行健康有序地发展。     

Perceived stress,sensation seeking,and college students’ abuse of the Internet

College students (n = 140) were examined to test whether sensation seeking and perceived stress would predict abuse of the Internet. Previous studies have found that disinhibition, boredom susceptibility, and total sensation seeking scores were related to Internet abuse ( 9 and 30). Because stress has been documented to have a negative effect on students ( Pierceall & Keim, 2007), and may be linked to Internet use ( Lavoie & Pychyl, 2001), it was tested as a possible predictor of Internet abuse. This study also analyzed abuse of the Internet for sexual purposes, because sexuality is prevalent online, and college students are in an age of sexual exploration. Results of stepwise regression analyses revealed that disinhibition and total perceived stress were predictive of Internet abuse for sexual purposes, and perceived hopelessness and boredom susceptibility were predictive of Internet abuse for non-sexual purposes. Implications for students and Internet abuse are discussed.     

A text mining approach to Internet abuse detection

As the use of the Internet in organizations continues to grow, so does Internet abuse in the workplace. Internet abuse activities by employees-such as online chatting, gaming, investing, shopping, illegal downloading, pornography, and cybersex-and online crimes are inflicting severe costs to organizations in terms of productivity losses, resource wasting, security risks, and legal liabilities. Organizations have started to fight back via Internet usage policies, management training, and monitoring. Internet filtering software products are finding an increasing number of adoptions in organizations. These products mainly rely on blacklists, whitelists, and keyword/profile matching. In this paper, we propose a text mining approach to Internet abuse detection. We have empirically compared a variety of term weighting, feature selection, and classification techniques for Internet abuse detection in the workplace of software programmers. The experimental results are very promising; they demonstrate that the proposed approach would effectively complement the existing Internet filtering techniques. An earlier version of this paper appeared in the Proceedings of the Fifth Workshop on e-Business (WeB), Milwaukee, WI, 2006.     

Internet addiction’s effect on likeability and rapport

The Internet Paradox refers to findings that demonstrated that the increase in communications brought about by Internet usage actually had negative effects on user’s psychological well-being and social involvement. This study proposes that face-to-face contact promotes the development of rapport and thereby individuals that use the internet excessively will lack these necessary social skills. Specifically, we investigate whether, through use of telephone communications, average users ratings of likeability and rapport would differ when speaking to excessive internet users. This experiment utilized previously unacquainted individuals who conversed by telephone while discussing both, a cooperative and an adversarial task. Results indicate that excessive users were more likely to be depressed and socially inhibited, and also were rated as having a lower level of rapport and likeability. Further research is required in order to explain the role of personality in excessive internet usage.     

Psychometric properties of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire

Several instruments have been designed to measure problems associated with excessive, compulsive, or addictive use of the Internet. One such instrument, the 18-item Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, was recently published with data supporting a three subscale model (Demetrovics et al., 2008). These researches utilized an online format with a sample taken from the general population of Hungary. We utilized an American college student sample and a paper and pencil format to perform a confirmatory factor analysis of the PIUQ. In addition, we examined the reliability and construct validity of the PIUQ by examining the scales’ relationship with several indices of psychological and physical health. CFA results indicate a barely adequate and not completely problem free three factor model for the PIUQ (χ² = 477.40; root mean square error = .097; comparative fit index = .831; Tucker Lewis coefficient = .804). Cronbach’s α for the total scale was .91 while the Cronbach’s α for each subscale were .81, .77, and .79. Construct validity for the model is demonstrated with significant correlations between the subscales and several indices of psychological and physical health. Suggestions for further research are provided.     

Internet addiction in adolescents: Prevalence and risk factors

As new media are becoming daily fare, Internet addiction appears as a potential problem in adolescents. From the reported negative consequences, it appears that Internet addiction can have a variety of detrimental outcomes for young people that may require professional intervention. Researchers have now identified a number of activities and personality traits associated with Internet addiction. This study aimed to synthesise previous findings by (i) assessing the prevalence of potential Internet addiction in a large sample of adolescents, and (ii) investigating the interactions between personality traits and the usage of particular Internet applications as risk factors for Internet addiction. A total of 3105 adolescents in the Netherlands filled out a self-report questionnaire including the Compulsive Internet Use Scale and the Quick Big Five Scale. Results indicate that 3.7% of the sample were classified as potentially being addicted to the Internet. The use of online gaming and social applications (online social networking sites and Twitter) increased the risk for Internet addiction, whereas extraversion and conscientiousness appeared as protective factors in high frequency online gamers. The findings support the inclusion of ‘Internet addiction’ in the DSM-V. Vulnerability and resilience appear as significant aspects that require consideration in further studies.     

Validation and psychometric properties of a short version of Young’s Internet Addiction Test

A key element of research on Internet addiction is a valid and reliable assessment of problems individuals experience in their daily life due to an excessive or pathological use of the Internet. One of the most frequently used questionnaires is Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT). However, the factorial structure of the IAT is still discussed controversially. In four studies with different samples we (a) addressed the factorial structure of the IAT with exploratory factor analysis and reduced the items to those with sufficient factor loadings and good item characteristics, (b) checked the factorial structure using confirmatory factor analysis, and (c) analyzed convergent, divergent and incremental validities. We revealed a short version of the IAT, which consists of 12 items and a two-factorial solution with good reliability (study 1). The two factors were named “loss of control/time management” and “craving/social problems”. This two-factorial solution was confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis (study 2) and we have found good indices for convergent, divergent and incremental validity (studies 3 and 4). In conclusion, the short version of the IAT has good psychometric properties and represents the Internet addiction’s key elements based on the proposed diagnostic criteria.     

Designing electronic use policies to enhance employee perceptions of fairness and to reduce cyberloafing: An empirical test of justice theory

Organizations are attempting to curtail cyberloafing or employee use of company Internet and email systems for non-work purposes by implementing electronic use policies, but their design is based on anecdotal support instead of theory or empirical research. Using procedural justice theory, we propose policies containing signed versus implied consent, for cause versus periodic monitoring, zero tolerance or progressive discipline versus managerial discretion in disciplinary procedures, and appeals to peers or management versus no appeals will improve employee perceptions of policy fairness and thus, decrease cyberloafing. Results from two experiments and a field study found that zero tolerance, progressive discipline, and appeal processes were related to higher perceptions of policy fairness while periodic monitoring was related to less cyberloafing.     

Internet addiction among adolescents in Lebanon

Internet addiction has been a subject of research since 1996. In step with this trend, this study aims to illuminate Internet addiction in Lebanon based on research evidence. The timing of this study coincides with the growing rate of penetration of Internet service across the country and with current plans to improve this service. This study investigates Internet usage among adolescents, who are the most vulnerable to Internet addiction in the population. Permission to access schools to conduct this research was obtained from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. A web-based questionnaire was completed by 833 intermediate and secondary students from public and private schools. The questionnaire included items on demographic information and Internet usage and an Arabic version of Young’s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT). The results showed that 4.2% of the sample had significant problems. Furthermore, the more problematic Internet use (PIU) was, the less the Internet was used for information and research, and the more it was used for entertainment. PIU is driven by deficiency needs fuelled by the use of interactive applications. The more deficient the need, the greater the obsession with top-notch interactive applications, and the less frequent the usage of non-interactive applications.     

Factorial validity of problematic Internet use scales

There exists a number of multidimensional measurement scales for problematic Internet use (PIU) with varying factor structures. This study reviews the factor analytic techniques used to develop these measures and discusses their implications for the factorial validity, particularly discriminant validity, of these PIU scales. To further illustrate these points, we reformulate the four-factor Online Cognition Scale into a more parsimonious two-factor measure (i.e., dependency and distraction) and demonstrate its factorial validity as well as robustness across student and working adult samples. Contributions of this research are discussed.     

Internet addiction in students: Prevalence and risk factors

The last decade has witnessed a large increase in research on the newly emerging mental health problem of Internet addiction. Rather than looking at Internet addiction per se, this study focused on particular activities on the Internet that might be potentially addictive and linked them to personality traits that might predispose individuals to Internet addiction. The aims of this study were (i) to assess the prevalence of clinically significant levels of Internet addiction, and to (ii) discern the interplay between personality traits and specific Internet uses in increasing the risk for Internet addiction. This cross-sectional online survey used data from 2257 students of an English university. Results indicated that 3.2% of the students were classified as being addicted to the Internet. The included personality traits and uses of online activities explained 21.5% of the variance in Internet addiction. A combination of online shopping and neuroticism decreased the risk for Internet addiction, whereas a combination of online gaming and openness to experience increased it. In addition to this, frequent usage of online shopping and social online activities, high neuroticism and low agreeableness significantly increased the chances of being addicted to the Internet. Findings and their implications are discussed.     

The relationship between Internet identification,Internet anxiety and Internet use

This paper reports a study investigating the relationship between Internet identification, Internet anxiety and Internet use. The participants were 446 students (319 females and 127 males) from two universities in the UK and one university in Australia. Measures of Internet identification and Internet anxiety were developed. The majority of participants were NOT anxious about using the Internet, although there were approximately 8% who showed evidence of Internet anxiety. There was a significant and negative relationship between Internet anxiety and Internet use. Those who were more anxious about using the Internet used the Internet less, although the magnitude of effect was small. There was a positive and significant relationship between Internet use and Internet identification. Those who scored high on the measure of Internet identification used the Internet more than those who did not. There was also a significant and negative relationship between Internet anxiety and Internet identification. Finally, males had a significantly higher Internet identification score than females. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

网络监控系统的设计和实现

文中设计的网络监控系统使用软路由技术可以通过软件实现跨网段的连接,可以根据自己的需求在不同的网络上实现统一的监控管理。它可用于图书馆的管理系统、几个电子阅览室、语音室、多媒体教室等。软件全部代码使用VC++开发,对网络控制直接基于系统的底层进行设计,与操作系统结合紧密。它能实时地、动态地对所辖区所有监控元进行监视、控制与管理;采用多种记费方式。文中还给出了系统的实现情况。     

Using the theory of interpersonal behavior to explain non-work-related personal use of the Internet at work

Non-work-related personal use of the Internet within organizations has received increased attention from scholars. We increase previous understanding of this phenomenon by proposing a novel model based on the theory of interpersonal behavior (TIB). The TIB includes previous researched constructs (i.e., attitudes, social influence, and intentions) as well as emotional factors, habits, and different sources of social influence. Our results (N = 238) suggest that the model well predicts the use of the Internet at work for non-work purposes. Our results shed new light on the influence of habit, affect, role, and self-concept in the use of the Internet.     

Cognitive and psychological predictors of the negative outcomes associated with playing MMOGs (massively multiplayer online games)

This study integrates research on problematic Internet use to explore the cognitive and psychological predictors of negative consequences associated with playing massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). Participants recruited from online discussion boards completed self-report measures on their online game-related cognitions and psychological condition, social skills, psychological well-being, and negative life outcomes associated with game playing. The results demonstrated the important roles that psychological dependency and deficient self-regulation play in negative consequences associated with online gaming. The results also indicated that psychological dependency on MMOGs was predicted by cognitive preference for a virtual life—a construct that is negatively related to social control skills.     

Problematic Internet and mobile phone use and clinical symptoms in college students: The role of emotional intelligence

This study deals with maladaptive use of the Internet and the mobile phone and its relationship to symptoms of psychological distress and mental disorder, as well as to the possible role of Perceived Emotional Intelligence in this relationship. Three hundred and sixty-five undergraduate university freshmen at Ramon Llull University, Barcelona (Spain), majoring in four different studies (Psychology, Education, Journalism and Broadcasting, and Health Studies) replied to scales assessing the negative consequences of maladaptive use of both the Internet (CERI) and the mobile phone (CERM), a self-report scale on Perceived Emotional Intelligence (TMMS-24), and a clinical instrument to check for complaints related to the presence of psychological distress (Symptom Checklist-90-R; SCL-90-R). Results indicate that psychological distress is related to maladaptive use of both the Internet and the mobile phone; females scored higher than males on the mobile phone questionnaire, showing more negative consequences of its maladaptive use. With respect to major study, students of Journalism and Broadcasting showed a more maladaptive pattern of Internet use than students of other majors. The components of Perceived Emotional Intelligence contributed to the explanation of the variance of the general indicators of psychological distress, but to a lesser degree than maladaptive use of Internet and mobile phone.     

Comparison of Internet addicts and non-addicts in Taiwanese high school

This study investigated the difference between Internet addicts and non-addicts in Taiwanese high schools, and focused specifically on their Internet usage patterns, and gratification and communication pleasures. A total of 1708 valid data samples of high school adolescents were collected. Among this sample, 236 subjects (13.8%) were identified as addicts using the eight-item Internet addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire designed by Young [Internet addiction survey [Online]. Available: http://www.pitt.edu/_ksy/survey.htm]. The analytical results revealed that Internet addicts spent almost twice as many hours on line on average than the non-addicts. Notably, surfing with a social/entertainment motivation and gratification was positively correlated with Internet addiction. Furthermore, Internet addicts obtained markedly higher overall PIUST scores and scored higher than non-addicts on four subscales (tolerance; compulsive use and withdrawal; related problems, including family, school, health, and other problems; interpersonal and financial problems). While Internet addicts perceived the Internet to have significantly more negative influences on daily routines, school performance, teacher and parental relation than non-addicts, both Internet addicts and non-addicts viewed Internet use as enhancing peer relations. Moreover, students with personalities characterized by dependence, shyness, depression and low self-esteem had a high tendency to become addicted.     

The roles of monitoring and cyberbystanders in reducing sexual abuse

Offering a fresh perspective on the bystander effect beyond the conventional ‘street violence scenario’, this paper examines men’s time reactions to an online sex offence against minors. Study 1 shows that men advised of very high electronic monitoring take more time to intervene than men advised of very low electronic monitoring and non-monitoring, and when they are accompanied by strangers rather than acquaintances. Study 2 extends these findings by demonstrating that computerized surveillance, in contrast to user-assisted surveillance and non-surveillance, has a similar inhibitory effect. Drawing on these two studies, Study 3 suggests that the bystander effect also emerges under high monitoring and when the group size of unknown cyberbystanders is increased. Taken together, it appears that high surveillance and increased numbers of cyberbystanders, the factors unexamined jointly in previous research, inhibit intervention, although not in a linear way, and that the likely reasons for it are erosion of bystanders’ social bonds, diffusion of personal responsibility and diminished sense of making a difference.     

Cognitive processing differences between frequent and infrequent Internet users

The Internet is rapidly transforming a range of human activities; socio-cognitive theory assumes that engagement in transformed activities, over time, transforms human cognition. Four hundred and six college students completed four modified cognitive assessment system subtests, each assessing one dimension of the PASS model of cognitive processing (i.e., planning, attention, simultaneous and successive processing). Students also completed a rating scale that determined the extent and nature of their use of the Internet. Without exception, frequent Internet users cognitively outperformed infrequent Internet users. Results are interpreted as supporting the validity of two theoretical positions; tool use increases cognitive capacity and tools represent extension of cognitive processes.