Internet over-users' psychological profiles: a behavior sampling analysis on internet addiction

Self-concept deficits in massively multiplayer online role-playing games addiction

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on Internet addiction point towards a particular constellation of personality traits and deficits in social competence of players addicted to massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), which are hypothesized to result from impairments in self-concept. The aim of this study was to examine differences in self-concept and degree of avatar identification in World of Warcraft addicted, non-addicted and naive (nonexperienced) participants.

METHODS

Participants (n = 45) completed interviews and self-report questionnaires on social, emotional and physical aspects of self-concept. Attributes of participants' 'actual self', 'ideal self' and their avatar were assessed using the Giessen test. The extent of avatar identification was examined by assessing differences between 'ideal self' and avatar evaluations.

RESULTS

In contrast to nonaddicted and naive participants, addicted players showed a more negative body appraisal and lower self-esteem as well as lower permeability, social response, general mood and social potency on the Giessen test subscales. They further showed significantly lower discrepancies between 'ideal self' and avatar ratings on nearly all Giessen test subscales.

DISCUSSION

The results point towards impairments in self-concept and a higher degree in avatar identification in addicted MMORPG players compared to the remaining participants. These results could have important implications for the treatment of addicted MMORPG players.

The association between pathological internet use and comorbid psychopathology: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Pathological Internet use (PIU) has been conceptualized as an impulse-control disorder that shares characteristics with behavioral addiction. Research has indicated a potential link between PIU and psychopathology; however, the significance of the correlation remains ambiguous. The primary objective of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate studies performed on the correlation between PIU and comorbid psychopathology; the secondary aims were to map the geographical distribution of studies, present a current synthesis of the evidence, and assess the quality of available research.

SAMPLING AND METHODS

An electronic literature search was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsychINFO, Global Health, and Web of Science. PIU and known synonyms were included in the search. Data were extracted based on PIU and psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive symptoms, social phobia and hostility/aggression. Effect sizes for the correlations observed were identified from either the respective publication or calculated using Cohen's d or R(2). The potential effect of publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot model and evaluated by Egger's test based on a linear regression.

RESULTS

The majority of research was conducted in Asia and comprised cross-sectional designs. Only one prospective study was identified. Twenty articles met the preset inclusion and exclusion criteria; 75% reported significant correlations of PIU with depression, 57% with anxiety, 100% with symptoms of ADHD, 60% with obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and 66% with hostility/aggression. No study reported associations between PIU and social phobia. The majority of studies reported a higher rate of PIU among males than females. The relative risks ranged from an OR of 1.02 to an OR of 11.66. The strongest correlations were observed between PIU and depression; the weakest was hostility/aggression.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression and symptoms of ADHD appeared to have the most significant and consistent correlation with PIU. Associations were reported to be higher among males in all age groups. Limitations included heterogeneity in the definition and diagnosis of PIU. More studies with prospective designs in Western countries are critically needed.

Pornography use: who uses it and how it is associated with couple outcomes

Very little is known about how pornography use is related to the quality of committed relationships. This study examined associations among pornography use, the meaning people attach to its use, sexual quality, and relationship satisfaction. It also looked at factors that discriminate between those who use pornography and those who do not. Participants were couples (N = 617 couples) who were either married or cohabiting at the time the data were gathered. Overall results from this study indicated substantial gender differences in terms of use profiles, as well as pornography's association with relationship factors. Specifically, male pornography use was negatively associated with both male and female sexual quality, whereas female pornography use was positively associated with female sexual quality. The study also found that meaning explained a relatively small part of the relationship between pornography use and sexual quality.

The German version of the internet addiction test: a validation study

Reports about excessive Internet use, possibly amounting to an addiction, have increased. Progress with research and treatment of this phenomenon requires valid standardized assessment instruments. A frequently used questionnaire is the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Kimberly Young. The 20-item questionnaire is well established in a number of languages, but a German validation was lacking so far. An online (ON) sample (n=1,041, age 24.2±7.2 years, 46.7 percent men) completed an Internet version of the IAT and a student sample (offline [OF] sample, n=841, age: 23.5±3.0 years, 46.8 percent men) filled in a paper/pencil version. The participants also answered questions regarding their Internet use habits. A further sample of 108 students (21.5±2.0 years, 25.7 percent men) completed the questionnaire twice to determine the 14-day retest reliability. The internal consistencies were α=0.91 (ON) and α=0.89 (OF). Item-whole correlations ranged from r=0.23 to r=0.65 (ON) and from r=0.30 to r=0.64 (OF). Two-week retest reliability was r(tt)=0.83. Factor analyses with Varimax rotation yielded the same two factors in both samples, which explained 46.7 percent (ON) and 42.0 percent (OF) of the variance. The IAT score correlated with the time spent in the Internet in a typical week (ON: r=0.44; OF: r=0.38). The German version of the IAT was shown to have good psychometric properties and a stable two-factorial structure. Correlations with online time were in line with those reported for the IAT in other languages.

Prevalence and Correlates of Internet Addiction in Undergraduate Students

This study determined if two different internet addiction assessments would identify the same individuals as addicted to the internet. A total of 224 undergraduate internet users were surveyed using a stratified sampling plan based on the proportional allocation technique to procure as diverse a sample as possible. The assessments used were Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Caplan’s Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS), a demographic questionnaire, and a reasons-for-use questionnaire. Results showed that about 0.9% of the sample could be considered addicted to the internet according to both the IAT and GPIUS, which is a smaller percentage than found in previous studies. There were too few participants identified as addicted to the internet to determine if these two assessments identified the same individuals as addicted; however, over a third of the sample was identified as “at risk” for addiction by one assessment and not the other. These results show that the assessment measure used is of extreme importance when diagnosing internet addiction and more robust sampling procedures may lead to fewer internet addicts identified, which could be a more accurate reflection of internet addiction in the target population.

The Relationship Between Internet Addiction and Communication, Educational and Physical Problems of Adolescents in North Cyprus

The Internet today, beyond being a source of information and communication, has become an ‘addiction’ for some people. The rate of Internet addiction is rapidly increasing in the world. The aim of this study was to examine the extent of Internet addiction among adolescents in North Cyprus. Eight hundred and fifty-one participants between the ages of 14 to 26 completed the Internet Use and Addiction questionnaire. Results indicated that 6.6% of the participants were addicted to the Internet. Younger high school students were found to have the highest rate of Internet addiction, followed by university students. Males were shown to have significantly higher rates of Internet addiction than females for all age groups. Academic, interpersonal and physical problems were all found to be associated with Internet addiction. The implications for guidance counsellors of this problem are discussed.

Internet addiction in the island of Hippocrates: the associations between internet abuse and adolescent off-line behaviours

BACKGROUND

  To investigate the phenomenon of internet addiction and concurrent social (off-line) behaviours of an adolescent population a cross-sectional survey of the entire adolescent student population (N = 1270, aged 14-18) of the island of Kos in Greece was conducted.

METHOD

  Completion by the survey participants of a demographic questionnaire, the 8-question YDQ (Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction) and the 20-question IAT (Internet Addiction Test), followed by comparative analysis between and within usage groups.

RESULTS

  Results demonstrate that 7.2% of male and 5.1% of female internet users present addictive behaviours while using the internet.

CONCLUSIONS

  Anti-social, aggressive behaviours were significantly correlated with an increase to the pattern of abusive internet use in both sexes. Boys and girls had distinct profiles of off-line and online preferences. Boys tended to favour interest-driven online activities as their levels of addictive behaviour increased while girls favoured communication-driven online activities.

Internet addiction: hours spent online, behaviors and psychological symptoms

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate psychopathological symptoms, behaviors and hours spent online in patients with internet addiction disorder (IAD) at a new psychiatric service for IAD inside a policlinic.

METHOD

Eighty-six subjects participated in the study. Thirty-three patients asking for psychiatric consultation regarding their excessive use of the internet were assessed with IAD interview, internet addiction test (IAT), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and a brief sociodemographic survey. Moreover, patients had to respond to the following question: Over the last month, how much time have you spent online per week? At the end of psychiatric assessment, 21 of the 33 patients satisfied inclusion (IAD interview) and exclusion (psychotic disorders, neurocognitive deficits, dementia, serious mental delay, current alcohol or drug abuse) criteria. Twenty-one patients of the clinical group were compared with 65 subjects of a control group who were recruited online using IAT.

RESULTS

IAD patients showed significantly higher scores on the IAT compared to subjects of the control group. Only item 7 (How often do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?) showed a significant inverse trend. SCL-90-R anxiety and depression subscale scores and item 19 (How often do you choose to spend more time online over going out with others?) of the IAT were positively correlated with number of weekly hours spent online in IAD patients.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that a misuse of internet, characterized by many hours spent online avoiding interpersonal relationships with real and known people, could be an important criterion in the clinical interview in order to diagnose the IAD. The association between the lost interest in communicating with real people and psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression could be relevant to detect IAD patients.

Seeking safety on the internet: relationship between social anxiety and problematic internet use

As internet use becomes increasingly integral to modern life, the hazards of excessive use are also becoming apparent. Prior research suggests that socially anxious individuals are particularly susceptible to problematic internet use. This vulnerability may relate to the perception of online communication as a safer means of interacting, due to greater control over self-presentation, decreased risk of negative evaluation, and improved relationship quality. To investigate these hypotheses, a general sample of 338 completed an online survey. Social anxiety was confirmed as a significant predictor of problematic internet use when controlling for depression and general anxiety. Social anxiety was associated with perceptions of greater control and decreased risk of negative evaluation when communicating online, however perceived relationship quality did not differ. Negative expectations during face-to-face interactions partially accounted for the relationship between social anxiety and problematic internet use. There was also preliminary evidence that preference for online communication exacerbates face-to-face avoidance.

Internet pathways in suicidality: a review of the evidence

The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the Internet and suicidality and to examine the different pathways by which suicidal risks and prevention efforts are facilitated through the Internet. An online literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases. The main themes that were investigated included pathological Internet use and suicidality, pro-suicide websites, suicide pacts on the Internet, and suicide prevention via the Internet. Articles were screened based on the titles and abstracts reporting on the themes of interest. Thereafter, articles were selected based on scientific relevance of the study, and included for full text assessment. The results illustrated that specific Internet pathways increased the risk for suicidal behaviours, particularly in adolescents and young people. Several studies found significant correlations between pathological Internet use and suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury. Pro-suicide websites and online suicide pacts were observed as high-risk factors for facilitating suicidal behaviours, particularly among isolated and susceptible individuals. Conversely, the evidence also showed that the Internet could be an effective tool for suicide prevention, especially for socially-isolated and vulnerable individuals, who might otherwise be unreachable. It is this paradox that accentuates the need for further research in this field.

Confirmation of the three-factor model of problematic internet use on off-line adolescent and adult samples

As the Internet became widely used, problems associated with its excessive use became increasingly apparent. Although for the assessment of these problems several models and related questionnaires have been elaborated, there has been little effort made to confirm them. The aim of the present study was to test the three-factor model of the previously created Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire (PIUQ) by data collection methods formerly not applied (off-line group and face-to-face settings), on the one hand, and by testing on different age groups (adolescent and adult representative samples), on the other hand. Data were collected from 438 high-school students (44.5 percent boys; mean age: 16.0 years; standard deviation=0.7 years) and also from 963 adults (49.9 percent males; mean age: 33.6 years; standard deviation=11.8 years). We applied confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the measurement model of problematic Internet use. The results of the analyses carried out inevitably support the original three-factor model over the possible one-factor solution. Using latent profile analysis, we identified 11 percent of adults and 18 percent of adolescent users characterized by problematic use. Based on exploratory factor analysis, we also suggest a short form of the PIUQ consisting of nine items. Both the original 18-item version of PIUQ and its short 9-item form have satisfactory reliability and validity characteristics, and thus, they are suitable for the assessment of problematic Internet use in future studies.

Prevalence of the addictions: a problem of the majority or the minority?

An increasing number of research studies over the last three decades suggest that a wide range of substance and process addictions may serve similar functions. The current article considers 11 such potential addictions (tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, eating, gambling, Internet, love, sex, exercise, work, and shopping), their prevalence, and co-occurrence, based on a systematic review of the literature. Data from 83 studies (each study n = at least 500 subjects) were presented and supplemented with small-scale data. Depending on which assumptions are made, overall 12-month prevalence of an addiction among U.S. adults varies from 15% to 61%. The authors assert that it is most plausible that 47% of the U.S. adult population suffers from maladaptive signs of an addictive disorder over a 12-month period and that it may be useful to think of addictions as due to problems of lifestyle as well as to person-level factors.

Predicting problematic Internet use in men and women: the contributions of psychological distress, coping style, and body esteem

Problematic Internet use (PIU) is becoming a prevalent and serious problem among college students. Rates of PIU are higher in men, which may be due to psychological variables, such as comorbid psychological disorders and beliefs about one's body. We examined the ability of psychological distress, coping style, and body esteem to predict levels of PIU in men and women in a sample of 425 undergraduate students (46.8 percent male; mean age = 19.0, SD = 1.7). For men, phobic anxiety, wishful thinking, and overweight preoccupation were significant predictors of increased PIU. For women, depression, keeping to oneself, and decreased tension reduction were associated with increased PIU. The findings suggest that men and women may have different psychological reasons for excessive Internet use, including different types of psychological distress and coping styles. Unlike women, men may use the Internet because of weight concerns.

The effects of escape from self and interpersonal relationship on the pathological use of Internet games

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether Baumeister's escape from self theory may account for the pathological use of Internet games among Korean adolescents. A sample of 1,136 junior high school students completed measures assessing Internet game addiction (IGA), real-ideal self discrepancy, escape from self, current mood, peer relationships, perceived parent-child relationship, and parental supervision. IGA was significantly correlated with all of these variables. Multiple regression analysis showed that escape from self best explained the adolescents' IGA. A path model yielded significant paths from self-discrepancy to negative mood, from negative mood to escape from self, and from escape from self to IGA. These results support the validity of using the escape from self theory to explain the adolescents' IGA, thereby suggesting that adolescents become addicted to Internet games in an attempt to escape from self and reality.

Prevalence of Internet addiction in Latino adolescents with psychiatric diagnosis

Internet addiction (IA) is particularly relevant in the adolescent population. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of IA in a clinical sample of Latino adolescents receiving ambulatory psychiatric treatment. The correlation between their pattern of Internet use and their respective psychiatric diagnosis was also studied. Adolescent patients from the Psychiatric Ambulatory Clinic at the Pediatric University Hospital (N=71) completed the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and a questionnaire about Internet use. Information regarding demographic and diagnostic data was retrieved from their clinical records. None of the subjects presented severe IA. A total of 71.8% (n=51) of the adolescents obtained scores reflecting no problem related to IA. Only 11.6% (n=5) of subjects have discussed Internet use with their therapist. Mood disorders showed a statistically significant (p=0.044) correlation with a higher score on the IAT. Mental health care practitioners must consider questions on Internet use as an essential part of the patients' evaluation given its significant correlation with diagnosis of a mood disorder.

[Evaluation of the characteristics of addiction to online video games among adolescents and young adults]

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study are to assess the social characteristics, coping strategies, self-esteem and depressive symptoms in a population-dependent and not dependent on video games online, in order to investigate the correlations existing between these characteristics.

METHOD

The study was conducted among 193 subjects. Data were collected through a global questionnaire constituted of several scales. The global questionnaire consisted of a sociodemographic part (age, sex, social status, most played game, number of hours per week devoted to the game), a questionnaire assessing dependence and abuse according to the DSM -IV-TR, the feeling of social belonging scale (or ESAS which was doubled to collect information about the belonging in real life and virtual life), the Ways of coping check-list (WCCL), the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (EES), the Quality of interpersonal relations scale (EQRI), the UCLA Loneliness scale and the Center for epidemiologic studies depression scale (CES-D). The questionnaire was broadcasted on the Internet, specifically in the forums dedicated to "massively multiplayer online role-playing games" and in young people's forums in specific subject headings.

RESULTS

The results show that there are significant differences between the two populations, especially regarding the social characteristics, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and coping strategies. In the entire population, 66 subjects (42%) were considered dependent on online video games and 92 subjects (58%) were not considered dependent. In the dependent population, the number of hours spent playing per week, the score of social belonging in the virtual life, the coping focused on the emotion, the score of loneliness or social isolation and the score obtained on the CES-D appeared more important than the scores obtained by the non-dependent. Moreover, the average age, the scores of social belonging in real life, self-esteem and sub-dimensions "family" and "friends" of the quality of interpersonal relations scale are lower than those obtained by the non-dependent. Furthermore, the number of hours of play per week, the feeling of social belonging, self-esteem, quality of family relationships and loneliness are predictive factors of addiction to video games online.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that one of the crucial issues in dependence is the monitoring of game practice. Indeed, dependence on video games is based on a real hardware that needs to be controlled and managed by a third party before the emergence of a dependency. Therefore the results of this study suggest the establishment of better prevention, especially among parents who are confronted in majority with a world and a technology that is unknown or too complicated. In the case of a proven addiction, the study proposes care therapy focused on the social link, especially the family link, and a particular care to work on self-esteem.

An order of pure decision: growing up in a virtual world and the adolescent's experience of being-in-a-body

Technological advances and the dominant values of contemporary culture make it possible and acceptable to alter, extend, or altogether bypass the body and its functions in actuality and in virtual space. This has contributed to a split between the body and the self, leading to a disembodied subjectivity that may encourage a neglect of the body's unconscious meaning for the individual. Due to the psychic requirement during adolescence to accommodate the reality of the changing body, some vulnerable adolescents are especially primed for the seductions of virtual space--a "space" that is nowadays not only culturally sanctioned, but also idealized. The use of cyberspace can become a psychic refuge from the challenge of integrating the reality and meaning of the sexual body into the image of the self. Two case examples illustrate how for some vulnerable adolescents it is through the use of cyberspace that confusion about the real body can be denied or disavowed; for them the integrity of the self is sustained through pseudorepresentations of the body defensively experienced in terms of "play" rather than pathology.

The Ethics of Outsourcing Online Survey Research

The increasing level of Internet penetration over the last decade has made web surveying a viable option for data collection in academic research. Software tools and services have been developed to facilitate the development and deployment of web surveys. Many academics and research students are outsourcing the design and/or hosting of their web surveys to external service providers, yet ethical issues associated with this use have received limited attention in academic literature. In this article, the authors focus on specific ethical concerns associated with the outsourcing of web surveys with particular reference to external commercial web survey service providers. These include threats to confidentiality and anonymity, the potential for loss of control over decisions about research data, and the reduced credibility of research. Suggested guidelines for academic institutions and researchers in relation to outsourcing aspects of web-based survey research are provided.

Screening for Internet dependence: do the proposed diagnostic criteria differentiate normal from dependent Internet use?

There is continued discussion of including Internet dependence as a diagnosis in future editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of the proposed diagnostic criteria for Internet dependence as measured by Young's Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). Although the YDQ does not provide any measure of severity, there is emerging recognition that some Internet users may display less severe or at risk Internet dependence. The degree to which the cutoff of 5 out of 8 criteria is appropriate to differentiate nondependent from dependent Internet use was evaluated by comparing the Internet usage and psychological dysfunction of 424 university students endorsing 3 and 4 diagnostic criteria (at-risk Internet dependence) to those endorsing less than 3 criteria (nondependent) and those endorsing 5 or more criteria (Internet dependence). The findings suggest that the proposed diagnostic criteria do not adequately discriminate individuals scoring 3 or 4 from those currently classified as Internet dependent. The implications of the findings for the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of Internet dependence are discussed.

Internet overuse and excessive daytime sleepiness in adolescents

AIM

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of Internet overuse with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).

METHODS

A total of 2336 high school students in South Korea (boys, 57.5%; girls, 42.5%) completed the structured questionnaire. The severity of Internet addiction was evaluated using Young's Internet addiction test.

RESULTS

The proportions of boys who were classified as Internet addicts and possible Internet addicts were 2.5% and 53.7%, respectively. For girls, the corresponding proportions were 1.9% and 38.9%, respectively. The prevalence of EDS was 11.2% (boys, 11.2%; girls, 11.1%). When Internet addicts were compared with non-addicts, they consisted of more boys, drank alcohol more, and considered their own health condition as poor. But smoking was not related with Internet addiction. The prevalence rate of EDS for Internet addicts was 37.7%, whereas that for possible Internet addicts and non-addicts was 13.9% and 7.4%, respectively. The prevalence of insomnia, witnessed snoring, apnea, teeth grinding, and nightmares was highest in Internet addicts, middle in possible addicts, and lowest in non-addicts. With adjustment for duration of Internet use, duration of sleep time, age, gender, smoking, taking painkillers due to headache, insomnia symptoms, witnessed apnea, and nightmares, the odds of EDS were 5.2-fold greater (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7-10.2) in Internet addicts and 1.9-fold greater (95%CI: 1.4-2.6) in possible Internet addicts compared to non-addicts.

CONCLUSION

Internet addiction is strongly associated with EDS in adolescents. Clinicians should consider examining Internet addiction in adolescent cases of EDS.

Internet addiction: metasynthesis of 1996-2006 quantitative research

This study reports the results of a meta-analysis of empirical studies on Internet addiction published in academic journals for the period 1996-2006. The analysis showed that previous studies have utilized inconsistent criteria to define Internet addicts, applied recruiting methods that may cause serious sampling bias, and examined data using primarily exploratory rather than confirmatory data analysis techniques to investigate the degree of association rather than causal relationships among variables. Recommendations are provided on how researchers can strengthen this growing field of research.

Attached to the web--harmful use of the Internet and its correlates

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of this study was to test the validity of the Finnish version of the Internet Addiction Test and the correlates of harmful use of the Internet.

METHODS

One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five students (45.5% men and 54.5% women, mean age 24.7 years, S.D.=5.7) filled in a web-based questionnaire including IAT, reasons for use of the Internet, distress, social support, and substance use.

RESULTS

Men had a statistically significantly higher mean score on the IAT than women. Subjects with self-reported use of cannabis had higher mean score on the IAT compared to non-users (39.5 [11.3] vs 35.8 [10.8]). The total IAT score was associated with "adult entertainment" (OR=1.07, 95%CI: 1.06-1.08, P<0.001), "playing games" (OR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.04-1.06, P<0.001), "chatting" (OR=1.07, 95%CI: 1.06-1.08, P<0.001) and "discussion" (OR=1.08, 95%CI: 1.07-1.09, P<0.001) as reasons for Internet use. The IAT score had a significant negative correlation with social support (r=-0.24, P<0.001) and a significant positive correlation with the CAGE score (r=0.18, P<0.001). Using factor analysis, we found a single factor solution with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92.

CONCLUSIONS

The IAT seems to provide a valid measurement of harmful use of the Internet, as the score was significantly associated with variables tapping psychopathology.

Internet addiction among Norwegian adults: a stratified probability sample study

Most Norwegians are Internet users. We conducted a stratified probability sample study (Norway, 2007, age-group 16-74 years, N= 3,399, response rate 35.3%, 87.1% Internet users) to assess the prevalence of Internet addiction and at-risk Internet use by the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ). The prevalence of Internet addiction (YDQ score 5-8) was 1.0% and an additional 5.2% were at-risk Internet users (YDQ score 3-4). Internet addiction and at-risk Internet use was strongly dependent on gender and age with highest prevalences among young males (16-29 years 4.1% and 19.0%, 30-39 years 3.3% and 10.7%). Logistic regression showed that male gender, young age, university level education, and an unsatisfactory financial situation were factors positively associated with "problematic Internet use" (at-risk and addicted use combined). Time spent on the Internet and prevalence of self-reported sleeping disorders, depression, and other psychological impairments increased linearly with YDQ score. Problematic Internet use clearly affects the lives of many people.

Internet use and misuse: a multivariate regression analysis of the predictive factors of internet use among Greek adolescents

The internet is an integral tool for information, communication, and entertainment among adolescents. As adolescents devote increasing amounts of time to utilizing the internet, the risk for adopting excessive and pathological internet use is inherent. The study objectives include assessing the characteristics and predictors of excessive internet use and evaluating the prevalence of pathological internet use among Greek adolescents. A cross-sectional study design was applied to this effect. The study population (n = 897) consisted of a random sample of adolescents residing in Athens, Greece. Self-completed questionnaires, pertaining to internet access characteristics and Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS) score, were applied in order to investigate the study objectives. The multivariate regression analysis indicated that the most significant predictors of overall internet use included accessing the internet via one's own home portal and for the purpose of social interaction. Internet access via the school environment was a significant deterrent among low (1-3 h/week) internet users, while access via internet cafés was a significant predictor for high (11-20 h/week) internet users. Moreover, accessing the internet for the purposes of game playing was the most significant predictor for excessive (>20 h/week) internet use. The prevalence of borderline internet use among the study population was 12.8%, while 1.00% reported addictive internet use. Also, 10.4% of male excessive internet users reported addictive internet use (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, excessive internet use is predicted solely by the location of internet access (own home portal) and the scope of internet use (i.e., sites relating to socialization and game playing) and may lead to internet addiction, particularly among male adolescents.

The risk factors of Internet addiction--a survey of university freshmen

This study was designed to explore the risk factors of Internet addiction in 1360 freshmen of the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan in 2003. The test battery included a self-administrated structured questionnaire, the Chinese Internet Addiction Scale-Revision (CIAS-R), the 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12), the Measurement of Support Functions (MSF), and the neuroticism subscale of the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI). Of the total study population, there were 680 college freshmen (17.9%) in the Internet addiction group, as defined by high CIAS-R scores. Using logistic regression analyses, we found positive relationships between Internet addiction and male gender, neuroticism scores and the CHQ score. In addition, the freshmen who skipped breakfast and those who had poorer social support also had a higher probability of Internet addiction. Internet addiction is prevalent among university freshmen in Taiwan. Risk factors included male gender, habit of skipping breakfast, mental health morbidity, deficient social support; and neurotic personality characteristics.

Prevalence of internet addiction and comparison of internet addicts and non-addicts in Iranian high schools

In this study, 1968 high-school students were selected randomly through clustering, who responded to the Persian version of four measures: the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), UCLA Loneliness Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Matson Evaluation of Social Skills. Of the sample, 977 students were Internet users, who were classified into 37 Internet addicts, 304 possible Internet addicts, and 636 moderate users. Since possible addicts, moderate users, and nonusers can all be considered nonaddicts, to make a comprehensive and controlled comparison between addicts and nonaddicts, 37 possible addicts, 37 moderate users and 37 nonusers were matched with the Internet addicts. Results suggest that Internet addicts are lonelier and have lower self-esteem and poorer social skills than moderate users, but not necessarily than possible addicts or nonusers.