Minors and problematic Internet use: Evidence for better prevention

Self-Esteem and Risk Behaviours in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Adolescence is recognised as a notoriously vulnerable period in the human life cycle. Influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological and social factors, adolescents show a marked propensity to engage in risk behaviours. A systematic review was conducted of studies published in the Web of Science, PsycInfo and MEDLINE databases over the last decade, with the aim of collecting studies on the relationship between self-esteem and risk behaviour in individuals aged 12-18 years. The aim was to confirm the role of high self-esteem as a consistent protective factor against risk behaviour. The results show that self-esteem is negatively related to risk behaviour. Our results also reflect the need for further research on how sociodemographic factors, among others, affect the relationship between self-esteem and risk behaviours. This review highlights the relevance of implementing specific educational interventions to strengthen self-esteem in adolescents, with the aim of preventing various risk behaviours that may emerge during adolescence and persist throughout life if not addressed early.

Problematic Internet Use in adolescents: New psychometric evidence for the Spanish short form of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale

OBJECTIVES

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has become a worldwide problem in recent years. Among screening instruments for PIU, the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) is perhaps the most widely used. Psychometric properties of the full CIUS are not convincing, however, and the short form (CIUS-S) has shown promising results, albeit limited to the English version, with little evidence in Spanish. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to study the psychometric properties of the CIUS-S scores in a large sample of Spanish adolescents.

METHOD

The sample consisted of 1790 participants, 816 male (45.6%), 961 female (53.7%), and 13 other (0.7%) . Mean age was 15.70 years (SD = 1.26).

RESULTS

The five-items one-dimensional model displayed appropriate goodness-of-fit indices. Strong measurement invariance model across age and partial across gender was found. Furthermore, the CIUS-S was positively associated with several indicators of poor well-being and mental health, and negatively associated with prosocial behavior, self-esteem, and feeling of belonging.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the CIUS-S scores appear reliable and valid in its Spanish version for adolescent populations, supporting its aim to detect and prevent a problem that has become a major worldwide issue in the last years.

Prevalence of problematic Internet use and problematic gaming in Spanish adolescents

Epidemiological studies on problematic Internet use and problematic gaming conducted so far have mainly been carried out with unrepresentative and self-selected convenience samples, resulting in unreliable prevalence rates. This study estimates the prevalence of problematic Internet use and problematic gaming in a large sample of Spanish adolescents (N = 41,507) and identifies risk and protective factors for these risky behaviours. Data were collected online using the Adolescent Problem Internet Use Scale and the Adolescent Gaming Addiction Scale. Using a cut-off approach with measurement instruments inspired by the DSM-5 framework, we found a prevalence of 33% for problematic Internet use and 3.1% for problematic gaming. With a more conservative approach inspired by the ICD-11 framework, prevalence rates decreased to 2.98% for problematic Internet use and 1.8% for problematic gaming. Female gender, higher parents' education, elevated Internet connection time, reporting being online after midnight and using the mobile phone in class predicted problematic Internet use; whereas male gender, "living situation" where families do not have a traditional structure or stable environment, elevated Internet connection time and reporting using the mobile phone in class predicted problematic gaming. A cut-off approach involving scales that recycle substance use criteria (as in the DSM-5) over-pathologize Internet use and gaming behaviours. In contrast, the ICD-11 approach seems to provide more realistic and reliable prevalence rates.

The More Internet Access, the More Mental Symptoms Students Got, the More Problematic Internet Use They Suffered: a Meta-analysis of Mainland Chinese Adolescents and Young Adults

The traditional view is that mental symptoms and problematic Internet use are positively related. Still, other researchers have questioned this view, and they believe that mental symptoms are negatively associated with problematic Internet use. Since then, this controversy has continued yet. The current study attempts to use meta-analysis to explore the relationship between mental symptoms and problematic Internet use in mainland Chinese students to provide a reliable basis for resolving this dispute. Sixty-three articles were included in this study, including 66 sample sizes and 47,968 subjects. It found that mental symptoms are positively correlated with problematic Internet use (r = .288, 95% confidence interval [.255, .320]). The correlation is affected by regions. Compared with coastal areas, problematic Internet users in the non-coastal areas are more likely to be affected by mental symptoms. In addition, gender differences also significantly affect the relationship between mental symptoms and problematic Internet use. The correlation coefficient between mental symptoms and problematic Internet use of girls is significantly higher than that of boys. Moreover, year also significantly affects the relationship between mental symptoms and problematic Internet use-the correlation increases by growing years.

Are Youth Sexting Rates Still on the Rise? A Meta-analytic Update

A meta-analysis of 39 studies (110,380 participants) from 2009 to 2015 indicated that youth sexting increased over time. To inform current practice and policy initiatives, this meta-analytic update of studies since 2016 examined if rates of youth sexting have continued to rise and whether youth sexting differs by age, sex, sexting methods, and geographical location. Electronic searches were conducted in March 2020 in Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Web of Science, yielding 1,101 nonduplicate records. Studies were included if they provided prevalence of youth sexting and data collection occurred ≥2016. Literature review and data extraction were conducted by following established PRISMA guidelines. All relevant data were extracted by two independent reviewers. To calculate mean prevalence rates, random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Twenty-eight studies (N = 48,024) met inclusion criteria. The estimated pooled prevalence rates were as follows: (1) sending (19.3%), (2) receiving (34.8%), and (3) forwarding sexts without consent (14.5%). These prevalence rates are statistically similar to studies with data collected before 2016. In recent studies, females receive sexts at a higher rate than males, older youth are more likely to send sexts, and younger and older adolescents receive sexts at similar rates. Youth sexting rates have likely plateaued. Sexting education initiatives should begin early and encourage safe, ethical, and respectful online behavior.

Positive Youth Development and Internet Use in a Sample of Spanish Adolescents

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of Internet in the adolescent population has increased. A growing research interest has been developed about the consequences of Internet use for adolescent development. Despite most studies have examined the impact of Internet use on some indicators of psychological maladjustment, few studies have addressed the detrimental impact on the positive indicators of mental health. Positive youth development (PYD) represents a positive view of adolescent transition to adulthood which focuses on building the strengths that make young people more resistant to negative outcomes and more capable to choose a positive life direction. This study aimed to analyze the relationships between different aspects of Internet use and overall PYD in a sample of Spanish adolescents. To reach this aim, a sample of 1,038 adolescents (50.1% boys, M age = 14.19, SD = 1.38), enrolled in 14 high schools in the city of Huelva (Spain), filled in some self-report measures of PYD and Internet use and experience, such as the frequency of Internet use on weekdays or weekends, the different uses of Internet (i.e., social networks, playing online, reading, surfing or looking for information, playing or downloading music, and searching, selling, or buying products), and the subjective experience using the Internet (i.e., acknowledgment of spending too much time playing or in the networks, and being in a bad mood if they do not play or use the networks). Results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that the more hours using Internet on weekdays, the less PYD. Moreover, the experience of feeling bad when not using the networks and spending too much time with online playing was related to lower PYD. However, the use of Internet for reading or looking for information had a positive association with PYD. These results suggest some implications for practice, such as the need to promote an adaptive Internet use, by providing a safe online context that encourages the acquisition of positive social values and life skills.

The Impact of Adolescent Internet Addiction on Sexual Online Victimization: The Mediating Effects of Sexting and Body Self-Esteem

Adolescents’ problematic use of the internet and the risk of sexual online victimization are an increasing concern among families, researchers, professionals and society. This study aimed to analyze the interplay between adolescents’ addiction to social networks and internet, body self-esteem and sexual–erotic risk behavior online: sexting, sextortion and grooming. While sexting refers to the voluntary engagement in texting sexual–erotic messages, sextortion and grooming are means of sexual–erotic victimization through the use of the internet. Participants were 1763 adolescents (51% girls), aged 12 to 16 years (M = 14.56; SD = 1.16), from public (n = 1068; 60.60%) and private (n = 695; 39.40%) high schools in the Basque Country (Spain). We carried out structural equation modeling (SEM) using Mplus to assess the mediating effects of body self-esteem in the relationship between addiction to social media and internet and sexual–erotic risk behavior. The results showed that internet addiction predicts online sexual victimization; specifically, the best predictors of sexting, sextortion and grooming victimization were symptoms of internet addiction and geek behavior. Body self-esteem and sexting mediated the relationship between internet addiction and sexual online victimization in adolescents. These results highlight the importance of attending to adolescents’ mental health regarding their online behavior, considering the risk and protective factors involved, due to its close association with online sexual victimization.

An Exploratory Analysis of Different Problematic Internet Use Profiles in Cybervictims, Cyberbullies, and Cyberbully Victims

The Internet has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of many people, especially adolescents. While it has opened great possibilities, it has also led to various risks such as cyberbullying and problematic Internet use (PIU). These two constructs have been extensively researched individually and jointly, but the existence of different profiles of problematic use according to the role a person assumes in the context of cyberbullying has not yet been explored. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to analyze the different PIU profiles of those who have been cybervictims, cyberbullies, and cyberbully victims. An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 25,341 adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age (14.60 ± 1.68). The Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Spanish version of the Generalized and Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS2) were used. The results indicate that cybervictims (6.4 percent), cyberbullies (4.3 percent), and cyberbully victims (2.7 percent) have different profiles of PIU (p < 0.001). Two common profiles emerge from the three roles: one of nonproblematic use and the other of severe problematic use. Participants who presented severe problematic use are the ones who obtained higher scores in cybervictimization and cyberaggression, particularly in the case of cyberbully victims. Furthermore, this profile is 7.6 (IC99 percent:6.11-9.44) times more likely to present PIU than noninvolved adolescents. These results are relevant when planning cyberbullying-focused interventions and programs because of the association between cyberbullying and general PIU.

The Mediating Role of Bullying and Victimisation on the Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use and Substance Abuse Among Adolescents in the UK: The Parent-Child Relationship as a Moderator

Over the last decade, research into the negative effects of problematic internet use has greatly increased. The current study adopted a mediation-moderation model in exploring the relationship between problematic internet use and substance abuse (drinking, drug use, and smoking tobacco cigarettes) among 1,613 adolescents (aged 10-16) in the UK. The findings of the study revealed a significant positive correlation between problematic internet use and substance abuse, which is mediated by traditional and cyber bullying and victimisation. Furthermore, the parent-child relationship was found to be a protective factor that moderated the correlation between problematic internet use and substance abuse and the correlation between problematic internet use and traditional bullying. The study emphasises the critical need to reduce problematic internet use among adolescents as a risk factor for involvement in bullying as perpetrators and victims, in addition to substance abuse. Furthermore, the findings of the study highlight the importance of a good parent-child relationship as a protective factor among adolescents. In light of the findings of the study, interventions for reducing problematic internet use taking into account bullying and the parent-child relationship are needed among adolescents.

Empirical Relationships between Problematic Alcohol Use and a Problematic Use of Video Games, Social Media and the Internet and Their Associations to Mental Health in Adolescence

Adolescents frequently show risky behavior, and these problematic behavior patterns often do not occur in isolation, but together. Problematic alcohol use is widespread among youth, as is problematic use of the Internet and of specific online applications (video games or social media). However, there is still a lack of findings for minors regarding the relations between these behavioral patterns (particularly between problematic alcohol use and problematic gaming or problematic social media use). Standardized instruments were used to survey problematic alcohol use, problematic gaming, problematic social media use, problematic Internet use and mental health among 633 adolescents (mean age: 15.79 years). Bivariate correlation and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. The correlation analyses showed statistically significant positive bivariate relationships between all four behavioral patterns each. Antisocial behavior was related to all problematic behavioral patterns. Whereas, emotional distress, self-esteem problems and hyperactivity/inattention were associated with substance-unrelated problematic behavior patterns only. Anger control problems were related to problematic alcohol use and problematic gaming. In adolescence, the findings revealed small effect sizes between substance-related and substance-unrelated problematic behavior patterns, but moderate to large effect sizes within substance-unrelated behavioral patterns. Similarities and differences were found in the relations between the behavioral patterns and mental health.

Is problematic Internet use associated with alcohol and cannabis use among youth? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Problematic Internet use (PIU) is an important emerging public health problem. Among youth, the link between PIU and other risky behaviors needs to be defined. The objective of this systematic review is to explore the association between Internet use and substance use (alcohol, cannabis) among youth.

METHODS

Empirical studies meeting inclusion criteria were chosen from important databases and then reviewed. Quality assessment and narrative synthesis were executed. Forty-three studies were eligible.

SYNTHESIS

A majority of studies found a positive association between PIU and alcohol use, as well as between PIU and cannabis use. High heterogeneity in the assessment of alcohol and cannabis use made the synthesis a great challenge.

CONCLUSIONS

Current studies do not allow us to determine whether or not PIU and cannabis and alcohol use are linked. Prevention programs for youth addressing risky behavior should include PIU, an important emerging public health problem. Further studies are needed to assess the longitudinal impact of Internet use on substance use among youth. Validated measures for alcohol and cannabis use among youth should be more consistently used and this would certainly help future knowledge syntheses.

Patologías asociadas al uso problemático de internet. Una revisión sistemática y metaanálisis en WOS y Scopus

El uso problemático de internet (UPI) ha empezado a vincularse con la predisposición a padecer ciertas patologías que afectan la salud del ser humano. Este trabajo se propuso determinar las patologías asociadas al uso problemático de internet a partir de una revisión sistemática en Web of Science y Scopus, y analizar la incidencia del UPI en cada una de las patologías a través del metaanálisis. Así pues, se empleó una metodología de revisión sistemática con metaanálisis y se estableció una muestra final de 62 documentos. Entre los resultados destacan, como principales patologías asociadas al uso problemático de internet, el trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo, el abuso del alcohol, la depresión, el estrés, los trastornos del sueño, el déficit de atención y la hiperactividad y los trastornos alimenticios. Además, en la mayoría de estas patologías se estableció una significación estadística entre los grupos de control y los grupos con UPI. Finalmente, se muestra una panorámica general sobre los riesgos que conlleva el abuso de internet y la incidencia que presentan en la salud tanto física como mental.