Problematic Internet Use among Youths

Abstract

Problematic Internet Use (PIU) has of late come to the major attention of researchers of risky behaviours. For parents and teachers in turn, the various pathological forms of Internet use have become more and more noticeable. In recent years, the operationalisation of the term PIU has also been discussed and attempts to measure its various phenomena have been made. In our study, we used the quantitative method—a diagnostic survey designed on the basis of a tool of the Supreme Audit Office and Scientific and Academic Computer Network (Naukowa i Akademicka Sieć Kompureowa NASK), The survey was conducted in the first half of 2017 in Poland, among 3569 adolescents (median 16, SD = 1.28). The purpose of the research was to investigate the scale of PIU among Polish youths. For most young people, PIU is a major social problem. The majority also declare that more than half of their friends have problems with using electronic media (smartphones and the Internet in particular). On the basis of the data collected, it is estimated that 60% of adolescents use media in a functional way, whereas 40% of young electronic media users show visible PIU symptoms, of which 5% do so at a destructive level (all symptoms). Gender does not co-occur with PIU; however, family structure (where both parents are present), the setting of rules for the use of electronic media, and the place of residence are all protective factors. There is a need for constantly improved tools for measuring PIU, as well as preventive programs focused on developing self-control and helping young people understand their own emotions.

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a Consequence of the Expansion of Information Technologies

“…Problematic Internet use or pathological Internet use is generally defined as problematic, compulsive Internet use, which leads to significant impairment of an individual's function in various life domains over a long period of time. Young people are particularly at risk of developing Internet addiction disorders (Tomczyk and Solecki, 2019;Tomczyk et al, 2021;Tomczyk, Szyszka and Stošić, 2020), with case studies highlighting students whose academic success declines as they spend more and more time online. Some also suffer health consequences due to sleep loss (Tereshchenko et al, 2021), because they stay awake later and later to chat online, check status updates on social networks or reach the next levels of the game (Wallace, 2014).…”

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Their Problematic Use of ICT: Relationship with Study Time and Academic Performance

“…Nevertheless, not all the agents involved in the process are prepared to exploit, rationally and in a beneficial way, the potential of technological resources. Adolescence is an especially vulnerable stage, in which ICT is used without prior training [15], and almost without family supervision [16,17], which can have undesirable consequences in the school dynamics of puberty [8], as it is proven that a lack of parental control strengthens the tendency to present problematic use of ICT [18].…”

Protective Factors in the Use of Electronic Media According to Youth and Their Parents: An Exploratory Study

“…Electronic media (EM) are part of people’s daily lives, being perceived as a relevant resource for learning, communication, and entertainment [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Despite this, some challenges have been highlighted [ 3 , 6 , 7 ], especially concerning the prominent and significant interaction of young people with EM [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 8 ], since this occurs during a developmental period involving intense psychological transformations (e.g., identity exploration, self-expression, and peer acceptance) [ 5 , 9 , 10 ]. EM use tends to increase with age.…”

“…Some research suggests that young people who spend more time on EM report lower socioemotional skills (e.g., self-management, motivation, and responsible decision-making) [ 12 ] and poor psychological adjustment [ 13 ]. Additionally, young people who use EM are more likely to perpetrate or become victims of bullying [ 12 ] and cyberbullying [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], and to display risky behaviors (e.g., contact with strangers, pornography, and sexual messages) [ 7 , 16 , 17 ]. Regarding interpersonal relationships, the literature is not univocal: some researchers emphasize the relationship between greater use of technologies and lower real communication skills [ 5 ]; others highlight its importance as a significant context for socialization and interaction [ 18 , 19 ].…”