tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/problematic-internet-use-24763/articlesProblematic Internet use – The Conversation2017-12-22T12:06:02Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/888312017-12-22T12:06:02Z2017-12-22T12:06:02ZAre you a “cyberloafer”? Why internet procrastination is making life easier for hackers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/200449/original/file-20171222-16489-1u3djh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mobbing-stress-work-scandal-concepts-angry-609063008?src=6NcNxYMMFKto4kBdbQ4Haw-1-89">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The biggest threat to an organisation’s cyber-security comes from within, according to a <a href="https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Gender+difference+and+employees%27+cybersecurity+behaviors&btnG=&httpsredir=1&article=1013&context=itds_facpubs">growing body of evidence</a>. Employees are frequently <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167404817300081">putting their companies at risk</a> of hacking by sharing their passwords, using public WiFi networks to send sensitive information, or not protecting the privacy of social media accounts.</p>
<p>But there’s another threat that at first seems innocuous and that we’re all probably guilty of, something that researchers have dubbed “<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563207000805">cyberloafing</a>”. My research group’s <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2017.0239">new study</a> shows this practice of using work computers for personal internet browsing can become a serious security threat to a company when it goes too far.</p>
<p>Most companies accept that their employees will occasionally check social media or send personal emails from work computers. But in some cases things can get more serious, with people people spending significant amounts of time updating their own websites, watching videos or even pornography. <a href="http://www.systemsdynamics.net/aeprod/articles/05092.pdf">Early estimates</a> suggested that 45% of employees questioned cited surfing the internet at work for personal purposes as the number one distraction at work.</p>
<p>This can have a big impact on a company’s productivity, with research suggesting that employees each waste an average of 2.09 hours a day <a href="http://www.systemsdynamics.net/aeprod/articles/05092.pdf">while cyberloafing</a>. But our new study also shows that the more employees engage in serious cyberloafing, the less likely they are to follow the rules and protocols designed to protect the company’s IT systems, and the bigger threat they become to cyber-security.</p>
<p>We asked 338 part-time and full-time workers aged 26-65 about their cyberloafing habits, their knowledge of information security, and behaviour that could indicate internet addiction. Those who cyberloafed more often knew less about information security. And those who engaged in more serious cyberloafing (such as updating personal websites, visiting dating websites or downloading illegal files) had significantly poorer cyber-security awareness.</p>
<p>Typically, people undertaking more serious cyberloafing were less aware of how to stay safe online and how to protect sensitive information. One reason for this could be that they are so determined to get online they don’t want to pay attention to information about online safety and ignore the risks. On they other hand, they may believe their companies can protect themselves from anything that might happen as a result of risky behaviour. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/200450/original/file-20171222-16480-r3iag7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Getting online at any cost.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-businessman-working-his-computer-late-32462875">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Those in our survey who scored higher for internet addiction behaviour were also much more likely to have poorer awareness of and follow safety protocols. And those who were serious cyberloafers and potential internet addicts were the greatest risk of all.</p>
<p>As I explain in my recent book <a href="https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/cybercognition/book249906">Cybercognition</a>, internet addiction <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Griffiths2/publication/226370789_%27Internet_Addiction%27_A_Critical_Review/links/0912f50bba45bb5455000000/Internet-Addiction-A-Critical-Review.pdf">is a compulsion</a> to get online, sometimes with the aim of fuelling other addictions to digital activities such as online gambling or shopping. Critically, the drive to get online can be the same as any physical addiction, so the internet acts like a drug for some people.</p>
<p>This means people who show aspects of internet addiction may be more determined to get online at any costs and more likely to try to get around security protocols or ignore advice about online safety. They may think they know better because they spend so much time online. Or they may not fully understand the risks because they are so absorbed in the online world.</p>
<h2>How to tackle cyberloafing</h2>
<p>All of this doesn’t mean we should cut off all internet access for employees. Being able to surf the internet is an important part of some people’s work. But excessive use of internet services and work IT systems can put companies at risk, particularly when people are accessing risky websites or downloading programmes from unknown sources.</p>
<p>There are a number of things companies can do to help mitigate the risks from excessive cyberloafing. As we suggest in our study’s conclusion, some organisations may apply very strict penalties for serious rule breaking. But providing effective training that empowers employees to identify aspects of internet abuse and seek help could be a more effective management tool. Helping workers understand the risks of their actions might be more beneficial, particularly where these are communicated through <a href="http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1468954/1/Awareness%20CampaignsDraftWorkingPaper.pdf">focus groups and talks</a>.</p>
<p>But one thing companies should avoid (and all too often don’t) is simply sending out an email reminder. <a href="http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1468954/1/Awareness%20CampaignsDraftWorkingPaper.pdf">Research shows</a> that messages about the potential risks to information security sent via email are the least effective. And if you’re deep into a cyberloafing session, an email will be just another corporate message lost in an overloaded inbox.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88831/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lee Hadlington does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Wasting time on the internet at work could be putting your company’s cyber-security at risk.Lee Hadlington, Senior Lecturer in Cyberpsychology, De Montfort UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/646642016-09-23T04:55:03Z2016-09-23T04:55:03ZThe internet helps us translate ‘social capital’ to economic benefits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137323/original/image-20160912-3796-11b2vym.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Networking online might not be so good for your "social capital" overall.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kyle Steed/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Keeping up with our social networks online helps us get what we want in the short term, but could be worse for our accumulation of “social capital” in the longer term, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0313592615300515">our research shows</a>. One explanation for this is that the benefits from increased online social connectivity are outweighed by the loss of face-to-face social interactions. </p>
<p>The idea of “social capital”, is where the use of social networks helps people achieve goals that would otherwise not be possible or would come at a higher cost. For example if you befriended someone and then they helped you move house. Online social capital is similar except it’s via the internet. For example using your LinkedIn account to connect with potential employers while you’re looking for a job. </p>
<p>Social capital is difficult to measure and so far there is no consensus on how this should be done. Since trust is recognised as the most important factor in social capital, our study uses the Australian data on trust gathered from <a href="http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org">the World Values Survey</a> in multiple waves from 1981 to 2014. </p>
<p>This is measured as the percentage of people who answer “most people can be trusted” to the survey question “Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted or that you need to be very careful in dealing with people?” </p>
<p>We found using the internet had a negative effect on trust and therefore on social capital in the long term. However online social capital contributes significantly to the economy.</p>
<h2>How social capital contributes to the economy</h2>
<p>A lot of research to date has found a positive relationship between social capital and real GDP.</p>
<p>Trust, a measure of social capital, can be an important factor in reducing transaction costs (especially market transaction costs) and as a result, <a href="https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=10290">increasing economic welfare and productivity</a>. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/2951271?origin=JSTOR-pdf&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">Researchers Stephen Knack and Philip Keefer</a> investigated the association between social capital and economic performance for a sample of 29 economies. They argued that countries with higher trust also have better and more efficient financial institutions, such as more dynamic share market, and a more stable banking sector. Higher levels of trust are also likely to enhance confidence levels in the market which in turn boosts investment, vital for economic growth. </p>
<p>Our research didn’t find any correlation between the trust and this same kind of economic growth in Australia in both the short and long term. However, when taking into account the trust gained through internet use - online social capital, the effects on economic growth were significant.</p>
<p>Research shows internet transactions <a href="https://rsmg.group.uq.edu.au/files/1981/WP70.pdf">create economic benefits</a> because of convenience, compared to the alternatives. The more people who use social networking online, the more people trusted those they connected with over the internet. This enhanced trust contributed to an increase in the number of internet-based transactions, as well as a reduction in transaction costs, helping to boost economic growth. </p>
<p>Social networking online also helped people to learn about buying and selling online which then may potentially contribute towards a significant rise in online retailing and shopping. </p>
<p>There are some major challenges involved in accounting for the economic and personal consequences of changes in social capital. While social capital increases as a result of using the internet, some disadvantaged individuals and groups (for example, some elderly and disabled members of the community or refugee migrants <a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/ITP-04-2014-0083">are marginalised by this</a>). This is potentially due to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/digital-divide-4156">“digital divide”</a>: the difference between those who can use the internet and those who can’t. </p>
<p>Disadvantaged people living in rural and remote Australia are at particular risk of being excluded from the benefits of using the internet because of a few factors such as a relatively slower internet speed. </p>
<p>However, apart from various other measures to reduce digital divide, internet use itself can be a potential means to narrow this divide through its positive social capital effect.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64664/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Khorshed Alam receives funding from local government agencies. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clement Tisdell, Lorelle Burton, and Mohammad Salahuddin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Spending lots of time on the internet might be good for getting what you want in the short term but it might not work in the long term.Mohammad Salahuddin, Research Assistant, School of Commerce, University of Southern QueenslandClement Tisdell, Emeritus Professor, School of Economics, The University of QueenslandKhorshed Alam, Associate Professor (Economics), University of Southern QueenslandLorelle Burton, Professor, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/520462016-03-01T11:21:15Z2016-03-01T11:21:15ZPsychological tips for resisting the Internet’s grip<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113279/original/image-20160229-4080-16aby9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=221%2C0%2C1218%2C807&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can't...get...away.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-311489555/stock-photo-smartphone-talks-with-human-and-charges-himself-from-hand.html?src=XwZLAOHYyg6MfXcJJmLLHA-2-67">'Phone' via www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“22 of the Cutest Baby Animals,” the headline said. “You won’t believe number 11!”</p>
<p>Despite an impending deadline – not to mention my skepticism (how cute could they possibly be?) – I clicked on the story. I’m only human, after all. Yet this failure in self-regulation cost me at least half an hour of good work time – as have other clickbait headlines, bizarre images on my Twitter feed or arguments on Facebook.</p>
<p>The insidious, distracting suck of the Internet has become seemingly inescapable. Calling us from our pockets, lurking behind work documents, it’s merely a click away. <a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/02/25/we-are-hopelessly-hooked/">Studies have shown</a> that each day we spend, on average, five and a half hours on digital media, and glance at our phones 221 times. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the developers of websites and phone apps all exploit human behavioral tendencies, designing their products and sites in ways that attract our gaze – and retain it. <a href="https://aeon.co/essays/if-the-internet-is-addictive-why-don-t-we-regulate-it">Writing for Aeon</a>, Michael Schulson points out:</p>
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<p>Developers have staked their futures on methods to cultivate habits in users, in order to win as much of that attention as possible.</p>
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<p>Given the Internet’s omnipresence and its various trappings, is it even possible to rein in our growing Internet consumption, which often comes at the expense of work, family or relationships? </p>
<p>Psychological research on persuasion and self-control suggests some possible strategies. </p>
<h2>Tricks for clicks</h2>
<p>It’s important to realize some of the tricks that Internet writers and web developers use to grab our attention. </p>
<p>The strange number 22 in the headline is an example of the “pique” technique. Lists are usually round numbers (think of Letterman’s Top 10 lists or the Fortune 500). Unusual numbers draw our attention because they break this pattern. In a <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1994.tb00610.x/abstract">classic study</a>, the social psychologist Anthony Pratkanis and colleagues found that passersby were almost 60 percent more likely to give money to panhandlers asking for US$0.37 compared to those who were asking for a quarter.</p>
<p>People in the study also asked more questions of the panhandlers who requested strange amounts, compared to those who begged for a quarter. The same thing happened when I saw the headline. In this case, the skepticism that caused me to ask the question “How cute could they possibly be?” backfired: it made me more likely to click the link. </p>
<p>An attention pique (such as asking for $0.37 or calling out photo #11) triggers us to halt whatever we’re doing and reorient to the puzzle. Questions demand answers. This tendency has been dubbed by psychologists as the <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/40/3/432/">rhetorical question effect</a>, or the tendency for rhetorical questions to prompt us to dig deeper into an issue.</p>
<p>These tricks exploit built-in features of our minds that otherwise serve us well. It’s clearly advantageous that unexpected stimuli capture our attention and engage us in a search for explanation: it might stop us from getting hit by a car, or alert us to sudden and suspicious changes to the balance in our bank account.</p>
<p>So it wouldn’t make sense to turn off that kind of vigilance system or teach ourselves to ignore it when it sounds an alarm.</p>
<h2>Binding ourselves to the mast</h2>
<p>Content on the net isn’t only designed to grab our attention; some of it is specifically built to keep us coming back for more: notifications when someone replies to a posts, or power rankings based on up-votes. These cues <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-006-0578-x">trigger the reward system</a> in our brains because they’ve become associated with the potent reinforcer of social approval.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Internet use is often framed in the language of addiction. Psychologists have even identified <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-a-new-addiction-on-campus-problematic-internet-use-piu-54226">Problematic Internet Use</a> as a growing concern. </p>
<p>So what can we do? </p>
<p><a href="http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.12.xii.html">Like Odysseus’ strategy</a> for resisting the temptation of the sirens, perhaps the best trick is to commit ourselves to a different course of action in advance – with force, if necessary. </p>
<p>Odysseus had his men tie him to the mast of their ship until they were out of the sirens’ range. This is an example of “precommitment,” a self-control strategy that involves imposing a condition on some aspect of your behavior in advance. For example, an MIT study showed that paid proofreaders <a href="http://pss.sagepub.com/content/13/3/219.short">made fewer errors and turned in their work earlier</a> when they chose to space out their deadlines (e.g., complete one assignment per week for a month), compared to when they had the same amount of time to work, but had only one deadline at the end of a month.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/113270/original/image-20160229-4083-1c77nbw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">John William Waterhouse’s ‘Ulysses and the Sirens’ (1891).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/John_William_Waterhouse_-_Ulysses_and_the_Sirens_(1891).jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
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<p>The modern-day equivalent of what Odysseus did is to use technology to figuratively bind oneself to the mast. Software packages such as <a href="http://getcoldturkey.com/">Cold Turkey</a> or the appropriately named <a href="https://selfcontrolapp.com/">SelfControl</a> allow you to block yourself out from certain websites, or prevent yourself from signing onto your email account for a prespecified period of time. </p>
<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1901/jeab.1972.17-15/abstract">Research</a> <a href="http://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287/mksc.17.4.317">supports</a> the reasoning behind these programs: the idea that we often know what’s best for our future selves – at least, when it comes to getting work done and staying free of distraction.</p>
<h2>Coming out with your commitment</h2>
<p>If you really must win a game of chicken, the best way is to accelerate to top speed, remove the steering wheel and brake from your car, and throw them out the window – all in view of your opponent. </p>
<p>In a less dramatic fashion, precommitments can be much more effective when they’re announced in public. Researchers have found that people who publicly commit to a desired course of action such as <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900039">recycling</a> or <a href="http://psp.sagepub.com/content/20/1/20.short">being sociable</a> are more likely to follow through than people who keep their intentions private. We are deeply social creatures with a fundamental <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1995-29052-001">need to belong</a>, and publicly declaring a plan puts one’s reputation at stake. Between the social pressure to live up to expectations and any internal sanctions we self-impose, public precommitment can be a powerful two-pronged attack against self-control failure.</p>
<p>More and more, scientists who study self-control are starting to see tools such as precommitment and software that blocks out websites not as “hacks” that circumvent the system but instead as <a href="http://psr.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/06/17/1088868311411165.short">integral pieces</a> in the self-control puzzle.</p>
<p>For example, a <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2011-28783-001/">recent study</a> tracked the everyday lives of a large sample of people on a moment-by-moment basis, asking them questions about their goals, temptations and abilities to resist them. </p>
<p>Contrary to expectations, the people who were generally good at self-control (measured with a <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00263.x/abstract">reliable questionnaire</a>) were not the best at resisting temptations when the temptation presented itself. In fact, they were generally pretty bad at it. </p>
<p>The key is that self-control and resisting temptation are not the same thing. Odysseus had one, but not the other.</p>
<p>Instead, good self-control was characterized by the ability to avoid temptations in the first place. We often think of self-control as the ability to white-knuckle our way through temptation, but studies such as this one indicate that self-control can also be as simple as planning ahead to avoid those traps.</p>
<p>The next time you need to get something done, consider precommitting to avoiding the Internet altogether. Like Odysseus, realize that if you find yourself facing temptation directly, the battle may already be lost.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/52046/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elliot Berkman receives funding from the NIH. </span></em></p>Engineered to exploit human compulsions, the Internet competes for our attention, while teaching us to need it.Elliot Berkman, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of OregonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/542262016-02-15T10:45:01Z2016-02-15T10:45:01ZThere’s a new addiction on campus: Problematic Internet Use (PIU)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111333/original/image-20160212-29198-13rrq8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is this an addiction?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/3475417696/in/photolist-6i7qAL-5kmq9-9FUKfq-tPE4r-fhvZA-fhwbN-au54BN-K2z3-tqw92-fhw9Z-fLk5R-4F669e-vJUuCA-Ezz1q-EzzgB-Ezz8Z-Ezz53-Ezz7s-EzyUW-EzyVL-EzzdM-Ezz3C-EzyRw-EzzeT-Ezzdt-Ezzcp-Ezz6S-Ezz9R-Ezz15-Ezz9p-Ezz5z-EzyRU-Ezzin-EzziR-Ezz3V-EzyVd-EzyYj-4u5DLR-4rZq5z-8BXnra-4rZq56-4rZq5t-2q5UpP-4sz6km-9MnWpX-8BXfxn-4s2Mim-2qaezu-2qaeCy-2YqhNp">Ed Yourdon</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Problematic Internet Use is now considered to be a <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710263">behavioral addiction</a> with characteristics that are similar to substance use disorders. </p>
<p>Individuals with PIU may have difficulty reducing their Internet use, may be preoccupied with the Internet or may lie to conceal their use. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0144005">study</a> that I coauthored with UNC Chapel Hill doctoral students Wen Li and Jennifer O’Brien and UNC professor <a href="https://ssw.unc.edu/about/faculty/howard">Matthew O. Howard</a> examines this new behavioral addiction.</p>
<p>Perhaps not surprisingly, individuals with PIU have been found to experience several negative <a href="http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=382237">mental health problems</a> which could include depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), hostility, social phobias, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924933810001197">problematic alcohol use</a>, <a href="http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/15/6/403.short">self-injurious behavior</a> and <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-1819.2009.01925.x/abstract;jsessionid=75CCA036674B44FB06AEA3696EE6776B.f02t02">trouble sleeping</a> (i.e., sleep apnea, nightmares, insomnia, and struggling to stay awake during the daytime).</p>
<p>Our study is the first to look at how PIU affects family relationships among U.S. university students. Intriguingly, we found that college students with PIU report effects that are both negative and positive. </p>
<h2>Measuring PIU and its problems</h2>
<p>To better understand PIU, we focused on students whose Internet use was excessive and created problems in their lives. </p>
<p>Study participants were undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at UNC Chapel Hill. We required that participants be individuals who were spending more than 25 hours a week on the Internet (time that was not related to school or work). Additionally, participants had to report experiencing at least one health, relationship or emotional problem due to PIU.</p>
<p>To recruit our participants, our team sent out an email on a Friday evening. We were not sure if this would be a good time to reach students, but we were surprised that within two hours, 39 students responded. Of those who responded to our email, 27 students attended our four focus groups and completed our questionnaires.</p>
<p>Roughly half (48.1 percent) of our participants were considered “Internet addicts.” These participants answered “yes” to five or more of our eight <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2000-16534-005">questions</a> (e.g., preoccupation; inability to control use; lying about use; depressed or moody when trying to stop). </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111366/original/image-20160212-29192-1pjgh4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Half of the participants of the study were considered to be Internet addicts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/30246842@N07/4076423096/in/photolist-7ddJyQ-34PmQ5-6kTBfr-8jebih-dpsSc8-eaA8T9-7PjWWs-hghTmx-5Tz1bJ-mo7ut-97ZYYy-EyVcs-EyVgm-EyVcz-EyVcW-EyVdw-EyVgA-EyVbT-EyV4D-EyVay-EyV46-68puBc-9h8Eev-6KnFmZ-6KrSus-6KnKVR-6KnGvK-6KrRqh-CRS4B-FvfSE-7FR3fC-4Fm1FG-7tVY8m-d9fmVm-ajZWs3-s86Ak-9nvs6W-4zkHjF-8HbouW-8H8gd2-8H8ggH-8H8fZr-8H8frK-8HbozG-8HboPC-8H8fM8-i72Rw-4rVjTo-aNK19V-aNK8Dz">Southern Tier Advocacy & Mitigation Project, Incorporated</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another 40.7% were considered to be “potential Internet addicts.” These participants answered “yes” to three or four items. All of the participants met the criteria for PIU using the <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cpb.2008.0181">Compulsive Internet Use Scale</a>, a 14-item scale that included items like difficulty stopping; sleep deprivation; neglect obligations; feelings of restlessness, frustration or irritation when Internet is unavailable. </p>
<p>We used focus groups, which are group conversations guided by a facilitator, to discuss shared experiences or knowledge regarding PIU. Each focus group had six to eight participants. </p>
<h2>Here is what we found</h2>
<p>Three key themes emerged in the conversations: (1) family connectedness, (2) family conflict/family disconnection, and (3) Internet overuse among other family members.</p>
<p>We had examples of positive connections. Some participants reported that the Internet connected them to their families. For example, participants discussed using Skype, Facebook or email to maintain relationships with family while they were away at college. </p>
<p>A student we call Hannah explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But like using Skype helps keep you connected and also when we are at home we watch a movie together, it’s like family time, you know. And um, like you know, if we read the same, like article, then we can talk about it on Skype.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another student, Lisa said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I hate talking on the phone. So, that allows me a way to stay connected and especially with my mom who would… Normally, I would just not respond to her at all, but now we have an email dialogue going. That helps us stay more connected.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Despite the positive consequences that participants discussed, we found that across the focus groups, participants spent more time talking about the negative consequences of Internet use.</p>
<p>For these participants, Internet use caused family relationships to disconnect or become conflicted. </p>
<p>Instead of interacting with their family when they were at home, participants reported that they were “on the computer the whole time.” One participant described ignoring her family during her visits home as a result of her Internet use:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My grandma and my parents will complain about my Internet use because I will be sitting in front of the TV and I’ll have my laptop and so will my little sister. We’ll be sitting in front of the TV on our laptops not talking to each other. So, my parents will complain about that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Andrew said,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think for me, this year I went home and one of the reasons was just was to have more family time, but what I ended up really doing was staying on my computer pretty much the whole time, which was kind of defeating the purpose of actually going home.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Steve described how his Internet use affected a visit with his brother and his friends at a sports bar:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>At one point we’re all watching the basketball game, and all four because we’re all on our phone, and he looked at us and he said, ‘Really guys, I am here for two days, you all just wanna [sic] be on Twitter and Facebook?’ So, while it can enhance with setting up social situations, it can also detract from them once you were actually in them…Yeah, he was very just like…He flew out for the weekend. You know he spent US$300 on an airplane ticket just to sit there and watch me on Facebook.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>It’s not just the students</h2>
<p>It may not be surprising that college students with PIU reported that members of their families also overuse the Internet. </p>
<p>Some participants expressed frustration at the lack of boundaries or rules in place for their younger siblings or other relatives. A participant we called Melissa shared about her little brother:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He just turned four, but they got him an iPad. Like, which I don’t agree with. I think it’s so stupid, but he is always, always on it. He gets really defensive if you try to take it away or put boundaries on it or something like that.</p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=672&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=672&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111335/original/image-20160212-29202-1uxzrpe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=672&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Small children are getting addicted to their devices as well.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/henriksent/6774634275/in/photolist-bjDLKe-dB3454-bywzpD-ihRupP-ihRtUF-oD5RKk-igJ3up-iyd91o-7Wegho-nRRMpa-dejwP3-yJaHXd-DQiqoc-k8Q98N-8dtC59-8dtCab-8dqmse-gbDrp6-bJ7FRz-iQRECL-7VeNtD-AU5xxt-nktR1U-bEzJpK-fLEjvb-aE57oV-ixNyYs-pHUbDL-e53exL-dEyQNy-85ijhy-85Cjwi-kd9rgA-khrGqq-k3gmT2-dKqhn3-fF17Eb-byNd1e-7HRLdd-anY9rG-qhBPyM-9AYxEN-fBZYzr-7WD29S-qxRdk4-8NkU16-dzi8x7-aDcaPF-ba2w54-88G2Yp">Tia Henriksen</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Hannah, for example, described a cousin whose Internet gaming has impaired his vision, but he is unable to stop playing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>My cousin, he is addicted to video games. And he’s like, I think he is like 10, 12, something like that, I don’t remember. I feel like it’s a stupid game, there’s no deepness to it. You kill someone. They die. You get killed, it starts over again. He can play that for eight hours straight without moving. His eyes are really bad right now. He can’t control himself.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Participants described their parents’ PIU as well. Several participants described their parents as “constantly checking email” for their work. Others described their parents as regularly on computers, phones or iPads “on Facebook” or “browsing.”</p>
<p>Sarah likened her Internet use to her mother’s:</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111331/original/image-20160212-29207-1cm69tz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s not just the students who are addicted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ocell/3132500218/in/photolist-5LNTbs-6YmTCM-8U9xhy-7A3D69-94daT2-7ZQMeg-4TPpwJ-dDYg5p-5zUu3j-5EQD6V-4gCxZh-4DWS3-68zWv1-5Mgp4W-7puF9k-mHoXuv-BF52j-5eeLXB-3KKqTy-7FuDfw-LGRu4-4FNXb5-23hGN-zfGDmq-7XBRF-3KKpYG-4c3TCG-4pADTW-PnL6k-xRCnf-3KKJfG-6YaPL-6evuw7-3danjH-54zHD4-6giQaR-5aV2yj-b2zTYa-vJJ8R-7Jm37-4FNWrd-29k1yY-aBhVCZ-4fKtKg-4zdTAf-xtmCn-a34JoV-aBkAqf-xbyaP9-8bQa8M">Chris Owens</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<blockquote>
<p>My mom talks about me using the phone at the table when we’re eating, cause like if there’s a break in conversation, ‘Oh, Facebook opportunity’ [others laughed and she laughed too]. And then, like, somehow in my mind [the] conversation is over, but it’s really not. So then she’s like ‘You’re always on your phone, what are you doing?’ But then, like two minutes later, she is checking the weather. So I don’t know [she laughed].</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A few participants shared that they were the only ones in their family with PIU. </p>
<p>Cindy explained that her family was from another country, which may explain their low Internet use,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I find that I don’t really have family members with an Internet problem, and I am the only one who grew up here. So, that might be…</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Gina said, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>My parents are technophobes. They don’t even know how to turn on computers.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Although our sample size is small, we followed rigorous approaches to ensure that we obtained the best possible data. We conducted focus groups until we achieved data saturation, which means that when we reviewed the final focus group no new themes were discovered. </p>
<p>The conclusions come through loud and clear. PIU exists and it affects family relationships. While those effects may be both positive and negative, those who suffer adverse consequences from PIU may have difficulty addressing their PIU because of <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117372">requirements</a> to use Internet for classes via online assignments (e.g., writing blogs), online courses and materials accessed online. </p>
<p><em>All names have been changed to protect identity.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/54226/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This study was funded through the Armfield-Reeves Innovation Fund (Award Number: 29201 S0013). There were no other sources of funding or support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer E. O'Brien and Wen Li do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Internet addiction has the same symptoms as any substance abuse disorder. Trying to stop its use can lead to moodiness or even depression.Susan M. Snyder, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Georgia State UniversityJennifer E. O'Brien, Ph.D. Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillWen Li, Ph.D. Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.