Introduction
The Internet has a significant impact on our lives, both positive and negative (Is? lar, 2011). This is particularly true for adolescents who have grown up with the Internet and are more susceptible to its influence (Fisoun, 2012). Nowadays, students spend a considerable amount of time on social media and the Internet each day due to the wide availability of affordable smartphones. While moderate use of media technology may not pose a problem, excessive usage can be detrimental. Research indicates that students who spend six or more hours online per day may experience psychiatric symptoms such as obsessive-compulsive behavior, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and anxiety (Is? klar, 2011).
Research shows that addiction plays a role in the development of psychological disorders. Jang (2008) claims that people turn to the internet as a way to cope with stress, sadness, or depression. This study aims to explore the potential links between excessive use of social media and the internet and the onset of mental health problems.
What is Internet addiction defined as and what are characteristics of it?
Excessive internet use, also known as Internet Addiction, is characterized by a lack of control over computer usage and Internet access. This can lead to impairment or distress according to Weinstein (2010). In simpler terms, if your internet consumption becomes so extreme that it interferes with daily activities like studying or eating, you may be experiencing addiction. Recently, the United Kingdom has officially recognized internet addiction as a condition and regards it as potentially more addictive than tobacco and alcohol.
Internet addiction is an unacknowledged condition that has harmful effects on different aspects of an individual’s life. The excessive use of the internet can cause damage to the frontal brain fibers, resulting in disruptions in emotions, self-control, and decision-making abilities (Cheung, 2011). The inability to regulate online activities can lead to challenges in relationships, work, and social interactions. Experts in education and psychology express worries about the psychological addictive nature of internet usage and its impact on children’s well-being (Is? lar, 2011).
Adolescents, particularly college-aged students, are the most vulnerable to internet addiction (Lin, 2011). This specific age group is focused on establishing their identity and forming significant connections. They frequently turn to the internet as a way of dealing with stress or depression. Unfortunately, this excessive online involvement exacerbates their addiction and neglects their emotional health. As a result, a harmful pattern emerges.
A study in Taiwan concluded that adolescent internet addiction is linked to increased substance use, low school connectedness, and high family conflict. Furthermore, within the college-age group, it was observed that this addiction is more common among individuals with insecure attachment. This stage in life poses significant challenges as individuals strive for independence from their families and seek emotional support from peers and close friends. In comparison to securely attached students, those with insecure attachment tend to have more negative interactions with peers and experience more negative friendships overall (Lin, 2011).
According to Weinstein (2011), the absence of visual, aural, and emotional feedback on the internet can create psychological distance between insecurely attached students and their online interactions. Additionally, as Weinstein (2010) argues, people may turn to the internet for low-risk social interactions and to hone their communication skills. However, excessive reliance on this approach can lead to social anxiety and dissatisfaction with peer interactions. This may also result in negative outcomes like arguments, dishonesty, academic underperformance, social isolation, and fatigue.
The future is predicted to witness an increase in addiction caused by the rapid expansion of internet usage, regardless of the reasons behind it. As people spend more time online, they will face greater difficulties in balancing their online activities with their everyday lives.
What are the effects that internet addiction has on college-aged students?
According to my research, internet addiction has multiple effects on college-aged students. These effects include insomnia, which refers to the difficulty in achieving sufficient restful sleep. Neglecting this issue can put one’s health at risk.
According to Weinstein (2011), individuals who have an internet addiction are more prone to experiencing sleep-related problems such as insomnia, snoring, apnea, teeth grinding, and nightmares compared to those without an addiction. These issues can be attributed to spending excessive time on the internet or social media platforms, which disrupts sleep schedules (Cheung, 2011). Additionally, using computers and mobile phones excessively is associated with feeling tired during waking hours and having unhealthy sleep patterns. A study conducted in South Korea found that addiction was significantly linked to a high prevalence (37.7%) of excessive daytime sleepiness. In contrast, the rates for possible addicts and non-addicts were considerably lower at 13.9% and 7.4%, respectively (Weinstein, 2010).
The symptoms exhibited by addicts include delayed onset of sleep, decreased sleep efficiency, reduced sleep quality, increased sleep disruptions, daytime impairment, higher likelihood of using sleep medication, and elevated levels of depression. These symptoms are associated with the psychological effects of Internet Addiction such as impaired decision-making abilities, low self-worth, vulnerability to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social anxiety, heightened aggression, distorted perception of time,neglecting basic needs ,withdrawal tendencies ,anger issues,stress,diminished tolerance(constant need for more) consistent frustration/anxiety/irritability.
According to Jang (2008), addiction is significantly affected by obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while internet addiction is most influenced by depressive symptoms. College-aged students often turn to the internet for relief from depression, even though it is not an appropriate treatment. Fisoun (2012) noted that individuals prone to internet addiction use the internet as a means of escaping reality when they experience stress or sadness. This behavior is known as high positive outcome expectancy.
This means that individuals anticipate that browsing the internet or social media will serve as a distraction from their troubles. This behavior is frequently observed in those who have developed an addiction to the internet. Conversely, they may experience sensations of sadness and hopelessness when they are unable to access the internet. When unable to check their pages or interact on social networks, they experience anger or stress that can potentially result in depression. Gradually, excessive users and addicts of the internet find themselves becoming reliant on its use. Similarly to any individual struggling with addiction, they seldom recognize or acknowledge their issue.
Today’s adolescents rely heavily on the internet and experience a compulsion to constantly be online or check their online profiles. This compulsion stems from the exhilaration they feel when their posts receive likes, providing them with a sense of acceptance and validation. This is particularly important for this age group, as they seek acceptance from others. The affirmation they receive online leads them to believe that their thoughts and opinions are interesting to others. Moreover, platforms like Facebook and Twitter make it effortless for adolescents to make new friends and gain popularity. Consequently, they turn to these online connections to escape the challenges of face-to-face interactions in real life (Lin, 2011). This preference for virtual relationships often leads to seeking emotional support from online communities, eventually fostering addiction.
Methodology
When starting my research paper, I recognized the importance of finding reliable information, which led me to search for journal articles. I visited the Library’s website and navigated to the research articles section, where I found a list of potential websites offering articles. After examining a few options, I decided to utilize EBSCOhost as it provided superior articles compared to other sites and was also easier to cite.
When I accessed the website, I was prompted to enter keywords. Initially, I entered “internet addiction” and “social media.” This yielded numerous articles related to either social media or internet addiction, but there were limited articles that covered both topics. Therefore, I excluded social media from the search criteria as the focus of my paper was internet addiction. I presumed that similar findings would apply to individuals addicted to social media since it operates online. By searching solely for internet addiction, I discovered several insightful articles that addressed various psychological issues.
Each of the articles performed similar studies, focusing on adolescents or college-aged students. The participants were required to complete surveys regarding their internet usage, while also being asked questions about their positive outcome expectancy and potential psychological issues related to addiction.
Discussion
This study sought to establish a relationship between internet and social media addiction and specific psychological traits. Multiple articles consistently supported this association. It is worth noting that addicted students varied significantly from non-addicted students in terms of demographic, psychological, and sociological attributes. Additionally, certain factors were identified as increasing the likelihood of addiction. These factors included being male, spending long periods online, having optimistic expectations for positive outcomes, lacking confidence in limiting online activities, experiencing symptoms of depression, displaying insecure attachment tendencies, and feeling unsatisfied with academic accomplishments.
The cross-sectional study does not definitively establish a link between internet usage time and internet addiction. However, further research is needed to understand the significance of online usage time in determining addiction. Based on my observations, there are compelling reasons to believe that it does indeed play an important role. Among different psychological categories, depressive symptoms have the most significant impact on internet addiction, indicating that individuals may use the internet as a coping mechanism for their depression.
Although internet usage does not decrease depression, it contributes to the addiction due to situational reinforcement. The prevention and understanding of internet addiction require considering cognitive factors like positive outcome expectancy. Moreover, students with insecure attachment styles are more prone to addiction as they seek solace in the online world because of experiencing negative peer interactions. In this virtual space, self-expression becomes less challenging compared to offline interactions.
Numerous studies have shown that excessive internet usage can result in social anxiety and phobia. Moreover, students who are hooked on the internet frequently face adverse effects on their academic achievements. They tend to devote an excessive amount of time online, which hampers their capacity to finish school assignments. Intriguingly, despite the negative outcomes, these students find it challenging to control their online activities. Additional research is necessary to ascertain whether satisfaction with school is influenced by or linked to internet addiction. It is crucial to acknowledge that studies concerning this subject possess certain limitations.
The study being cross-sectional prevents the examination of causal relationships. Additionally, the reliance on pen and paper assessments introduces the potential for response bias. To mitigate these limitations, it would be advantageous to incorporate interviews with students or utilize multiple assessments. Moreover, distributing surveys during class time may result in missing data due to illness or students unwilling to leave their rooms. To address this issue, an alternative approach could involve sending surveys via email to students’ school accounts for a more representative sample.
This study aims to demonstrate the high prevalence of internet addiction among college-aged students and emphasize the significance of addressing associated psychological characteristics. Additionally, it suggests that future research should focus on mobile social media addiction. In today’s society, various social networking sites are easily accessed and utilized via mobile devices (Humphreys, 2012). The portability of smartphones enables individuals to access their accounts from any location.
Humphreys (2012) proposes that more individuals possess phones rather than internet connections, resulting in a higher likelihood of encountering social media on mobile devices. Nonetheless, no current evidence exists linking mobile social media to addiction. It is plausible that forthcoming studies will delve deeper into this correlation as smartphones and mobile social media are relatively recent advancements.
From my perspective, the addiction to smartphones can be more potent compared to the addiction to computers. Based on personal observation, I have noticed that regularly browsing social media on a smartphone adversely impacts in-person communication. Individuals become so absorbed in their digital realm that they disregard real-life conversations and may even overlook questions addressed to them, causing frustration. It remains uncertain whether researchers will investigate these intriguing subjects collectively.
References
- ABC (February 21, 2013 Thursday 9:20 PM AEST). Social media addiction a growing concern.
- ABC Premium News (Australia), retrieved from www. lexisnexus. com/hottopics/Inacademic
- Cheung, L. M. , & Wong, W. S. (2011). The effects of insomnia and internet addiction on depression in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis. Journal Of Sleep Research, 20(2), 311-317.
- Humphreys, L. (2012). Connecting, Coordinating, Cataloguing: Communicative Practices on Mobile Social Networks. Journal Of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 56(4), 494-510.
- Fisoun, V. , Floros, G. , Geroukalis, D. , Ioannidi, N. , Farkonas, N. , Sergentani, E. & … Siomos, K. (2012). Internet addiction in the island of Hippocrates: the associations between internet abuse and adolescent off-line behaviours. Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 17(1), 37-44. doi:10. 1111/j. 1475-3588.
- Sar, A. , & Aksoz, Y. (2011). INTERNET ADDICTION AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND ITS RELATION TO SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING. International Journal Of Academic Research, 3(6), 308-312.
- Jang, K. , Hwang, S. , & Choi, J. (2008). Internet Addiction and Psychiatric Symptoms Among Korean Adolescents. Journal Of School Health, 78(3), 165-171.
- Lin, M. , Ko, H. , & Wu, J. (2011). Prevalence and Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated with Internet Addiction in a Nationally Representative Sample of College Students in Taiwan. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 14(12), 741-746.
- Weinstein, A. , & Lejoyeux, M. (2010). Internet Addiction or Excessive Internet Use. American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 277-283.
