Student Researcher: Steve Thompson (BA Student). This paper was based on a Honor's Thesis project.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Shyam Sundar Sethuraman
For a complete report of this research, see:
Thompson, S. (1997, August). Internet connectivity: Addiction and dependency. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Chicago, IL.
Thompson, S. (1997). Internet connectivity: Addiction and dependency. The Pennsylvania State University McNair Journal, 4.
Introduction
Increasing growth and diffusion of the Internet is testimony to the fact that more people are getting on-line and, once on-line, staying there. Some researchers have suggested that this is indicative of a psychological problem not unlike the predilection certain individuals may have toward substance abuse. Any screening for possible Internet addiction as substance abuse should include evaluation of the user's Internet connectivity habits. This evaluation may reveal a number of habitual patterns similar to persons who are addicted to substances such as alcohol, narcotics or gambling. One of the expected findings may be an individual's inability to disconnect from the Internet, even though harm may be evidently occurring as a result of steady connectivity. Such harm may be evidenced as a physical ailment, a missed appointment, a missed meal or even a missed mortgage payment because instead of paying the rent the individual is paying an on-line service to stay frequently connected. Other findings may indicate that users feel let down when disconnected, or feel a constant urge to reconnect. Still other findings may reveal patterns or instances of previous addiction in a user's genealogy. This study makes a preliminary attempt to determine usage patterns among self-classified addicts and dependents, and attempts, for the first time, a classification scheme (reclassification) based on usage frequencies and perceived consequences.
Hypothesis
There is an assumption on the part of some Internet users that they may be addicted to or dependent upon this communication medium. This study focuses on differences between those persons who appear to be addicted to the Internet and those persons who appear to be dependent.
Based on the summary evidence, it is hypothesized that that there are differences between these two types of Internet users, and that there are consequences which differentiate the two groups in accordance with their usage patterns, as well as similarities.
Method
Thirty-two respondents took part in the study, via an e-mail invitation addressed to them from sites where they had publicly indicated addiction, dependency or use of the term 'hooked' for their personal Internet connectivity habits. Without doubt, the majority of queried individuals who eventually became respondents came via sites professing addiction.
Almost all sites yielded a ripe source of potential respondents who were given the opportunity to further discuss and comment on their addictions via specific comment fields on each site. Respondents were asked to respond to over 30 questions, most of which queried their Internet connectivity habits. All respondents were required to submit valid e-mail response addresses, which was the only means of identifying anonymous respondents. If an address failed to show the ability to accept a simple validation response, it was considered invalid.
Results
The data indicates that there are significant differences between the amount of time addicts and dependents are connected to the Internet. The correlations suggest that addicts suffer more at home or school as a result of their connectivity. They also have a more difficult time getting off the Internet once connected. Furthermore, the correlations indicate that addicts are actually spending less time on-line than dependents. This could presume that the time on-line may not predispose to addiction, but that other factors may be at play which are contributing to the actual addicted state.
Conclusion
This study suggests that Internet users can be screened and diagnosed as either addicts or dependents through some simple psychological measures relating to rate and pattern of net usage. The validity of such a classification system is borne out by the fact that these two types of disorders have real behavioral consequences, such as facing problems at work or school. However, for some people who are spending too much time on the Internet, what may appear as addiction or dependency is simply the process of learning as much as possible in as quick a time as possible, often about the foundational concepts that define this new medium, and how it can be fully incorporated as a viable means of communication in one's daily living experiences.
Shyam Sundar Sethuraman
Associate Professor and Director
Media Effects Research Laboratory
College of Communications
Penn State University
University Park, PA 16802
Ph: (814) 865 2173
E-mail: sss12@psu.edu
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