Although there is a general consensus that individuals who experience excessive internet use, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms and negative psychological, social, academic and occupational outcomes due to internet use demonstrate problem internet use (PIU), it is not considered a psychological disorder as evidenced by the exclusion of in the DSM-V. In spite of this, PIU is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by researchers. Unlike substance abuse or pathological gambling addictions, most people need to use the internet for daily activities, study, work and recreation etc, making it difficult to monitor and regulate what is and what is not problematic behaviour. Most previous research has concentrated on specific subtypes of PIU such as excessive video gaming, online gambling and online sexual behaviour. However, only a small proportion of people who experience clinical issues in these narrow areas. Indeed, many more spend substantial amounts of time using social networking site (SNSs) and browsing the internet, yet the effects of these behaviours in a PIU context is largely unexplored. Hence, there is a need for more research to investigate problem SNS use (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) and general internet browsing.
Lisa, Ben and I have been having discussions over the past few months and will attempt to provide a model to explain problem SNS use and internet browsing. We have observed that an increasing number of individuals are less capable of withstanding the negative psychological state produced when these individuals do not receive sufficient stimulation from the environment (e.g., boredom), or when the environment provides too much stimulation (e.g., overwhelmed). In other words, when individuals do not receive optimal levels of stimulation from the environment. We have discussed the fact that when tolerance is low for under- or over-stimulating situations that produce a negative psychological state, individuals who typically act impulsively, or who are motivated to achieve a sought after goal will attempt to escape this distressing situation by using mobile devices or a computer to access SNSs or browse the internet in general. This behaviour is reinforced as individuals can control the amount of stimulation they receive via technological devices, providing relief from the distress. Moreover, and given the accessibility of mobile devices, these individuals no longer have to tolerate these types of situations in the future. Therefore, perhaps it is the use of SNSs and internet browsing as escape behaviours and the reinforcement of such behaviours that is responsible for the negative outcomes observed in problem internet users???
Some questions I will expand on:
Does boredom lead to distress or is it the outcome of interest?
What is the intervening variable – self-regulation or impulsivity?
What will happen for the younger generation if they never have to tolerate boring and difficult situations?
What is the best research method to test such a model? (e.g., experimental design, survey research, case studies etc)
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