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lecture 4 Mental Health-2024 full-1

Lecture Overview

  • Title: Health, wellbeing and technology

  • Focus: Exploring the relationship between health, wellbeing, and technology.

Learning Outcomes

  • After engaging with this content, you should be able to:

    • Define Problematic Internet Use (PIU)

    • Understand methodological issues in PIU research

    • Discuss theories explaining PIU

    • Explain the relationship between neurodiversity, gender, and PIU

    • Understand how neurodiversity interacts with the online world

    • Analyze how the digital world may alter thought and behavior patterns.

Problematic Internet Use (PIU)

  • Also Known As:

    • Internet Addiction (IA)

    • Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)

    • Pathological Internet Use

    • Internet Dependence

  • Categories of PIU:

    • Internet Gaming Disorder

    • Social Media Addiction

    • Smartphone Addiction

Definitions of PIU

  • Common Definitions:

    • Salience

    • Mood Modification

    • Tolerance

    • Withdrawal

    • Conflict

    • Relapse

  • Model Used: Griffiths’ 2005 model of addiction.

Griffiths’ Addiction Model

Salience

  • Activity dominates thoughts/feelings/behaviour.

  • Studies (Wu et al., 2020): Gaming addiction group showed cravings comparable to hunger.

Mood Modification

  • Engaging in activities brings subjective experiences (buzz/numbing).

  • Studies:

    • Increased internet use to relieve stress leads to potential addiction (Feng et al., 2019).

    • Positive effects of body-positive Instagram on mood (Cohen et al., 2019).

Tolerance

  • Increased exposure needed to achieve the same effects.

  • Studies indicate gamers demand more in-game rewards, which become less mood-modifying over time (King et al., 2017).

Withdrawal

  • Reducing activity results in unpleasant feelings.

  • Study outcomes (Osborne et al., 2016): High IAT scorers exhibited increased anxiety when deprived of internet access.

Conflict

  • Conflicts with family/friends due to time spent on activities.

  • Findings (Truzoli et al., 2020): High PIU connected with reduced motivation to learn and increased exam stress.

Relapse

  • Old destructive behaviours resurface after attempts to abstain.

  • Case studies (Griffiths, 2010): Personal losses from addiction lead to repeated relapses.

PIU Prevalence

  • Varies by location:

    • Italian adolescents: 0.8% (Poli & Agrimi, 2012)

    • Hong Kong adolescents: 26.7% (Shek & Yu, 2012)

    • American adults: 0.7% (Aboujaude et al., 2006)

  • Recent Study: Standardized measures across 9 countries show an overall prevalence of 25%.

PIU Relevance

  • Linked to:

    • Poor job performance (Beard, 2002)

    • Health-related quality of life issues (Machimbarrena et al., 2019)

    • Mental health problems (depression, anxiety) (Reed et al., 2014).

Methodological Issues in PIU Research

  • Issues include:

    • Inconsistent definitions and terminology (van Rooji et al., 2017)

    • Lack of focus on causes (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014)

    • Need for considering context over mere time spent online.

Cyberpsychological Theories in PIU

Compensatory Internet Use

  • Suggests that PIU arises as a coping mechanism rather than an addiction itself (Kardefelt-Winther, 2014).

Uses and Gratifications Model

  • Dependency often starts from addressing boredom/loneliness (Bhagat et al., 2020).

Hyperpersonal Model

  • Online interactions may feel more intense, encouraging those who struggle socially to prefer online engagement (Hinić et al., 2020).

Online Disinhibition

  • Higher disinhibition linked to lower self-esteem and attraction to online interactions, especially in engaging activities (Niemz et al., 2005).

Preventions and Interventions

  • Focus on children and adolescents as first targets.

  • Training for Vulnerable Groups Includes:

    • Internet use skills and self-control.

    • Management of emotions and stress.

    • Encouragement of offline activities.

Neurodiversity and PIU

Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC)

  • ASC individuals may use the internet differently and are more likely to be victims of cyberbullying.

  • Positive Aspects: CMC allows better control over interactions (Gillespie-Lynch et al., 2014).

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • High rates of PIU linked to ADHD; however, internet use patterns may be similar to non-ADHD peers (Dawson et al., 2019).

Schizotypy

  • Schizotypy traits are associated with susceptibility to conspiracy theories and PIU (March & Springer, 2019).

Cognitive Effects of Digital Use

  • Questions Posed:

    • Does digital use impair cognitive functions or enhance creativity?

    • Concern about digital dementia (Spitzer, 2012).

AI and Technology's Impact on Cognition

  • Interactions with AI (e.g., ChatGPT) shown to foster critical thinking (Essel et al., 2024).

Online Relationships and Dependency

  • Chatbots can foster emotional bonds, but dependency can arise in vulnerable users (Skjuve et al., 2021).

Cultural and Societal Considerations

  • Exposure to online behaviours shapes real-life expectations, values, and perceptions (Boine, 2023).

Future Directions

  • Further reading on digital natives and methodology reflecting on current understanding.

  • Seminars and lectures scheduled to complement the learning experience related to cyberpsychology.