Internet addiction in adolescents: prevalence and risk factors

Kuss, D.J. ORCID: 0000-0001-8917-782X, Van Rooij, A.J., Shorter, G.W., Griffiths, M.D. ORCID: 0000-0001-8880-6524 and Van de Mheen, D., 2013. Internet addiction in adolescents: prevalence and risk factors. Computers in Human Behavior, 29 (5), pp. 1987-1996. ISSN 0747-5632

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Abstract

As new media are becoming daily fare, Internet addiction appears as a potential problem in adolescents. From the reported negative consequences, it appears that Internet addiction can have a variety of detrimental outcomes for young people that may require professional intervention. Researchers have now identified a number of activities and personality traits associated with Internet addiction. This study aimed to synthesise previous findings by (i) assessing the prevalence of potential Internet addiction in a large sample of adolescents, and (ii) investigating the interactions between personality traits and the usage of particular Internet applications as risk factors for Internet addiction. A total of 3,105 adolescents in the Netherlands filled out a self-report questionnaire including the Compulsive Internet Use Scale and the Quick Big Five Scale. Results indicate that 3.7% of the sample were classified as potentially being addicted to the Internet. The use of online gaming and social applications (online social networking sites and Twitter) increased the 2 risk for Internet addiction, whereas extraversion and conscientiousness appeared as protective factors in high frequency online gamers. The findings support the inclusion of 'Internet addiction' in the DSM-V. Vulnerability and resilience appear as significant aspects that require consideration in further studies.

Item Type: Journal article
Publication Title: Computers in Human Behavior
Creators: Kuss, D.J., Van Rooij, A.J., Shorter, G.W., Griffiths, M.D. and Van de Mheen, D.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2013
Volume: 29
Number: 5
ISSN: 0747-5632
Identifiers:
NumberType
10.1016/j.chb.2013.04.002DOI
Rights: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Divisions: Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by: EPrints Services
Date Added: 09 Oct 2015 09:41
Last Modified: 09 Jun 2017 13:08
URI: https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1158

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