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Internet users' prior psychological and social difficulties.
Mary V Modayil1, Angus H Thompson, Stanley Varnhagen
1Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Summary
Frequent internet use does not cause social and psychological difficulties. Instead, individuals with pre-existing issues may benefit from internet engagement, as disorders often began years prior to internet use.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Internet Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- The relationship between internet use and social/psychological well-being is debated.
- Previous theories suggested frequent internet use may cause difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that frequent internet use leads to social and psychological problems.
- To explore the causal direction between internet use and psychological distress.
Main Methods:
- An internet-administered survey was used to collect data from internet users.
- Internet user data was compared to general population norms on social and psychological variables.
Main Results:
- Internet users reported more detrimental outcomes on 11 of 13 variables.
- Two measures of social contact were more positive in the internet user sample.
- For a subset of participants (n=7), the onset of psychological disorder predated internet use by 5-22 years.
Conclusions:
- Findings do not support the theory that internet use causes psychological or social difficulties.
- The internet may offer benefits to individuals already experiencing such challenges.
- Pre-existing conditions may influence internet usage patterns and experiences.