Selected aspects of Internet addiction disorder: educating children and young people to use multimedia and mass media properly

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Selected aspects of Internet addiction disorder: educating children and young people to use multimedia and mass media properly



1.Addiction: definition and classifications

etiquette internet social

Understanding the addiction which does not involve the use of a psychoactive substance might not be easy. Therefore, the two key words should be useful: addiction and dependence, which might have slightly different meanings although both describe similar conditions. Dependence is understood to mean becoming dependent on a chemical substance that the body needs in order to function properly. Addiction is a term denoting a mental dependence on a particular item or behaviour, without which a person loses the sense of life (Guerreschi, 2006, pp. 36-37).

These addictions include shopaholism, workaholism, sexual addiction, Internet addiction etc.

Regardless of the type, there is a particular group of symptoms which are common for addiction. Mark Griffiths lists the following characteristics of addiction:

* mood modification: the person experiences a stable mood when they perform the activities connected with the addiction;

* dosing tolerance: in the course of time, the person addicted needs increased doses of a substance or performing the activity more and more often;

* withdrawal symptoms: these are unpleasant physical effects which result from not meeting the needs connected with the addiction;

* conflict - the needs and actions taken by the person are mostly unacceptable in their environment, which results in a number of problems with relationships with other people;

* relapse - each addicted person had experienced attempts and failures to give up the addiction before (Pospiszyl, 2008, p. 125).

The above features represent symptoms that apply to all the types of addiction. However, regardless of them, one should take into consideration that any addiction has a particular set of typical symptoms.



2.The Internet as an opportunity and a threat

The Internet is viewed as «a network of networks: a global network of computers, their resources and peripheral devices connected with data transmission lines that connects computers all over the world and allows the users to communicate immediately» (Hofmolk J. 2009, pp. 63-64). The Internet can include any number of computers located in different places all over the world. They are connected by means of such transmission devices as modems, satellite links, optical fibres, radio lines (Hofmolk, 2009, pp. 63-64).

The most important function of the Internet is searching and acquisition of information. The information is added to WWW (World Wide Web) by both organizations and private persons. Sending, searching data in the Internet is not subject to any territorial limitations (Hofmolk, 2009, pp. 63-64).

The beginnings of the Internet are marked by the sixties of the 20th century. In 1957, the Department of Defence of the United States of America established APRA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) to work on innovative technologies in the field of defence. Among other things, APRA developed a method to interconnect the geographically remote military posts. This was supposed to ensure storage of data contained in computers used in different military bases if any of them was destroyed. This was how APRANET came into being (Hofmolk, 2009, pp. 63-64).

In the following years, APRANET was extended with academic and research networks. In 1983, the military section of APRANET separated and created an isolated network (MilNet). At the same time, the generally available network was being developed. This led to the creation of NSFNET, which was later transformed into the modern Internet (Hofmolk, 2009, pp. 63-64).

The contemporary name Internet was first used in 1974. First e-mail was also sent on the same year. The efforts to create first website were started in 1989 in order to facilitate and accelerate data exchange (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 474).

17th August 1991 marked the beginning of the Internet in Poland. On that day, the connection between the universities in Warsaw and Kopenhagen was first established (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 474).

The contemporary Internet is no longer the realm of military posts, research centres or universities but it represents the tool for everyday use among the most of the people. According to the report by World Internet Project 2012, nearly 64% of Poles used the Internet last years. Among the people below 30 years of age, the Internet users represented as many as 96% . Almost half of the Internet users utilize the net more than 10 hours a week. Some 69% of Poles have access to the Internet at home. The internet has become an inherent part of life of the most of people. It is used at work, at school and at home. It helps get access to numerous services (communication, purchase, entertainment, banking, searching information etc.).

Once a small military network, the Internet has turned into an enormous web that nowadays covers the whole world. There are many people who do not imagine living without the Internet today. The technology which seemed impossible until quite recently, now has become an easily available element of everyday life.

The Internet makes lives much more comfortable. It offers opportunities for the people who can use it. One of the most popular services in the Internet is communication, which adopts a variety of forms. One undeniable advantage is the lack of geographical limits. The distance between computers does not matter. Furthermore, there are also no temporal limitations as Internet services are available 24 hours a day. In addition, there are no social and cultural barriers in the Internet. Any Internet user can utilize the net in any manner, regardless of their financial, age or social status (Kaliszewska, 2006, pp. 108-109). In terms of communication, the services offered by the Internet include:

* the electronic mail (e-mail), which offers opportunities for sending messages in an electronic manner and attach files that contain additional data (photographs, pictures, text documents etc.);

* instant messaging, which allows for real-time transmission of short messages with a person who uses the same software; the time necessary for sending such a message is merely several seconds;

* message boards, which are online discussion sites that allow to take part in a discussion without even leaving home;

* chats, which help bigger groups of users have a conversation at the same time; chats also have options of teleconferencing;

* SMS gateways, which allow users to send text messages from the Internet to mobile phones (Wieczorkowski, 2007, pp. 415-417).

* Social media, which offer opportunities for permanent contact with friends and help to find people we lost contact with.

Apart from communication, access to information is the most frequently used form of Internet services. All the necessary information can be quickly and easily found in the modern Internet. It is stored in websites in an electronic manner. There are a number of Internet libraries, databases, catalogues and a plethora of electronic encyclopaedias, dictionaries, books and magazines. Information in the Internet is provided in an attractive manner, which accelerates its perception. The information is also updated online. Therefore, the Internet always contains the most topical data (Pulak, 2007, pp. 230-231).

Furthermore, the Internet ensures the access to banking services such as transfers, checking balance, set up an account or a deposit. One can also purchase goods without leaving home. More and more e-shops have online catalogues. There are also opportunities of taking part in online auctions. They allow users to buy and sell particular products. This helps not only purchase interesting and unique things but also get rid of those which are no longer useful (Wallace P. 2001, p. 233). The Internet facilitates making reservation of tickets for cinemas, theatres, galleries and a variety of events or purchase travel tickets (such as bus, railway or airline tickets), watch films, listen to the music, play the net games etc.

The above advantages of the Internet show that it might considerably facilitate the everyday life. Opportunities for dealing with a number of things without leaving home allows for saving a lot of time, effort and sometimes money. Unfortunately, apart from numerous benefits, there are also a plethora of disadvantages that the Internet involves. All the users are exposed to the pitfalls of the Internet. However, it is the most dangerous for children and young people, who are easily affected and manipulated by others.

One of the threats of the Internet is easy access to erotic and pornographic contents. Children do not have to search much to find such websites. The contact with such contents is often accidental: some 80% of Internet users encounter pornographic contents accidentally as they search for other materials. In young Internet users, these contents might raise excessive interest and adversely affect their development (Kaczmarek, 2006, pp. 34-35).

Another dangerous issue is paedophilia in the Internet. The exchange of data and materials on such contents is facilitated by chats, instant messengers, blogs or social media in the Internet. The Internet is also conducive to the spread of child pornography. This «industry» is very profitable, thus some people exploit children to achieve property benefits. Both the former and the latter phenomenon are very harmful to children (Kaczmarek, 2006, pp. 34-35).

Cyberbullying is another threat of the Internet which has emerged in recent years. It is regarded as the «violence among peers using the information and communication technologies» (Wojtasik, 2007, p. 11). Cyberbullying uses a variety of Internet services, such as electronic mail, chats, message boards, instant messengers, SMS and MMS gateways, blogs, social media, mobile phones etc. It might adopt a variety of forms, such as bullying, harassing, blackmailing, sending compromising photographs or messages and phishing. First and foremost, the fast development of this phenomenon is caused by high level of anonymity in the Internet and feeling of impunity. Cyberbullying is very dangerous since it is extremely easy to make compromising contents available in the network while removing them is often impossible (Wojtasik, 2007, p. 11).

There are also a number of websites that promote violence. They contain films, photographs and descriptions that show violent acts. All that a child sees in the virtual world might be transferred into the reality. In addition to the websites that promote violence, there are other with violent contents and scenes which are not suitable for a child's mind. The Internet is full of shocking films and photographs that present the scenes of murder, rape, tortures, car crashes, scenes from dissecting rooms etc. Viewing such explicit contents causes desensitization i.e. reduced sensitivity and becoming indifferent to the violence in the real world (Maj, 2004, pp. 193-194).

Among anti-educational websites, there are also those which promote hatred towards particular social groups. These websites stimulate intolerance, hostility, and lack of respect towards others (Maj, 2004, pp. 194).

The Internet offers room for activities of sects which, using the websites, are able to popularize their views and recruit young and emotionally confused people. Sect members improve the techniques of engaging new members. They often search for lost and lonely people who seek role models (Krynski, Pluskota, 2012, pp. 110 - 114) and have problems they write about their blogs, chats and websites. They usually pretend to offer help and young individuals are often exposed to the effect of wily manipulators and consequently recruited to their sects (Danowski, Krupinska, 2007, pp. 17-19). One of the scientific papers emphasized that «the centre of the concept of a role model is also taken by a person or an institution that has an influence, importance and is generally respected» (Pluskota, 2011, p. 16).

Another unfavourable phenomenon that is connected with the Internet is theft and phishing. Children are usually unaware of the threats of sharing various information to the people they meet online. Therefore, they talk openly about themselves, their families, their wealth and are even willing to give access to account numbers and credit cards. It is sometimes sufficient that someone opens a message or a game sent by another person met online. These messages contain malware that are designed so that they collect necessary information (Pluskota, 2011, p. 19).

A negative phenomenon connected with activity in the Internet is spending time in an unlimited manner. Consequently, this might lead to addiction. This leads to a number of consequences, both mental and physical, such as deterioration of the visual perception, faulty posture, photosensitive epilepsy and a variety of mental disorders (Majchrzak, 2008, pp. 96-97).

Living without the Internet is virtually impossible in the world today. Similar to other contemporary technologies, it makes everyday activities much easier. It offers numerous services, which, if used skilfully, make life more comfortable. They help in their duties, provide them with entertainment. However, one should note that the Internet is also a source of threats particularly dangerous for young Internet users. Therefore, it is important to have the knowledge about negative consequences of using the Internet. Only then can one use this powerful media with full awareness.

3.The Internet as a form of addiction

Ivan Goldberg was the first researcher to approach the Internet as a form of threat. He was also the first to establish a support group for people who excessively used the Internet. However, Goldberg did not consider this phenomenon as an addiction. He defined it as a transient condition that manifests itself in excessively frequent and debilitating use of the Internet (Augustynek, 2009, p. 228).

Furthermore, a study by Kimberly Young was the first to explore these problems. In 1996, this scientist examined a group of 496 Internet users, with 396 meeting the criteria of addiction (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 476). Young created a diagnostic key that concerned an excessive use of the Internet, based on DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling. The author defined the following symptoms of Internet overuse:

* tension connected with using the Internet

* continuously increasing need for being online

* numerous attempts to limit the time spent online

* anxiety and depression in the case of limited access to the Internet,

* problems with planning time spent online,

* interpersonal problems caused by excessively long staying online,

* lying about the time spent online,

* mood modification.

If an individual meets at least five of the above criteria, this means that they are addicted to the Internet (Guerreschi, 2006 , p 40).

Bohdan Woronowicz developed his own diagnostic tool for evaluation of Internet addiction. The tool was based on addiction criteria according to ICD-10 classification. He emphasized the following symptoms of addiction to Internet:

* strong need/compulsion to use the Internet,

* feeling convinced of inability to abstain from using the Internet and inability to limit the time spent online,

* bad mood, anxiety, tensions at the moments of limited access to the Internet and disappearance of these states at the moments of using the Internet,

* elongating Internet sessions,

* giving up other means of pleasure and entertainment,

* further use of the Internet despite harmful physical, psychical and social effects.

The person is regarded as addicted to the Internet if at least three of the above symptoms are observed within the time not shorter than a year (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 481).

There are different types of computer and Internet addictions. Based on their own investigations, Kimberly Young identified the following types of computer-related addictions:

* cybersexual addiction: watching adult films and viewing erotic and porn context, participation in adult chat rooms,

* cyber-relationship addiction: being addicted to online relationships using instant messengers; a person with this type of disorders checks their e-mail inboxes incessantly, checks people who appear in the chat rooms and is able to send several hundred e-mails in one day.

* net compulsions: e.g. becoming addicted to net games, online gambling, shopping and online auctions.

* information overload: (compulsion to receive information) a strong need for constant searching for new information that appears on the Internet.

* computer addiction, with one example being addiction to computer games (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 477 - 478).

The five above subtypes proposed by Young were extended by Bohdan Woronowicz with the following three:

* blog addiction: manifested by a compelling need to track the lives of other people who describe them in their own websites or the need to describe your own life,

* hacking: being addicted from hacking into computer systems,

* being dependent on the virtual reality (e.g. Second Life) which is based on living a virtual life in the Internet (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 477 - 478).

Furthermore, John Suler attempted to determine the properties of the virtual environment which cause that it is particularly attractive to its users. He emphasized the following factors: anonymity, possibility to create your own image without limitations, equal statuses, lack of geographical and temporal barriers, and possibility of maintaining and documentation of numerous contacts (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 477 - 478). The above characteristics make the Internet a place where users want to stay for as long as possible.

Internet addiction might occur differently in different people. This is chiefly due to the fact that it is not solely the net that makes a person addicted but rather the contents one can find there. The contents in the Internet that can be the most addictive include:

* online pornography,

* copying music and films,

* net games,

* online gambling,

* viewing and collecting huge amounts of information,

* collecting software,

* hacking,

* e-mail,

* e-commerce,

* communication through the Internet (message boards, chat rooms, instant messengers, discussion groups etc.) (Gajda, 2013).

There is a group of people who are at particular risk of addiction. B. Szmajdzinski emphasized the following groups which are the most prone to the Internet addiction:

* children: their minds are not fully developed yet, while the Internet contains a lot of contents which are likely to cause the addiction,

* young people: adolescence and entering the world of adults is a very difficult period in their lives. They often feel lost in new situations and need a support. If there is nobody there, they start seek support somewhere else. The virtual world, which is full of the people in similar situation, provides an extremely attractive place for those seeking support.

* psychiatric patients: the people who suffered from a variety of mental disorders and diseases before they even saw the Internet.

* loners: these people are shy, have problems with establishing contacts in real worlds and are characterized by low self¬esteem. The virtual world is like salvation to them. Nobody in the net knows who they really are, how they actually look like, which makes them feel safe.

* lonely people: they are unable to establish close relationships with other people in the real world. They consider the Internet as a refuge from the reality. This gives them an illusion of closeness and social ties.

* bored people: those who are bored with everyday routines. They seek new attractive sensations offered by the Internet.

* people suffering from addictions: those who were successful in giving up another addiction but they have not yet developed non-addictive coping strategies with respect to problems or tensions.

* those seeking power, a social status or dominance: they fail to achieve this in the real world, thus they attempt to have it in the virtual reality, which helps them create their image in a way they want.

* women seeking friendship or romantic relationships: these include users aged around 30, who have been unable to find partner so far. Therefore, using the Internet, they seek support, recognition and love.

* people with larger-than-average IQ: they have numerous skills that help them gain immediate recognition and respect among other Internet users.

* unemployed: they spent the most of the time home and get bored, which makes the Internet an attractive alternative (Augustynek, 2006, pp. 229-230).

Although the phenomenon of Internet overuse is becoming more and more widespread, many experts in the field of medicine and psychology do not consider it the context of addiction. However, it should be noted that a few decades ago, gambling was also not regarded as addiction. The «pathological gambling» is currently included in two biggest world disease classifications, DSM-IV and ICD-10. Therefore, the introduction of the criteria for computer addiction and Internet addiction diagnosis to the above classifications appears to be a matter of time.

4.Prevention of Internet addiction

The Internet is an extraordinarily attractive medium. It provides people with great opportunities. Furthermore, it offers a range of attractions, with everyone being able to choose something for themselves. The Internet helps to meet interesting people, friends and even find a lifelong partner, have unforgettable adventures and visit places you would never go to in the real world. First and foremost, the Internet makes people forget their financial or social status, shameful personality traits or physical appearance and create the image of their person in any way. This causes that they do not want to leave the Internet. Therefore, prevention of Internet addiction is much more important than therapies.

Prevention is most effective in young people. Therefore, it should be implemented among the youngest possible Internet users. The main responsibility for prevention should be taken by parents. They should start from controlling the time their children spent in the Internet. In order for it to be possible, the computer should stand in a conspicuous place which is easily accessible to all the family members. The most common mistake is placing the computer in the child's room. This causes that parents are unable to control the time a child spends online. Parents should set a specific time limit a child is allowed to spend in front of the computer. Another important point is setting the rules for using computers and the Internet. Each child should know the time they are allowed to spend online. They also have to be aware that they can use the Internet only after they do all their household duties. It is essential that the intensity of the Internet use should be discussed with a child and adjusted to their needs and interests. It is also important for parents to assist their children in exploring the opportunities offered by the Internet. They can help them find appropriate websites, games and portals. Parents have to organize a lot of interesting activities for children in their leisure time. The more young people familiarize with alternative forms of entertainment, the less they are willing to spent time in front of the computer. It is essential that the child does not consider a computer as the only source of entertainment (Danowski, Krupinska, 2007, pp. 33-43).

A good idea for parents to protect their children is installing dedicated safety software in the computer. Such software prevents young children from access to the contents which are inappropriate to them (Mastalerz, 2006, pp. 28-29).

It is of utmost importance for parents in prevention of computer and Internet addictions to be a good role model. Children whose parents or other members of family spend long hours in front of the computer are at much higher risk of addiction. It should be noted that children should be allowed to use computers. However, they also should be taught how to responsibly and rationally utilize the opportunities offered by the Internet (Mastalerz, 2006, pp. 28-29).

Apart from family, an environment that plays an important role in prevention of Internet abuse is school. The internet is a place where young people spent a substantial part of their time. It is important that, during computer science lessons, children are taught how to properly use modern technologies. Teachers should explain the rules of netiquette to be followed when using the Internet. Furthermore, it is essential that teachers help students realize the multitude of false information that cannot be accepted uncritically. In addition, all teachers (rather than only those who teach computer sciences at school) have to make students aware that the Internet is not the only source of information (Tabol, 2003, pp. 26-31).

In Poland, media education has been incorporated into curricula for primary, middle and secondary schools. School principals are responsible for implementation of these curricula. Media education is expected to be based on personal experiences of students and utilize the knowledge they acquired outside schools. The main focus of the media education is to prepare young people for thinking critically when using media, including the Internet. Teachers have to teach children how to make difference between the real and virtual worlds. Furthermore, children have to realize how media manipulate people and know how to make right choices. In conclusion, media education represents a path which should familiarize students with the opportunities offered by contemporary media while making them aware of the numerous threats they pose (Sikorski, 2006, pp. 39 - 41).

There are a number of websites which are equipped in resources that might be helpful for parents to teach children how to use the net safely. These resources are designed for both parents and teachers. They contain the lists of websites suitable for children, guidelines on appropriate use of the Internet and the principles for safe use of the net. One of these websites contains the following set of principles for proper use of the Internet:

1. Do not make your personal data available!

You never know whether others might use it against you. Your data should be protected with due care.

2. Do not trust others!

There is a risk that somewhere on the other side of the net is a paedophile, thief or a hacker.

3. Do not believe everything you find in the Internet!

There are bogus websites to imitate other websites just to steal your e-mail address and send a lot of spam into your inbox. Also, there are a variety of lies in the Internet.

4. Do not arrange meetings with the people you met on the Internet!

This is very risky. A number of psychopaths are waiting for this.

5. Do not answer when someone accosts you!

Do not answer to someone who sends you offensive e-mails. The sender is expecting your answer. If these messages are worrying you, call the police.

6. Do not reveal your passwords to anyone!

A person who knows your password will send offensive messages to your friends pretending to be you!

7. Do not use your web cam when talking to strangers!

However, if you do, agree only if the other person also turns on their cam.

8. Protect your computer!

It is essential that your computer does not get infected with viruses as you download different files. Therefore, you need to have antivirus and antispam software.

The above sets of rules for the safe use of the Internet might be of great help in making children aware of the numerous threats posed by the net.

Proper prevention is the most effective measure to prevent Internet addiction. Teachers and parents should show children at any age how they should utilize the most modern achievements of technology. Safe methods of using the Internet, learnt in the childhood, protect adults from the problems with the proper use of this medium.



Conclusions

Therapies for the people addicted to the Internet are carried out in a way that is essentially different than it is the case in other addictions. The primary difference lies in that the addicted person is not entirely isolated from the addictive factor. There is also another problem: a person who overuses the Internet is accustomed to virtual contacts and therefore they demonstrate the huge unwillingness towards meeting face to face with therapists. The therapy can be initiated only when the addicted person sees the difference between proper and pathological use of the Internet. This is not easy since computers and the Internet are viewed as a domain of modern people and using them is not perceived as something improper at all (Woronowicz, 2009, p. 486).

The internet provides people with abundance of opportunities for comprehensive development and helps them cope with everyday duties. Furthermore, it is becoming a necessary tool at school and work. Thus, it would be thoughtless to deprive people of this modern achievement of technology (Augustynek, 2006, pp. 18¬19). This causes that the main objective in the therapies for the Internet addiction is teaching how to use the Internet properly. The key part in the therapy is preparation of a detailed plan of the day which defines the specific schedule for all human activities (including using the computers). The addicted people often have alarms installed on their computers in order to be activated after a particular time and remind a person about next item to be done. Sticking to this plan allows an addicted person to turn back towards the activities they have long forgotten about.



References

etiquette internet social

1.Augustynek A. Wst<?p do psychologii, wyd. Difin. - Warsawa, 2009.

2.Augustynek A., Zagrozenia komputerowe // Cyberuza- leznienia - przeciwdzialanie uzaleznieniom od komputera i Internetu [post-conference materials], ed. E. Mastalerz, wyd. Niezalezne Zrzeszenie Studentow Akademii Pedagogicznej. - Krakow,2006.

3.Blada E., Negatywny wplyw komputerow na zycie ludzkie // «Lider». - 2005. - No. 1.

4.Braun-Galkowska M., Oddzialywanie Internetu na psychik? dzieci i mlodziezy // Edukacja Medialna. - 2003. - No. 3.

5.Braun-Galkowska M. Dziecko w swiecie mediow, «Edukacja i Dialog». - 2003. - No. 6.

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