Abstract
Background: This study aimed to ascertain the frequencies and predictors of several prob-lematic online behaviours (POBs) in an Australian community sample.
Method: The survey was administered to 1626 Australians aged 16 to 60. Participants were asked to complete the instruments assessing levels of anxiety, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disor-der (ADHD), as well as 6 POBs: gaming, cyberchondria, cybersex, online shopping, use of social networking sites and gambling. Each POB was presumed to be present based on the scores on the corresponding self-report instrument and at least one self-reported indicator of interference with functioning. Generalized Linear Models analyses were used to ascertain the predictors of each POB.
Results: The most common POB in the total sample was shopping (12.2%), followed by gambling (11.4%), use of social networking sites (6.0%), cybersex (5.3%), gaming (5.2%) and cyberchondria (4.1%). Except for cyberchondria, the rates of all POBs were the highest in the age group 27-36. The intensity of ADHD symptoms predicted all POBs, male gender predicted problematic online gaming and cybersex and younger age was a significant predictor of all POBs except for problematic cybersex and online gam-bling. Other demographic variables predicted only some POBs, whereas levels of anxiety and depression predicted no POB.
Conclusions: The frequencies of the specific POBs in the community appear to vary markedly between different age groups. Although the direction of causality, if any, cannot be inferred, a strong relationship between ADHD symptoms and all POBs may reflect a role of online environments in soothing ADHD-related distress.
Method: The survey was administered to 1626 Australians aged 16 to 60. Participants were asked to complete the instruments assessing levels of anxiety, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disor-der (ADHD), as well as 6 POBs: gaming, cyberchondria, cybersex, online shopping, use of social networking sites and gambling. Each POB was presumed to be present based on the scores on the corresponding self-report instrument and at least one self-reported indicator of interference with functioning. Generalized Linear Models analyses were used to ascertain the predictors of each POB.
Results: The most common POB in the total sample was shopping (12.2%), followed by gambling (11.4%), use of social networking sites (6.0%), cybersex (5.3%), gaming (5.2%) and cyberchondria (4.1%). Except for cyberchondria, the rates of all POBs were the highest in the age group 27-36. The intensity of ADHD symptoms predicted all POBs, male gender predicted problematic online gaming and cybersex and younger age was a significant predictor of all POBs except for problematic cybersex and online gam-bling. Other demographic variables predicted only some POBs, whereas levels of anxiety and depression predicted no POB.
Conclusions: The frequencies of the specific POBs in the community appear to vary markedly between different age groups. Although the direction of causality, if any, cannot be inferred, a strong relationship between ADHD symptoms and all POBs may reflect a role of online environments in soothing ADHD-related distress.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 143-143 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Journal of Behavioral Addictions |
| Volume | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Aug 2022 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | 7th International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA 2022) - Nottingham, United Kingdom Duration: 20 Jun 2022 → 22 Jun 2022 https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2006/11/Supplement-1/article-p1.xml |