Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant available in nature as coffee, tea leaves, cocoa beans and kola nuts. Many of the energy drinks available in the market contain this stimulant. The notable beverages like Coca cola, Pepsi etc. contain caffeine, though it is labeled as a flavoring agent. The quantity of caffeine varies with each beverage depending upon the mode of preparation and serving. The caffeine has its presence in some pain killers, cold medications and diet pills, and it improves their effectiveness. It acts quite different from other drugs like alcohol, and blocks the adenosine receptors generated through the cellular activities. This makes the natural stimulants of the body soar high.
Caffeine Addiction
Prolonged and regular intake of caffeine will evolve physical as well as psychological addiction. People who used to take 100 milligram of caffeine can develop headaches, muscle pain, stiffness of the body, nausea, temporary depression and irritation when they stop taking it. A person who takes two cups of coffee every day is susceptible to withdrawal symptoms if he discontinues it. However, it does not cause any serious drug addiction effects like drugs and alcohol. The negative effects of caffeine are mostly overlooked as it is a largely consumed drug accepted by the society at large.
Metabolism
When caffeine is taken in, the body absorbs and then gets rid of it fast. It carries only half-life of six hours to get itself eliminated from the body system. After ten hours the remaining portion of the caffeine will be rejected from the body. Drinking coffee in the evening can hamper sleep, but it wont be a problem if it is taken six hours prior to reclining at night. Caffeine sensitivity can fluctuate in relation to the body metabolism and consumption rate.
Those who have hypersensitivity will undergo insomnia, nervousness and various intestinal malfunctions. But, generally, it creates no threat to the physical and social aspects of health, like the addictive drugs do, though it can develop a hole in the wallet if too much caffeine is consumed. Keeping these in mind, and considering that I become lethargic when I do not drink coffee, I took a decision to give up drinking it for a weekend, to know what happens during the abstinence.
Experiences
The moment the decision taken, a sudden feeling for a cup of tea crept in mind. On fighting it out, a slight headache started, followed by some sort of irritation. Concentration was lost abruptly. Prior to quitting coffee, there was a little losing of fluid from the body due to the diuretic effect of caffeine. To cope with that contingency, I began to take more water then, which eased the situation. However, as I have stopped taking the coffee, the existing gastrointestinal problems escalated which prompted me to seek medication. But, the headaches and vomiting feeling continued for two days. Also, there was a disruption in sleep. When the next day dawned, the headache was gone, and I felt very calm and peaceful. I continued to resist the tendency to grab a cup of coffee, and that gave me more confidence than ever. I became more energetic and resourceful since that day.
Advice
My experience on refraining from drinking coffee gave me inspiration to advise my coffee addicted colleagues to quit it. I told them that a higher level of caffeine intake will lead to dehydration and resultant health issues. I know, many of my friends are overweight due to the frequent consumption of energy drinks that contain caffeine. Thats why I record here my feelings on the abstinence from drinking coffee.
Caffeine Vulnerability
Now I know that three cups of coffee daily will do no harm to a healthy adult, though the aged having high blood pressure are vulnerable to its effects. Using it above 744 milligrams per day can lead to hip fracture in older people.
Caffeine Related Diseases
Recent studies show that caffeine has no direct link to cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In fact, caffeine protects the body from cancer attacks. However, if pregnant women consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine daily, it can cause miscarriage. Kids may develop anxiety and irritability with increased intake of caffeine.
Benefits of Caffeine
Though caffeine has no health benefits, there are some potential gains in it. Consumption of caffeine improves the feelings of sociability and helps controlling certain headaches and asthma. Moreover, it decreases malfunction of the liver, and Parkinsons disease. Additionally, it can reduce colorectal cancer and type 2 Diabetes. In spite of these potential benefits it is advisable not to take high levels of caffeine to avoid any adverse effects of caffeine addiction.
Prolonged and systematic use of various substances can lead to developing such a disease as chemical dependency. Everyone can face it, regardless of age, gender, social status, or profession. Tobacco addiction is a chronic relapsing disease that, in most cases, requires long-term supportive re-treatment (Koli et al., 2020). It is not only a habit or selfishness but a severe problem relevant to this day. Accordingly, to study the topic in more detail, the paper will consider the essence of this issue, its causes, and possible methods of control.
All tobacco products contain nicotine, a substance that causes severe lifelong addiction. Such addiction causes disorders in four spheres of an organisms vital functions: biological, mental, social, and spiritual (Addicott, 2020). Biological relates to problems in an organisms work; mental addiction causes negative changes in the psyche; social addiction is associated with a disturbance of all human connections with society; spiritual addiction includes changes in worldview. Chemical addiction is a global disease of the mind, soul, and body.
It is important to note that there are primary care workers considering the social sphere. Besides, tobacco addiction is not only an individual problem but also a group problem, for example, in the workplace (Seidel et al., 2017). In such situations, an Employee Assistance Professional is needed. He should help with different difficulties and develop assembly and personal assistance programs (Smith et al., 2021). Another important aspect of this issue is the spiritual environment of the individual. The Bible does not explicitly mention smoking, but several chapters deal explicitly with addiction (Gross et al., 2018). The sixth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians says that everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Corinthians 6:12). A person should have a rational approach to those interests that give him pleasure. Accordingly, rejection of illness has a powerful healing and therapeutic effect on the human body and mind.
Tobacco dependence is not a harmless habit that is easy to abandon. Nicotine is highly addictive, similar to cravings for alcohol or drugs. It is necessary to remove the mechanism of a disease-dependent state of origin and engage all the spheres of human life to overcome it. The help of professionals, the development of new methods and strategies, timely prevention, and education are fundamental aspects of eliminating this problem.
Koli, M. R., Girase, C. J., & Patil, A. (2020). A scientific approach to treat tobacco addiction-a review. Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 12(4), 231-234. Web.
Mental health nursing often includes working with drug and alcohol addicts, which adds an extra layer of complexity to their care plan. So is the case of Keith, a twenty-year-old man who suffers from cocaine addiction. Keith is committed to a mental health facility due to his violent outburst. During the said outburst, he assaulted his pottery instructor at the courses he has been attending for a while and genuinely enjoyed. At first glance, Keith does not give an impression of an aggressive person: he is quiet, looks frightened, and has a tremor. The patient does not want to be treated in an acute care unit; however, he does show much resistance.
Upon further analysis, it becomes apparent that Keith comes from an extremely troubled background. Born to a Nigerian mother and a Scottish father, the patient was deprived of proper care in his family setting. Keiths parents were not able to look after him as they were haunted by their own demons: his mother was schizophrenic, and his father had a severe alcohol problem. The patient was bullied in school, and it made him develop panic attacks, from which cocaine proved to be the only available relief. Keiths care plan needs to address the physical, mental and social aspects of his condition and be both compassionate and effective. Addiction should be seen not as a problem but a symptom of a bigger issue, a complex phenomenon with many roots.
Case Formulation and Treatment Plan
Assessment
Keith was presented to the acute care unit in a state of extreme agitation and anxiety. The man looked disheveled and extremely thin, with weight loss potentially attributed to his excessive cocaine use. Some of the symptoms that Keith was displaying were matching the description of a panic attack provided by the National Health Services (n.d.). Keith had a racing heartbeat and hot flashes; he was suffering from chest pain and shortness of breath. The present symptoms also match the description for cocaine overuse posted by the National Health Services (n.d.). A large dose of cocaine must have led to the overstimulation of Keiths heart and nervous system, which caused the aggression.
Keith was committed to the acute care unit under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act (1983). The 1983 Mental Health Act is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies to the residents of England and Wales. The act addresses the reception, care and treatment of patients with mental disorders and other related issues ( Mental Health Act 1983 , 2020). Section 3 of the Mental Health Act contains guidelines regarding the admission of treatment. Namely, it states that admission for treatment may be administered if it is necessary for the health or safety of the patient or for the protection of other persons ( Admission for Treatment , 2020). In Keiths case, his violent outbursts after doing cocaine over the weekend were threatening to the health and safety of his pottery course instructor. To prevent the altercation from escalating and potentially affecting other people, Keith was arrested and taken to an acute care unit.
Keiths case contains predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors:
Predisposing factors
Probably, the most significant predisposing factor in Keiths case is his upbringing. The patient grew up in a broken family where neither of the primary caregivers was able to meet his needs. Kelley et al. (2015) write that children whose parents suffer from addiction and mental illness are at a higher risk of being maltreated and abused. Kelley et al. (2015) specifically point out the risk of maltreatment in dual couples the parental couples where both substance abuse and mental disorders are present. This is exactly the case when it comes to Keiths situation: his mother was often admitted to the hospital due to schizophrenic episodes, and his father would binge drink on a regular basis. According to Kelley et al. (2015), such parents are unable to connect with children emotionally. At the same time, they tend to be overreactive during disciplinary encounters, which happened when Keiths father learned about his sons truancy (Kelley et al., 2015).
It should be noted that adverse childhood experiences have long-standing consequences for victims mental health. Adverse childhood experiences are a broad topic that encompasses negligence, loss of a relative, emotional suffering, physical violence and other categories of traumatizing events (Allen, 2018). In Keiths case, it was total neglect of his needs and abandonment in the time when he needed protection such as when he was bullied in school. The trauma may persist well into adulthood and lead to undesirable life outcomes. Merrick et al. (2017) show a strong relationship between adverse childhood experiences and four categories of outcome: drug use, alcohol use, depressed affect and attempted suicide. For Keith, at least two categories of outcomes are true cocaine use and depressive syndrome.
Precipitating factors
The key precipitating factor for Keiths mental health crisis was his experience of being bullied by his schoolmates. In his younger years, the patient fell victim to the so-called relational bullying. According to Smith (2016), relational bullying encompasses a wide range of behaviors that hurt a persons social status and prevent them from building relationships in their peer group. For example, the perpetrators might spread rumors, purposefully ignore, boycott, or exclude the victim, which is true in Keiths case. Chester et al. (2017) show that relational bullying is detrimental to young peoples health-related quality of life. Per the findings made by Evans-Lacko et al. (2017), the effects of school bullying linger for years and predict a persons need to use mental health services in adulthood.
Perpetuating factors
The perpetuating factor in Keiths story is the actual benefits that cocaine use presents for him. Apparently, the patient uses cocaine to treat his panic attacks: it helps him to take control of his irritability and boost his confidence. What aggravates the situation is that Keiths drug addiction was a shared behavior with probably his first real friend John that he met at one of the facilities. Terrion, Rocchi and OReilly (2015) opine that friendships made in rehabilitation facilities are ambiguous. On the one hand, they can be a protective factor as due to the high level of antisociality among the residents, they might be a rare chance at intimacy and bonding with another human being (Terrion, Rocchi & OReilly, 2015). On the other hand, during the process of recovery, it is recommended to cut ties with substance-abusing friends. It seems that in Keiths case, the friendship with John was more a negative than a positive factor.
Protective factors
Even though Keith was not receiving enough care and affection from his parents, his early years were not completely devoid of meaningful adult figures. Brown and Shillington (2016) show that the presence of protective adult relationships moderated the link between adverse childhood experiences and substance use. Adverse childhood experiences are considered tolerable stress when young people are supported by protective relationships, especially those that helped them to develop adaptive coping skills (Brown & Shillington, 2016). In Keiths case, his relationship with his grandmother was protective. Despite her old age, she helped to meet his most basic needs. Apart from that, the grandmother introduced him to painting and furniture repair that for Keith, were serving as a major relief from stress. Some other protective factors include Keiths interest in pottery and his desire to continue working.
Planning
The planning of treatment should not exclude the patient himself instead, it is critical that he be an equal participant in the discussion with autonomy and decision-making power. The proposed framework for Keiths case is the three-phase conversational model of communication. The model seeks to help health professionals with self-supervision (Acott, 2015). The framework offered may guide their interactions as well as act as a tool for self-reflection (Acott, 2015). As proposed by Acott (2015), the three-phase conversational model has the potential of resolving the dialectic of care.
On the one hand, the patient is the leading expert of their own life: only they get to decide which course to take and what decisions to make. On the other hand, patients, especially those admitted to mental health facilities, often suffer and struggle with dealing with the reality of their life. For this reason, they need gentle, compassionate input and some guidance from a professional. In summation, the three-phase conversational model is not a psychotherapeutic or counselling model. As noted by Acott (2015), first and foremost, the model promotes change.
The three stages of the proposed model are connected, sharing information and finding agreement (Acott, 2015). In Keiths case, the initial connection is pivotal to his treatment. The patient is apprehensive about starting a new treatment plan; he does not like being admitted to a psychiatric facility. At the same time, Keith is young, lonely and above all, might be seeking understanding and companionship. For this reason, the initial connection that the team makes with him might turn them into tyrants or friendly helpers in his eyes.
Compassion has been long seen as a fundamental element of nursing practice. Hewison and Sawbridge (2016) write that to be compassionate means to understand what the patient is going through. According to Hewison and Sawbridge (2016), compassionate nursing means alleviating patients pain and not causing unnecessary suffering. Truly, Keith has had enough pain and suffering in his life, and if he is met with contempt in a place where he is supposed to receive help, he might as well become even more enclosed and isolated. A compassionate nurse addresses individualised care needs, as in, he or she does not see a patient as their disease but treats them as a human being (Hewison & Sawbridge, 2016). This is consistent with the concept of person-centered care that prioritises listening to, informing and involving patients in the process of care administration (Townsend & Morgan, 2017). Following this logic, Keith should not be treated by just another drug addict but a person with their own story, strengths and weaknesses.
The second stage is sharing information about past medical history and important life events. Sharing information follows building a connection because being honest about oneself is impossible without good rapport and trust. At this stage, electronic health information exchange (HIE) should play a central role in bringing together a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers. HIE lets all the stakeholders access and securely share the patients vital medical information through electronic media. If health information exchange is well-maintained, each of the specialists treating Keith will be making informed decisions because they will be seeing the full picture of his case. As a result, the patient can enjoy the improved speed, quality, safety and cost of care.
Lastly, the third stage is coming to a mutual agreement (Acott, 2015). If Keith does not accept a treatment plan or misunderstands its purpose, he is less likely to adhere to it. The third stage needs to highlight patients benefits if he manages to put his life in order. At that, the strengths-based approach that deploys a patients personal strengths to aid their recovery might be especially useful (Golightley & Holloway, 2019). As mentioned before, Keiths case does contain protective factors that could be a source of empowerment for him. Firstly, he has a family member who is on his side his grandmother. Secondly, the patient has career aspirations and hobbies: he seems to be particularly interested in art and manual work. These factors should be employed to guide Keiths recovery process.
Because Keiths problem has physical, mental and social roots, it requires a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of professionals. As members of an MDT, nurses are assigned a variety of roles. Nurses serve as case managers when they are taking charge of a patient and supporting them through investigation, diagnosis and treatment (East et al., 2015). Nurses help with the coordination of the procedures that are prescribed by other professionals (East et al., 2015). On top of that, nurses intervene as health educators and patient advocates (East et al., 2015). When needed, nurses may take part in data management and participate in study protocols, especially when it comes to research nursing.
Intervention
Today, it is safe to say that mental health issues in the United Kingdom remain largely untreated or undertreated. The MHFA England (2020) provides pessimistic numbers and figures regarding how the burden of mental illness is managed in the country. The MHFA England (2020) reports that 75% of people suffering from mental disorders were receiving any kind of treatment. Out of those who were in fact receiving care, only one-third had access to resources matching their level of need (Mental Health Foundation, 2020). These statistics suggest that there are faults in the system that prevent those in need from receiving the necessary services, which might as well affect the success of Keiths treatment.
Now, Keith is currently administered a few medications that are helping him to manage his state:
Sertraline (50 mg daily) is an antidepressant belonging to a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Sertraline targets the chemicals in the brain that are unbalanced in individuals suffering from depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Keith has been suffering from panic attacks since school, and they are one of the reasons why he seeks relief in substance abuse;
Ramipril (10 mg) is a drug used to treat high blood pressure. In Keiths case, ramipril is used to mitigate the effects of cocaine use on his cardiovascular system and prevent him from collapsing;
Promethazine (25 mg) is a drug that among other purposes, is used to sedate people who are anxious or agitated. Alongside sertraline, promethazine is prescribed to help Keith to relieve his panic attacks and overall agitation due to cocaine use;
Clonazepam (0.25 mg) is a tranquiliser of the benzodiazepine class. It is prescribed to Keith to prevent seizures as well as treat panic attacks.
While the patient is likely to benefit from the prescribed drugs, medical treatment is not the end-all-be-all of mental health and addiction care. The entire intervention plan needs to be trauma-informed as it needs to promote a culture of safety, empowerment and healing. Keiths addiction problem needs to be addressed at three levels: physical, mental and social. The aforementioned medications do help to tackle the physical side of his mental illness and addiction. However, full recovery is likely to require a bigger change such as becoming more physically active and gaining weight, especially muscle, through healthy eating and training. Since Keith has long had problems with body image (he was bullied in school for being overweight), he might find power in becoming fit and feeling more satisfied with his appearance.
At a mental level, Keith needs to address the root cause of his addiction unresolved childhood trauma. As Mearns and Cooper (2017) note every problem once used to be a solution. Apparently, Keiths cocaine use is a response to the overwhelming reality of neglect and isolation. The patient is likely to benefit from individual and group counseling. It is hard to say which kind of therapy would be the most efficient in his case. Mearns and Cooper (2017) write that victims of child abuse and generally patients with adverse childhood experiences do not show significant improvements when receiving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is based on rational reprogramming of negative thoughts and stepwise changes in behavior. Humanistic psychology that studies the whole person and puts emphasis on their uniqueness might be a potentially good choice.
Keiths social situation has to undergo an overhaul as well if he wants to see any improvements. Firstly, the patient needs to double down on protective factors that were described previously in this paper. If his grandmother is still alive, it would be beneficial for the patient to keep in touch with her. His career ambitions and work interests should be also given the attention they deserve. Keith should continue attending his pottery courses or other courses of his choice and try to socialise with other students.
However, when it comes to comprehensive mental health interventions, there are significant barriers to successful administration. In the present case, there may be two kinds of barriers: on the patients side and on the facilitys side (Harvey & Gumport, 2016). According to Harvey and Gumport, patients often lack the motivation to adhere to treatment. Such non-adherence might stem from the inconvenience associated with receiving care, for example, if a mental facility is too far from the patients place of residence. Another reason is the patients lack of conviction that the prescribed treatment will help them to improve their life. Alternatively, the quality of mental health interventions might be compromised due to the issues on the providers side. For instance, a unit might be overwhelmed with patients or lack both human and financial resources to invest in individualised care. Harvey and Gumport (2016) do not offer any easy solutions for removing these barriers apart from slowly but steadily reforming the mental health care system in the United Kingdom.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Keiths case is complicated on many levels: the young patients cocaine addiction has roots in his troubled childhood and traumatizing experiences such as parental neglect and school bullying. Apparently, cocaine use serves as a form of stress relief and a source of confidence for the patient. However, Keiths case is not dead-end: his story contains a few protective factors that if used thoughtfully, could guide him on his way to recovery. His treatment plan needs to be trauma-informed and person-centered. The patient needs a holistic approach that would not only tackle the physical manifestation of his disease but would also improve his mental well-being.
If the proposed intervention proves to be successful, Keith is expected to leave the mental health facility in the nearest future. The first indication of change should be his behavior and self-discipline. With enough willpower, Keith will adhere to his medication plan as well as continue working and learning the trade without truancy. With the foundation of self-discipline and healthy habits, the patient might find it within himself to address his mental health and rebuild his social circle.
Allen, JG (2018) Mentalizing in the development and treatment of attachment trauma, Routledge, Abingdon.
Brown, SM & Shillington, AM (2017) Childhood adversity and the risk of substance use and delinquency: The role of protective adult relationships, Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 63, pp.211-221.
Chester, KL, Spencer, NH, Whiting, L & Brooks, FM (2017) Association between experiencing relational bullying and adolescent healthrelated quality of life, Journal of School Health, vol. 87, no. 11, pp.865-872.
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Evans-Lacko, S et al. (2017) Childhood bullying victimization is associated with use of mental health services over five decades: a longitudinal nationally representative cohort study, Psychological Medicine, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 127-135.
Golightley, M & Holloway, M (2019) From zero to hero? Or a strengths-based approach, The British Journal of Social Work, 49(6), pp. 1373-1375.
Harvey, AG & Gumport, NB (2015) Evidence-based psychological treatments for mental disorders: modifiable barriers to access and possible solutions, Behaviour Research and Therapy, vol. 68, pp. 1-12.
Hewison, A & Sawbridge, Y (eds.) (2016) Compassion in nursing: theory, evidence and practice, Macmillan International Higher Education, London.
Kelley, ML et al. (2015) Modeling risk for child abuse and harsh parenting in families with depressed and substance-abusing parents, Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 43, pp. 42-52.
Mearns, D & Cooper, M (2017) Working at relational depth in counselling and psychotherapy, Sage, Thousand Oaks.
Smith, PK (2016) Bullying: definition, types, causes, consequences and intervention, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 519-532.
Terrion, JL, Rocchi, M & ORielly, S (2015) The relationship between friendship quality and antisocial behavior of adolescents in residential substance abuse treatment, Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 141-162.
Townsend, MC & Morgan, KI (2017) Psychiatric mental health nursing: concepts of care in evidence-based practice, FA Davis, London.
In this paper, I will be reviewing the topic of the relationship between loneliness and social networking addiction in students. According to past researchers (Karakose et al., 2016), the study of loneliness and social networking addiction is relevant because despite the prevalence of technologies that allow people to communicate online, the number of people who constantly experience feelings of loneliness continues to grow. Likewise, Shettar et al. (2017) stated that the growing popularity of Facebook was a relevant reason to study the relationship between these variables. Finally, Yu et al. (2017) explained that the topic of loneliness and social networking addiction is worthy of further investigation because there is an extended amount of evidence that younger people, especially students, are more vulnerable to social media addiction than other groups.
Shettar et al. (2017) defined loneliness as a factor that impacts Facebook and social networking addiction. Specifically, for Shettar et al., loneliness entails constraints that circumstances impose on an individual and force him to stay alone, despite his desire for shared experiences. That is, lonely people have no way to solve their problem, despite the desire to solve it. Regarding social networking addiction, Shettar al. (2017) conceptualized it in the following manner: social networking addiction is a factor predetermining loneliness. In other words, according to these authors, social networking addiction is both a reason for loneliness and its consequence. In their study examining loneliness and social networking addiction, Shettar et al. hypothesized that Facebook users patterns are associated with loneliness in a particular way. They conducted a study with 100 post-graduate students of Yenepoya University in India using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) and the University of California and Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale to determine the relationships between the severity of Facebook addiction and loneliness. Shettar et al. (2017) found that their hypothesis was supported. They concluded that loneliness is a determining factor for the severity of Facebook addiction and that the two concepts have a bidirectional relationship.
Yu et al. (2017) stated that loneliness is a psychosocial health factor determining social networking addiction since social media enhances social interactions. Specifically, for Yu et al. (2017), loneliness entails the risk of addiction, including social media overuse. That is, loneliness is one of the main factors that lead to addictive behavior. With regards to social networking addiction, Yu et al. (2017) determined it as an unruly behavior implying dependence on the source of the desired activity. According to these authors, people develop an addiction to social networking the same way they develop an addiction to Internet use or other activities. In their study that explores the relationship between loneliness and social networking addiction, Yu et al. (2017) hypothesized that lower levels of optimism regarding the reduction of Internet use correlate with higher addictive tendencies. These researchers conducted a study with 395 Chinese students who completed an online questionnaire. Yu et al. (2017) found that their hypothesis was supported. They concluded that negative outcome expectancies, low self-efficacy, and loneliness directly and positively correlate with addiction, while low optimism had an indirect effect.
Karakose et al. (2016) determined loneliness as a widespread phenomenon experienced by many people. In their own words, loneliness is an important psychological problem that more people suffer in this modern era although there are a lot of tools which enable them to become more sociable (Karakose et al., 2016, p. 2420). Specifically, for Karakose et al. (2016), loneliness entails physical and mental exhaustion when it becomes chronic. With regards to social networking addiction, Karakose et al. (2016) have conceptualized it as most crucial for teenagers who are only learning to develop healthy face-to-face relationships. In other words, the authors state that social networking addiction pushes people into loneliness and is especially dangerous for teens since they are experiencing their personality development. In their study examining relationships between loneliness and Facebook addiction, Karakose et al. (2016) hypothesized that high school students have high Facebook addiction levels. These researchers conducted a study with 712 randomly selected high school students in Turkey using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Karakose et al. (2016) found that their hypothesis was not supported. They concluded that the study participants were not in the risk group, but there is still a need to develop centers where teenagers could spend their time and have face-to-face interactions.
The goal of the present study was to study the relationship between loneliness and social networking addiction in young people. That is, the type of study conducted was a quantitative study. The hypothesis of the study was as follows: the higher the level of loneliness, the higher the likelihood of social networking addiction; conversely, the lower the level of loneliness, the lower the likelihood of social networking addiction. One of the variables in the study was the level of loneliness. The other variable in the study was the level of social networking addiction.
Method
Participants
98 college students from Douglas College were recruited from the introductory psychology courses to participate in this study. Of the 98 (100%) participants, 69 (70.40%) were females, 29 (29.60%) were males, and 0 (0%) participants self-identified as Gender X. The mean age for participants was 21.16, and the standard deviation was 3.75, indicating that the sample was comprised primarily of young adults. The results of the study were used for a class assignment.
Measures
Three questionnaires were used to conduct this study: UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (UCLA-LS3; Russell, 1996); Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS; Andreassen et al., 2016); and, Demographics Questionnaire (Gender [Male, Female, and Gender X] and Age). The UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3 (UCLA-LS3; Russell, 1996) was used to measure an individuals level of loneliness. This tool consists of 20 statements, where 9 statements are positively worded (e.g., How often do you feel that there are people you can talk to? ), And 11 statements are negatively worded (e.g., How often do you feel that you are no longer close to anyone? ). Each statement was rated using a 4-point Likert-scale with anchors of 1 (Never) to 4 (Always). Scoring and interpretation were conducted as follows: the 9 positively worded items were reverse scored and then summed together with the 11 negatively worded items to yield a single UCLA-LS3 score. This score can range from 20 to 80, with higher scores suggesting more significant levels of loneliness and lower scores suggesting lower levels of loneliness. Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS; Andreassen et al., 2016) was applied to measure the degree to which an individual might be addicted to social media. This tool consists of 6 statements (e.g., How often during the last year have you used social media to forget about personal problems? ). Each statement was rated using a 5-point Likert-scale with anchors of 1 (Very Rarely) to 5 (Very Often). Scoring and interpretation were conducted as follows: all 6 statements were summed together to yield a single BSMAS score; this score can range from 6 to 30, with higher scores suggesting a greater likelihood of being addicted to social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like) and lower scores suggesting a lower likelihood of being addicted to social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the like). Demographics Questionnaire (Gender and Age) was used to measure Gender (Male, Female, Gender X) and Age. This tool consists of 2 questions that assess a respondents gender and age.
Procedures
Several procedures were performed to conduct this study. Firstly, the instructions were presented to the students via Blackboard regarding how the study would be run. Specifically, the instructions stated that the study involved two distinct phases: data collection and debriefing. Secondly, students were asked to read the instructions; subsequently, they were asked to select the option Yes to indicate they understood the instructions or No to indicate they did not. Those students who selected No were allowed to re-read the instructions for clarification. The testing materials the BSMAS (Andreassen et al., 2016), the UCLA-LS3 (Russell, 1996), and the Demographics Questionnaire were then made available to the participants. After that, participants were asked to read the instructions for each questionnaire before responding. Then participants completed the three questionnaires. Upon completing the three questionnaires, participants were asked to read the Debriefing Workbook to understand the purpose of the study, the variables, and how they were measured.
Results
In this study, it was hypothesized that the higher the level of loneliness, the higher the likelihood of social networking addiction; conversely, the lower the level of loneliness, the lower the likelihood of social networking addiction. The mean for the UCLA-LS3 scale was 46.06, indicating a moderate level of loneliness among participants. The standard deviation for this scale was 11.57. The range of scores was 52. The lowest score was 24, and the highest score was 76. The mean for the BSMAS scale was 18.46, suggesting that participants had moderate to moderate-to-high levels of social networking addiction. The standard deviation for this scale was 4.55. The range of scores was 19. The lowest score was 9, and the highest score was 28. The correlation between the UCLA-LS3 scale and the BSMAS scale was r =.268. It means that there was a positive correlation between loneliness and social networking addiction. Specifically, results indicated that there is a small positive correlation between loneliness and social networking addiction.
Discussion
The results show there is a small positive correlation between loneliness and social networking addiction. Therefore, the hypothesis is supported by the results; the correlation of r =.268 is positive which means that there is a positive correlation between the level of loneliness and social networking addiction. The correlation of r =.268 is considered a small correlation. The sample mean of 46.06 for the UCLA-LS3 indicates that the participants have moderate levels of loneliness. The standard deviation of 11.57 presents a relatively high variability in the spread of scores. With the range of 52, the lowest score of 24, and the highest score of 76, the participants scored at both ends of the UCLA-LS3.
The sample mean of 18.46 for BSMAS indicates that participants have moderate to moderate-to-high levels of social networking addiction. There is a small variability in answers according to the standard deviation of 4.55, but it is lower than in UCLA-LS3. With the range of scores of 19, the lowest score of 9, and the highest score of 28, participants scored at both ends of the BSMAS.
These results are theoretically important since they prove the direct relationship between loneliness and social networking addiction. Other studies (Karakose et al., 2016; Shettar et al., 2017; Yu et al., 2017) studying the relationship between loneliness and social networking addiction in young people show similar results. Therefore, other studies support the initial hypothesis of the research and add to evidence showing a positive correlation between these two variables.
The study faced some limitations, such as the limited number of participants. If the number of participants were higher, there would be more space for generalization. Studying only the younger adults is another limitation since social networking addiction and loneliness are acute problems for all human beings. The strength of the study is that it shows that there is no necessarily should be a high positive correlation between loneliness and social networking addiction. Therefore, these two variables can be studied independently, and the solutions can be found independently as well.
The implications of this study are that it gives more information on the psychological problems of younger people and shows that the issue of social networking addiction is more acute among teenagers and young adults than the problem of loneliness. However, since Karakose et al. (2016) mention that addiction may lead to loneliness, the addiction issue needs to be addressed urgently. After completing this study, it was concluded that loneliness and social networking addiction are two separate problems that teens face daily. It was also concluded that even though these problems reinforce each other, both independent and common solutions could be found to reduce the adverse impact of loneliness and social networking addiction.
References
Andreassen, C. S., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016). Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) [Database record]. PsycTESTS. Web.
Karakose, T., Yirci, R., Uygun, H., & Ozdemir, T. Y. (2016). Relationship between high school students Facebook addiction and loneliness status. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 12(9), 2419-2429. Web.
Russell, D. W. (1996). UCLA Loneliness scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66(1), 2040. Web.
Shettar, M., Karkal, R., Kakunge, A., Mendonsa, R. D., & Chandran, V. V. M. (2017). Facebook addiction and loneliness in the post-graduate students of a university in southern India. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 63(4), 325-329. Web.
Yu, S., Wu, A. M. S., & Pesigan, I. J. A. (2016). Cognitive and psychosocial health risk factors of social networking addiction. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 14(4), 550-564. Web.
With the emergence of the World Wide Web, the popularity of virtual world games has been increased significantly for a number of reasons. In particular, people have become more obsessed with the opportunity for self-expression where all their goals and dreams could be real (Kelly & White, 2011). However, overwhelming engagement, which is close to addiction, prevents users from understanding from what is real and what is imaginary (Tapley, 2007). Such a phenomenon becomes a serious issue in considering how physical and mental immersion influences human perceptions of the self and the real world.
Background
The analysis of culture and social contexts involved into Second Life environment has provided a fresh insight into the connection between new behavioral pattern among users and the way these patterns affect the perception of reality. In fact, Tapley (2007) admits that Second Life could not be regarded as a computer game, but a new medium transforming social and cultural environments. Therefore, Second Life residents experience less psychological and emotional distance between the virtual resident and a person located beyond online space (Ries, Miller, & Fiellin, 2009). They also feel personally involved into the future of the virtual world as a community.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the nature of users addiction to Second Life game in terms of cultural, social, and psychological aspects. It also seeks to define the nature and reasons for extreme obsession with virtual reality.
Major Assumptions
Second Life world provides people with numerous opportunities for self-accomplishment.
Virtual world is not a game, but a medium for people to transfer and receive information.
Addiction to Second Life games is culturally, socially, and psychologically predetermined.
Main Discussion
Virtual World Games: History and Development
According to Sherman and Craig (2003), virtual; reality is a new medium brought about by technological advances in which much experimentation is now taking place to find practical applications and more effective ways to communicate (p. 5). In fact, the existence of medium is highly important for delivering ideas and transmitting them to the audience. For example, such media devices as television, radio, and animation help people transfer their experience to new exotic places. The dialogue between the audience and the media is well established nowadays, but people tend create new platforms and approaches that can strengthen their connection to the virtual world. In fact, creating a new medium can allow people to approach closer the reality they strive to live in, an alternative world that can widen their opportunities (Sherman & Craig, 2003). In this respect, virtual reality brings in the effect of entering the physical world, which is also called immersion. Physical immersion is an important element of the virtual space, possessing a number of important characteristics. It also endows people with the sensation of existing in another dimension, leading to mental immersion as well.
Second Life Games
A Second Life game is a sort of alternative reality created in online space. Second Life programs have provided people with a possibility to lead another life where their opportunities and goals could easily be accomplished. By means of keyboard and mouth, it is possible to set out trips around a town, managing business activities, or fulfilling personal skills (Boellstoff, 2010). Second Life games, therefore, are premised on the principle of user-created content that is controlled by basic software. It should be stressed that Second Life culture is not presented a cyberspace only; in fact, it &draws from an emerging constellation of assumption and practices about human life a kind of virtual worldview for virtual worlds (Boellstoff, 2010, p. 24). As an example, while conceiving the challenges of Second Life, many users acknowledge that it is easy to take part in virtual activities at basic level even though they never entered an alternative reality before.
Literature Overview on Virtual World and Second Life Games
Multiple researchers are dedicated to the analysis and evaluation of Second Life and to the essence of alternative realities created in online space. In fact, virtual world games originate from social and cultural peculiarities that influence users consciousness and attitude to the real world. According to Huvila, Holmberg, Ek, and Widen-Wulff (2010), Second life is an online world in which clients have the possibility to be mentally and physically immersed into creating and developing an alternative reality. There are various purposes and intentions that people pursue while being engaged into the game. Specifically, the scholars assert that some people use Second Life to create a social capital, a suitable framework for studying information behaviour (Edery & Mollick, 2008, p. 15). Additionally, the virtual world refers to networks and online communities fostering collective actions and motivating the development of collaborative behavior.
Despite the existence of positive influence of virtual communities on peoples ability to socially interact, there are significant pitfalls. Specifically, Waldo (2008) acknowledges that the current virtual world products are oriented on mass consumption to expand their markets and attract more consumers. More importantly, the research warns that latency is the major threat for the users because this phenomenon makes the connection between the user and the computer, which is impossible to control.
Currently, Second Life games are often used in education. There are positively oriented studies that focus on the benefits of using virtual world for language learning. Specifically, the studies by Wang and Shao (2012) focus on Chinese EFL learners to define how Second Life manual can influence the efficiency of their learning process. The research explorations by Chang et al. (2011) have also explored new dimensions of Second Life application. In particular, the scholars emphasize, 3D immersive learning environment as a potential future mainstream educational approach is highlighted as a possible solution for improving financial literacy of todays youth (Chang et al., 2011, p. 3). Using virtual tools for enhancing financial education is among the major advantages of Second Life application.
Addiction
Definition of the Term
Addiction could be defined as a dependence or commitment to a habit, practice, or habit-forming substance to the extent that its cessation causes trauma (Padwa and Cunningham, 2010). Currently, addiction should not be associated with drug or substance abuse only because the phenomenon has covered in a much wider context. In this respect, the addiction to behavior and substance can be evaluated from three perspectives. First, addiction can be represented as a compulsive use, which implies an irresistible impulse to involve in the addictive behavior. Second, addiction can also be produced as a loss of control which makes people indulge into inappropriate behavior beyond their power. Finally, addictive behavior is often interpreted as an ongoing use or involvement, regardless negative outcomes. The latter seems to be the most appropriate for defining individuals addiction to virtual world games.
Models of Addiction in Psychological and Social Contexts
From a psychological perspective, addiction can be defined as a chronic relapsing disorder with roots both in impulsivity and compulsivity and neurological mechanisms that change as the subject moves from one domain to the other (Al-Absi, 2011, p. xv). Moving beyond the model of psychological and moral addictions, there are also forms of social nature of dependence.
From a sociological perspective, addiction is defined in a more sophisticated manner because it covers multiple spheres in which a person involved, including job, family, and participation in community activities (West, 2013). Should a person not feel engaged in either of the spheres, there is a greater probability of becoming obsessed with Second life games where all these problems are eliminated.
Addiction to Second Life Games
Addiction to online games is among the most widely recognized types of dependencies that are revealed through individuals attempt to escape from real-life problems. According to the studies by Oggins and Sammis (2012), psychological and social portrayals of video game players differ from people who do not suffer from addiction. Specifically, the researchers have underlined greater probability of emergence of such systems as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, or impulse control disorders among individuals suffering from Second Life games dependency. It has also been suggested that repetitive play can also be the result of poor time management and an attempt to distract from family problems (Oggins & Sammis, 2012). In order to define the type of individuals addicted virtual world games, it is highly necessary to identify their psychological, cultural, and social peculiarities.
In this respect, Van Rooij et al. (2011) focus on such characteristics as depressive mood, loneliness, and negative self-esteem, which define an average game-addicted individual. Krcmar and Farrar (2009) agree with these assumptions and add that Second Life game can also become the reason for unpredicted aggression on the part of game addicts. In particular, violent video games have a direct impact on users consciousness, leading to aggressive response to the real environment. Interestingly, Krcmar and Farrar (2009) also assume that combination of choice and action in the video game environment may lead to the construction of a more complete aggressive script than would be formed by passively viewing television (p. 116). Hence, aggressive behavior could become the pattern of response in real life, leading to serious problems in communication and interaction.
Seah and Cairns (2008) suggest that addiction to games offering an alternative reality closely relates to the concept of immersion, as persons strong involvement into the virtual activities. At this point, the very idea of Second Life game implies full obsession of users with the events occurred in a virtually created setting.
Methodology
The Subject of the Research
While exploring the nature of addiction to Second Life games, a number of assumptions have been made. Specifically, addiction to Second Life game can have diverse effects on self-perception and adequate evaluation because users obsessed with virtual reality have previously been defined as having psychological disorders. People with poor mood disorder and anxiety disorder are more likely to indulge in virtual world games (Johnson, 2009). Finally, Second Life games could be used for enhancing learning process. Such a perspective does not only contribute to the study of languages or finance, but also reduces the problem of learners strong dependence on game playing in general.
Methods and Procedures
In order to understand the nature of and reasons for addiction to Second Life games, it is also possible to provide a qualitative research method to overview the recently introduced research studies investigating the relation between second life games and addiction patterns among users (Somekh & Lewin, 2005). Analysis should be accomplished according to other characteristics, including demographics, gender, types of employment, education, and social interaction. As soon as literature review is conducted, it is also possible to use case studies that relate to virtual game addictions to estimate the seriousness and nature of the problem.
Data Collection and Analysis
Data collection and analysis will be based on the materials gathered during literature review, as well as case discussed analyzed right after scientific exploration (Sapsford & Jupp, 2006). The studies will not involve interviewing, but a questionnaire will define what patterns, trends, and preferences are among people of different age and profession. Additionally, analysis of psychological and sociological perspective will be premised on the recently introducing theories, including social learning theory and theory of cognition.
Conclusion
Addiction to Second Life has become both a psychological and social problem because it relates to the reluctance of users to perceive reality due to the daily obstacles they have to face. In this respect, multiple research studies have provided an in-depth analysis of the definition of addictions and its mode, as well as how it is represented through users obsession with virtual reality. Additionally, it has also been suggested that strong dependence on alternative reality is closely associated with the concept of immersion, a new medium that allow people to share and receive information via online channels. Despite the challenges of virtual space, the studies also emphasize a number of positive contributions made by video game producers. This is of particular concern to the benefits of virtual games for enhancing the learning environment. Such disciplines as linguistics and finance could be studied through virtual space and increase childrens engagement into an academic process.
References
Al-Absi, M. (2011). Stress and Addiction: Biological and Psychological Mechanisms. New York: Academic Press.
Boellstoff, T. (2010). Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human. US: Princeton University Press.
Chang, L., Franklin, T., Shelor, R., Ozercan, S., Reuter, J., En, Y., & Moriarty, S. (2011). A Learning Game for Youth Financial Literacy Education in the Teen Grid of Second Life Three-Dimensional Virtual Environment. American Journal Of Business Education, 4(7), 1-18
Edery, D., & Mollick, E. (2008). Changing the Game: How Video Games Are Transforming the Future of Business. New Jersey, US: FT Press.
Huvila, I., Holmberg, K., Ek, S., & Widen-Wulff, G. (2010). Social Capital in Second Life. Online Information Review, 34(2), 295-316.
Johnson, N. F., (2009). The Multiplicities of Internet Addiction: the Misrecognition of Leisure and Learning. Farnham, UK: Ashgate Publishing.
Kelly, J. F., & White, W. (2011). Addiction Recovery Management: Theory, Research and Practice. New York: Springer.
Krcmar, M., & Farrar, K. (2009). Retaliatory Aggression and the Effects of Point of View and Blood in Violent Video Games. Mass Communication & Society, 12(1), 115-138.
Oggins, J., & Sammis, J. (2012). Notions of Video Game Addiction and Their Relation to Self-Reported Addiction among Players of World of Warcraft. International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction, 10(2), 210-230.
Padwa, H., & Cunningham, J. A. (2010). Addiction: A Reference Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO.
Ries, R. K., Miller, S., & Fiellin, D. A. (2009). Principles of Addiction Medicine. US: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Sapsford, R., & Jupp, V. (2006). Data Collection and Analysis. New York: SAGE.
Seah, M.-L., & Cairns, P. (2008) From Immersion to Addiction in Videogames. British Computer Society. 55-63.
Sherman, W. R., & Craig, A. B. (2003). Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design. Burlington, Massachusetts: Morgan Kaufmann.
Somekh, B., & Lewin, C. (2005). Research Methods in the Social Sciences. New York: SAGE.
Tapley, R. (2007). Designing Your Second Life. New York: New Riders.
Van Rooij, A. J., Schoenmakers, T. M., Vermulst, A. A., Van Den Eijnden, R. M., & Van De Mheen, D. (2011). Online video game addiction: identification of addicted adolescent gamers. Addiction, 106(1), 205-212.
Waldo, J. (2008). Scaling in Games and Virtual Worlds. Communications of the ACM, 51(8), 38-44.
Wang, F., & Shao, E. (2012). Using Second Life to Assist EFL Teaching: We Do not Have to Sign in to the Program. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning, 56(4), 15-18.
According to Gencer and Koc (2012), global use and access to the internet has been increasing over the decades. Moreover, the development of digital tools has played a major role in enhancing the use of the internet. Cash, Rae, Steel, and Winkler (2012) note that the rate of internet use is higher among adolescents and teenagers compared to older generations. Gencer and Koc (2012) report that there were 1.11 billion internet users in 2007, and the number rose to 2 billion in 2010. This reveals an increasing trend and suggests that the population is slowly becoming digitally literate. Cash et al. (2012) also report that the frequency of Internet Addiction Disorder in the United States is 8.2 per cent.
The authors indicate that internet addiction has become a growing social challenge affecting young adults today. Additionally, the disorder has been reported to cause neurological complications and psychological disturbances. Romano, Osborne, Truzoli, and Reed (2013) report that internet addiction has negative effects on peoples lives and their relationships with family and friends. The authors also note that family functioning is greatly affected by internet addiction, as it limits face-to-face communication. Communication is an essential factor in promoting healthy relationships between family members. In this regard, internet addiction among college students is likely to affect healthy relationships with their families.
Significance of the study
As aforementioned, internet addiction has negative implications on the level of communication within the family (Romano et al., 2013). In this regard, it is necessary to examine the association between internet addiction and family relationships in an effort to devise ways that relationships can be improved. It is vital to undertake scientific studies to determine the correlation between the two factors. The current research will provide educationists and policymakers with critical information that could help them curb the rate of internet addiction among college students. Furthermore, the information will be important for parents to devise ways that can limit the rate of internet use by their children in a bid to improve communication within the family.
Literature review
Pies (2009) defines internet addiction as the incapability of people to regulate their internet use, leading to psychological distress or functional impairment of their daily lives. Additionally, Gencer and Koc (2012) state that internet addiction can be compared to pathological gambling, as it does not involve substance use. It has become a problem in modern society, which has been aggravated by advancement in technology and the availability of smartphones. The authors also note that the use and access of the internet have increased in the past decades. Gencer and Koc (2012) acknowledge that psychologists and educationists have widely revealed that internet addiction is related to physical, social, and psychological problems. This is because internet addicts tend to lose focus and control over their daily routines.
Pies (2009) also indicates that the average college student spends an average of 40 hours a week using the internet. Moreover, the presence of social media sites has been greatly associated with Internet Addiction Disorder. Moreno et al. (2013) indicate that college students have abundant internet access and almost all the students are members of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and Google Plus among others. Moreover, the authors note that most of these students have smartphones and other gadgets that promote internet access. Kuss and Griffiths (2011) indicate that college students have the highest level of access to the internet and use it to send emails, social networking, and undertake academic assignments. However, such trends could easily lead to addiction.
Shields and Kane (2011) acknowledge that past studies have discovered a positive correlation between internet use, loneliness, and stress. The authors refer to this association as the Internet Paradox because the internet was created to improve communication, but ends up doing the opposite. Likewise, Gencer and Koc (2012) note that many previous research studies have focused on the negative impacts of internet use. Majority of these studies have found a positive correlation between internet use and anti-social behaviours. Alavi, Maracy, Jannatifard, and Eslami (2011) report that internet addicts are more likely to seek emotional support from social networking sites compared to regular users. In addition, this research indicates that introverts are more likely to be addicted to the internet than extroverts.
However, the authors warn that more comprehensive research studies are required to prove these associations. Shields and Kane (2011) report that internet addiction limits the presence of face-to-face communication and is likely to have negative impacts within the family structure. The authors also report that internet addiction is likely to be associated with depression among young users. Conversely, they warn that the relationship between internet addiction and depression could be confounded by other personal factors warranting further research.
In research by Wu et al. (2013), the findings reveal that the lack of proper parental monitoring is likely to lead to internet addiction among young people. Additionally, the authors argue that conflicts between parents and young individuals are likely to result in internet addiction. Specifically, young adults are likely to turn to social networking sites for social and emotional support when they feel rejected. Gencer and Koc (2012) note that parents should ensure that their children are socially active and limit the amount of time that they spend on social media sites. However, Moreno et al. (2013) argue that such regulations are impossible in the case of college students.
In reference to Akhter (2013), internet addiction is associated with a lack of participation in extracurricular activities among undergraduate students. Furthermore, the author reports that the addiction limits face-to-face communication and hence little or no interaction between the undergraduate students and their families. In different research by Shields and Kane (2011), the authors also discovered a positive correlation between internet addiction among young people and interaction with families and friends. Additionally, the authors found out that college students were more interested in promoting their online communications than face-to-face communications.
Kuss and Griffiths (2011) report that young people who are addicted to the internet experience unpleasant physical and emotional issues in its absence. The authors also note that these addicts are highly unlikely to improve on their face-to-face communication in the absence of the internet. According to Zainudin, Din, and Othman (2013), the impact of internet addiction on relationships has been reported to be both positive and negative. The authors argue that internet use could enhance interpersonal relations and promote communication between students and their families. However, Zainudin et al. (2013) also state that internet addiction is more likely to promote communication with peers than families.
Moreno et al. (2013) argue that family relations are very important to college students as they promote their well-being. Furthermore, the social support obtained from good relationships with the family is important in the prevention of depression and the promotion of self-esteem. These authors refer to college students as socially isolated and hence the need to have close relations with their families and friends.
Gemmill and Peterson (2006) acknowledge that college students are millennials since they have been using digital technologies from tender ages. In this view, the authors note that their use of the internet promotes communication and enhances relations with their families. The internet enables them to communicate with families who may be far away and unable to visit regularly. Additionally, the availability of social networks promotes good relations with families. Contrary to this perspective, Moreno et al. (2013) warn that internet addiction among college students affects family duties.
The authors also note that being online for more than six hours predisposes these students to internet addiction. Gencer and Koc (2012) argue that the level of addiction is dependent on the type of online activities that young people engage in. Activities such as chatting and online gaming are likely to increase the amount of time that individuals spend on the internet. However, it is important to note that individual characteristics also determine the level of addiction. Despite some authors reporting positive associations between internet addiction and family relations, the majority of the research has reported negative associations.
Objectives and hypotheses
There are four objectives that will be assessed in the current study and they include:
To investigate whether college students are addicted to the internet.
To assess whether the sites visited contribute to internet addiction.
To determine whether there is a correlation between internet use and family relationships.
To establish whether parental monitoring of the students reduces the time spent of the internet.
Additionally, the null hypotheses for the study will be:
The college students are not addicted to the internet (being online for more than six hours in a day will be defined as internet addiction).
The internet sites that the students visit are negatively correlated with addiction.
There is a negative correlation between internet addiction and family relationships.
Parents monitoring on the use of the internet is negatively correlated with addiction.
Research methods
Generally, this will be a correlational study examining the relationships between dependent and independent variables. The research will be undertaken among college students, and the subjects to participate in the study will be identified through the school administration. There will be three inclusion criteria for participating in the research:
One must consent to participate in the study.
One must be an undergraduate student undertaking any of the courses offered by the college.
One must be randomly selected to participate.
In view of this, the exclusion criteria will be:
Those that refuse to consent to the study.
Students that are not undertaking undergraduate studies in the university.
Students who are not selected to participate after sampling.
In an effort to generalize the findings to all the college students, the sample size will include 100 students. As aforementioned, the computerized list of the students will be obtained from the school administration. Additionally, a simple random sampling technique using the computerized random sample calculator will be applied to select the students to participate in the research. After the selection, the researcher will communicate with the students through their email addresses indicating the purpose of the research and requesting their participation. The students will be given four days to respond to the emails and those that will not respond within the period will be excluded from the research. The random sampling technique will be applied again to replace those excluded. Furthermore, the school administration will assist in sensitizing the students on the importance of the research.
Data collection
The dependent variable for the research will be internet addiction. Various authors have defined internet addiction as being on the internet for more than six hours in a day (Moreno, et al., 2013). There are several questions that will be asked to determine whether these students are addicted to the internet and they include; On average, how many hours do you spend on the internet per day? Do you use the internet during your class time? Do you use the internet during family time? The study will also determine whether the internet sites visited contribute to internet addiction. In this regard, the students will be requested to list the sites that they visit regularly. The researcher will emphasize on the confidentiality of the data given by the students to make sure that they give the correct information on the internet sites visited. Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, course being undertaken, and number of people in the family will be included as independent variables.
Parent monitoring on the use of the internet while at home will be assessed as an independent variable. A Likert scale will be applied to determine the level of strictness applied by the parents regarding the use of the internet while at home. Specifically, the levels will include; not strict, strict, and very strict. Additionally, the students will be asked whether their parents monitor the sites internet sites while at home.
Family relations will also be assessed as an independent variable. Several questions will be asked to determine whether the family relations are positive or negative. These will include; Are you close with your parents? Are you close with your siblings? (If any), How often do you talk with your family members while at home? How often do you communicate with your family members while in college? If your parents live far from the college, what tools do you use to communicate with them? Have you ever had conflicts with your parents regarding the amount of time you spend on the internet? Do you access the internet during family time? How do your parents respond to your use of the internet? Information on the family relations will be correlated with internet addiction patterns.
The current research will apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Quantitative data will be collected through the e-mailed questionnaires. Additionally, qualitative data will be collected through a focus group discussion with some of the researchers classmates. The focus group discussion will give in-depth opinions on the association between internet addiction and family relationships. Ten classmates will participate in the focus group discussion and the researcher will moderate it. Moreover, the participants will be selected randomly and requested to participate, and it will be held after school hours.
The validity of the questionnaires will be promoted through pilot testing. This will be done before the actual data collection and a random sample of 50 students will be selected to fill the questionnaires through the help of the school administration. The researcher will analyse the questionnaires to determine whether the scales are valid and reliable. The pilot testing phase will also assist in eliminating any redundancy and inconsistency in the questionnaires. The final versions of the questionnaires will be emailed to the 100 respondents that agree to participate in the study.
Ethical considerations
The research will comply with the colleges ethical rules and guidelines. In an effort to uphold the ethical requirements of the research study, the researcher will obtain informed consent from the participants and ensure that the information received is confidential and anonymous. Prior to emailing the questionnaires to the study subjects, the researchers will send an informed consent form outlining the purpose of the research. The participation of the students in the study will be voluntary. Moreover, the participants will have the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time. The researcher will only email the questionnaires upon the receipt of the signed consent forms.
The participants will be identified through special codes and no names will appear on the questionnaires and the consent forms. This means that no personal data will be obtained from the students. Consequently, the participants of the focus group discussion will be identified through various codes and no personal data will be collected. Information collected during the qualitative and quantitative data collection phases will be confidential and only accessible to the researcher. These regulations will also apply during the data analysis and the researcher will not report personal information in the final write-up.
References
Akhter, N. (2013). Relationship between internet addiction and academic performance among university undergraduates. Educational Research and Reviews, 8(19), 1793-1796. Web.
Alavi, S. S., Maracy, M. R., Jannatifard, F., & Eslami, M. (2011). The effect of psychiatric symptoms on the internet addiction disorder in Isfahans University students. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 16(6), 793800. Web.
Cash, H., Rae, C. D., Steel, A. H., & Winkler, A. (2012). Internet addiction: A brief summary of research and practice. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 8(5), 292-298. Web.
Gemmill, E., & Peterson, M. (2006). Technology use among college students: Implications for student affairs professionals. NASPA Journal, 43(2), 280-300. Web.
Gencer, S. L., & Koc, M. (2012). Internet abuse among teenagers and its relations to internet usage patterns and demographics. Educational Technology and Society, 15(2), 2536. Web.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2011). Online social networking and addictionA review of the psychological literature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 8(12), 3528-3552. Web.
Moreno, M. A., Jelenchick, L. A., Koff, R., Eickhoff, J. C., Goniu, N., Davis, A.,& Christakis, D. A. (2013). Associations between internet use and fitness among college students: an experience sampling approach. Journal of Interaction Science, 1(4), 1-8. Web.
Pies, R. (2009). Should DSM-V Designate Internet Addiction a Mental Disorder? Psychiatry (Edgemont), 6(2), 3137. Web.
Romano, M., Osborne, L. A., Truzoli, R., & Reed, P. (2013). Differential psychological Impact of Internet Exposure on Internet Addicts. PLOS One, 8(2), 1-4. Web.
Shields, N., & Kane, J. (2011). Social and psychological correlates of internet use among college students. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 5(1), 1-5. Web.
Wu, X., Chen, X., Han, J., Meng, H., Luo, J., Nydegger, L., & Wu, H. (2013). Prevalence and factors of addictive internet use among adolescents in Wuhan, China: Interactions of parental relationship with age and hyperactivity-impulsivity. PLOS One, 8(4), 1-8. Web.
Zainudin, A., Din, M. M., & Othman, M. (2013). Impacts due to internet addiction among Malaysian University students. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 3(9), 1922-1928. Web.
Variable Q1 has a mean of 37.28, as shown in Table 1.0 below:
Descriptive Statistics
Q1. Age
Valid N (listwise)
N
10211
10211
Range
81
Minimum
18
Maximum
99
Mean
37.28
Std. Deviation
14.536
Variance
211.308
Table 1.0: Q1 descriptive.
Variable gender respondent, labeled Q101 in the data set, is a nominal variable that measures the type of response that the researcher is recording. When collecting data for a particular research study, it is essential to avoid biassness. In this case, the researcher implements collecting data from both genders, i.e., male and female. This groups are crucial because when analyzing the data, a researcher may want to identify the differences in response and other vital activities between the two groups, which is the core of various tests such as t-test and ANOVA.
Graph 1.0: Bar graph of male and females count in the research study.
Variable internet usage is an ordinal variable that measures the internet usage by different individuals. This variable categorizes the internet users into three groups; the first group is individuals who do not use the internet. The second group is of individuals who use the internet at certain times, and the third group is of individuals who use the internet most of the time, i.e., frequently. This variable shows the researcher how different groups prefer using the internet. In the analysis of the data, these groups can be compared to the type of gender, and the researcher can use the data to compare and make conclusions on how different groups make use of the internet.
Graph 2.0: Bar graph of groups that use the internet at a different frequency.
Social change is the significant change in behavior patterns, cultural values, and norms by a given group of people or community over time (Wilson, 2020). With these variables, i.e., gender respondent, age, and internet usage, a researcher can investigate an upcoming social change over some time. Currently, the internet has dramatically expanded worldwide, and almost everybody has access to a smartphone with an internet connection.
Peoples behavior is changing in that nowadays, most people prefer online greetings, groups, and even conversations (Zhong, 2020). These variables help identify various age groups that use the internet frequently, sometimes and those that do not use it at all. Furthermore, the internet is composed of various variables such as online games, movies, dirty sites, etc., which can be studied with these variables.
From the current state of online activities, millions of people, both male, and female use the internet to complete their daily activity tasks, which is a social change (Lopez-Sintas et al., 2020). For example, the purchase of goods and services is currently made online with the development of companies such as Alibaba and Amazon (Mack et al., 2017). Independent of age, everyone one to complete their tasks online. Furthermore, the current global state since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic has pushed most of the purchases and sales online.
The change might not be fast but gradual, which implies that after some time, global activities that are independent of the physical presence of parties may tend to move to online events such as trade, education, banking, etc. The variables age, internet, and gender respondent imply that social change within internet usage is inevitable. This is because technology is expanding globally, and the use of the internet is also expanding; hence it is forecasted to increase.
Psychologists compare Internet addiction, which appeared with the development of the Internet, with alco- and drug dependency. Unquestionably, the Internet has great importance for humanity in the modern world and greatly benefits humankind. The network is a great source of information and an affordable way to acquire skills and knowledge as an irreplaceable assistant in work and business. In addition, the Internet is a place for spending and planning leisure time, new acquaintances, and a way to keep in touch. The Internet facilitates the selection and purchasing of necessary goods and services; it allows you to save while buying online. However, continuous usage of the Internet might lead to perceptible inauspicious consequences.
Internet addiction is a mental disorder accompanied by a large number of behavioral problems. Generally, it means the inability of a person to shut down the network in time and the constant presence of an obsessive desire to enter the Internet. One does not consider this problem a threat in truth unless one contemplates it in more depth. Thus, a prolonged and uncontrolled presence in the network changes the state of consciousness and the brains functioning. Gradually, this leads to a loss of the ability to learn and think effectively. The term internet addiction, for the record, was first officially used in the 1990s, and since then, a growing number of medical reports related to this disorder have been published (Kuss 3). Many accidents confirm the existence and severity of this problem, which can lead to substantial negative consequences.
Over the past decade, the Internet has become an integral part of life for the majority of the population. Today, any modern person visits the World Wide Web at least once a day for communication, work, or simply searching for the necessary information. All this makes humans life easier and comfortable, but at the same time, such actions are becoming a habit. As it turned out, sometimes this habit goes beyond the frames of an inoffensive daily wont. However, according to Phoenixs study, people with internet addiction are more likely to share their feelings such as depression and anxiety to others, and they use the network for it. (89). Accordingly, the Internet becomes a place where they can forget about problems and stabilize their emotions. Whether this is good or bad is unclear since live communication, which is undoubtedly an essential factor in dealing with such issues, is excluded. This outlines a point: the Internet is slowly replacing the necessity for live communication, going out to a store or just outside from the everyday life of people.
However, impaired thought processes and memory degradation are not the only adverse effects of the continuous presence on the Internet. Plunging headlong into the World Wide Web, a person gradually loses fundamental communication skills, which leads to a kind of asociality. One does not need to meet with friends, but one can chat with them on Skype or send an e-mail. People do not have to look for and buy goods in a local store because they can purchase anything online. Thereby, all these conveniences described earlier as advantages with long-term and uncontrolled usage turn into a problem. Getting into an unfamiliar company for an Internet addict becomes stressful, and communicating with unknown people starts to cause difficulties.
Further, the person snaps, which might affect work or study, and acquires sleep (it is no longer possible to get rid of insomnia without the help of a specialist) and food intake problems. Then the person can go online more frequently, since feeling more depressed as becoming socially isolated (Montag and Reuter 8). As a result, one can have a snowballing problem which might lead to severe consequences. In addition to mental disorders, Internet addiction is dangerous for physical conditions as well. People spend an enormous amount of time near the monitor screens, which worsens their eyesight; many have carpal tunnel syndrome. Internet addiction, followed by a sedentary lifestyle, leads to various diseases of the spine and joints (scoliosis, osteochondrosis, arthrosis, etc.) and cardiovascular pathologies (tachycardia, arrhythmias, arterial hypertension).
The danger also lies in the fact that people underestimate the potential and risk of internet addiction. Certainly, it does not cause any severe physical symptoms such as withdrawal symptoms. This is the main snag since a person may not even think about this problem but already have it. People believe that this is a natural feature of technological progress, just like cars, airplanes, etc. People mistakenly believe that as the Internet is an environment, then it is controversial if anyone could be addicted to an environment (Johnson 23). This is similar to how drug addicts justify their addiction by saying that drugs are just medicine that helps them. The outcome in such situations is, in most cases, unfavorable since the person denies the real problem. In other words, under the influence of a strong habit, one can no longer soberly assess the situation, opportunities.
There is an opinion that the Internet is not a problem by itself, but things somehow connected with a network are (videogames, social networks). In other words, the Internet may be just a trigger to start a mechanism of other online addictions (Kuss 15). To a certain extent, this is true because people get used to actions, whether it be communicating with friends or strangers, pumping a character in a video game, or constantly posting photos. In theory, nothing prevents people from using the network exclusively for valuable purposes. For example, an electronic dictionary gives out many meanings and synonyms of a word in one second or as an encyclopedia, saving time. True, as for the last point, this is not always so useful because it is not easy to find truthful information online.
As a result, technological progress, which made our life so much easier and opened up many opportunities, presented a serious problem. Some data and statistics show that internet addiction is a real problem. A seemingly harmless tool can lead to severe psychological issues. The solution seems to be simple, it is enough to use the network in a metered manner and only for beneficial purposes. The question of whether people will be able to do this remains open.
Works Cited
Johnson, Nicola F. The Multiplicities of Internet Addiction: The Misrecognition of Leisure and Learning. Routledge, 2016.
Kuss, Daria, and Halley Pontes. Internet Addiction. Hogrefe Publishing, 2018.
Montag, Christian, and Martin Reuter, editors. Internet Addiction: Neuroscientific Approaches and Therapeutical Implications Including Smartphone Addiction. Vol. 2, Springer, 2017.
Phoenix, Mo. The role of social support on emotion dysregulation and Internet addiction among Chinese adolescents: A structural equation model. Addictive Behaviors, vol. 82, 2018, pp. 86-93. ScienceDirect.
For a medical professional, philosophical approaches, especially to various health conditions, should be based on evidence. The latter can come from peer-reviewed research, as well as the recommendations of relevant organizations, including the American Psychiatric Association [APA] (2013) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA] (2018b). However, philosophical statements tend to incorporate moral judgments as well. Here, a philosophical stance will be presented that is directed by evidence and the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice, as described by Polit and Beck (2017), with respect to addiction.
Essence
It appears that the most appropriate attitude toward addiction is to treat it as a disease. Depending on the substance or another agent of addiction (for instance, gambling or the Internet), addiction can be a very common condition (APA, 2013; National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018a). It develops for a number of reasons, which include negative emotional states, genetic predisposition, and compromised executive function (APA, 2013; Koob & Volkow, 2016; NIDA, 2018b).
The mechanism of addiction is associated with the addictive agents directly activating the reward system of the brain (APA, 2013). Consequently, addictive agents cause an uncontrollable desire to keep using them (NIDA, 2018; Piazza & Deroche-Gamonet, 2013). Moreover, as a result of addiction, people exhibit dramatic dysregulation of motivational circuits, as well as social and health problems (Koob & Volkow, 2016, p. 760). Thus, the causes and consequences of addiction are related to health. The principles of justice and beneficence imply that people with addictions have the right to the assistance of healthcare professionals.
It is also noteworthy that addiction and mental health are linked through comorbidity. While addiction has been considered a mental health issue, it is also highly comorbid with other mental health illnesses (APA, 2013). Common predictors of substance use and abuse are negative emotional states and compromised cognitive functions (Koob & Volkow, 2016), which are the diagnostic criteria for multiple mental health issues (APA, 2013).
As a result, people with diverse mental health conditions are more vulnerable to developing addictions. Furthermore, APA (2013) points out the issue of substance-induced disorders, including, for example, depressive or psychotic disorders. Thus, substance use and abuse would have been a concern for mental health professionals (from the perspective of the principles of justice and beneficence) even if the condition had not been a mental health problem.
Based on the recommendations of NIDA (2018b), the treatment for addiction should involve all three levels of prevention. Making relevant references, NIDA (2018b) suggests that for tertiary prevention, a combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy may be particularly effective, even though tailoring individual solutions is required.
This statement is supported by a number of recent articles, including those by Moura, Pinto, Ferros, Jongenelen, and Negreiros (2017), who studied Portuguese drug and alcohol abuse outpatients, and Kuss and Lopez-Fernandez (2016), who conducted a systematic review on Internet addiction. As a result, it is important to avoid viewing addiction in strictly medical terms; it is a complex disease that is best described with the bio-psychosocial model of health, which has implications for its treatment.
Conclusion
The principle of non-maleficence should also be mentioned in connection to treating addiction. Given that it is commonly associated with other mental health concerns (APA, 2013), the addictive properties of substances, including medication, require consideration while treating other disorders, as well as people who already have comorbid addictive disorders. Other than that, the moral requirement to treat addiction without prejudice is guided by the principles of justice and beneficence. They imply that patients with addiction deserve to be treated equally and receive the necessary help for the health condition that affects their brain.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder (5th ed). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Koob, G., & Volkow, N. (2016). Neurobiology of addiction: A neurocircuitry analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(8), 760-773. Web.
Kuss, D., & Lopez-Fernandez, O. (2016). Internet addiction and problematic Internet use: A systematic review of clinical research. World Journal of Psychiatry, 6(1), 143-176. Web.
Moura, A. D., Pinto, R., Ferros, L., Jongenelen, I., & Negreiros, J. (2017). Efficacy indicators of four methods in outpatient addiction treatment. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 44(5), 117-121. Web.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018a). Commonly abused drugs. Web.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018b). Drugs, brains, and behavior: The science of addiction. Web.
Piazza, P., & Deroche-Gamonet, V. (2013). A multistep general theory of transition to addiction. Psychopharmacology, 229(3), 387-413. Web.
Polit, D.F., & Beck, C.T. (2017). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (10th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
A TED talk, focusing on addiction, by Johann Hari, introduces the concept in a way that people do not often expect to see. The man offers his own educated perspective on the matter and poses addiction not as a problem of physical inability or a moral failing of character, but a sociological problem that warrants a different approach (Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong 2015). I would agree with the mans assessment, and say that the way society treats various types of addiction is unwarranted and does not help us prevent people from doing harm to themselves and others. Experiencing withdrawal from a non-drug substance or activity can be both emotionally and physically devastating, as much as trying to stop taking standard drugs. A physical dependency means that a person starts to feel physically unwell after not being exposed to the source of their addiction for a period of time. The NIH of America describes some of the common symptoms of drug withdrawal, including irritability, anxiety, inability to eat or sleep, muscle pain, vomiting, seizures, and many other potential consequences (Commonly Abused Drugs and Withdrawal Symptoms). Many of these side effects can appear when a person withdraws from doing non-drug-related activities they are addicted to, for example eating a particular type of food or playing video games. Myself, I have experienced similar feelings of increased irritability after having not eaten sweets in a long time.
In regards to drug policy, I would strive to eliminate drug-related incarcerations. They do not provide an effective solution to treating addiction and only put people into a hostile environment that is likely to make them use drugs more often. Drugs can be used for purposes of pain relief or pleasure in related doses, without forming an addiction. The important factor is that the government and its communities make the population feel content with their lives and welcome, which would eliminate much need for escapism and drug use.
Works Cited
Commonly Abused Drugs and Withdrawal Symptoms. NIH. Web.
Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong. TED. (2015). Web.
