Problematic use of the internet and family functioning : a quantitative investigation

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorLochner, Christineen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorCoetzee, Bronwyneen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorVan Den Berg, Gizelaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Psychiatry.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-28T06:55:00Z
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-29T12:50:28Z
dc.date.available2022-08-28T03:00:07Z
dc.date.issued2022-04
dc.descriptionThesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: The internet is intertwined with most aspects of our daily lives and contribute considerably to the progression of humankind. Nevertheless, the excessive and maladaptive use of the internet are linked to serious health concerns and has subsequently been termed problematic use of the internet. Problematic use of the internet (PUI) is widely considered a behavioural addiction and is frequently linked to various psychological, social, academic, and/or professional problems. Many people with PUI present with psychiatric comorbidities such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Moreover, there are many reports suggesting that young people are at particular risk for PUI. Existing literature, mainly conducted in Asia, implicate family functioning in PUI. According to the premise of family systems theory (FST), PUI can only be appraised by examining the complex interactions of family members. The relationship between PUI and family functioning is shown to be reciprocal in nature: PUI may result in unhealthy family functioning, marked by conflict, low levels of cohesion, and poor communication. In turn, unhealthy family functioning may reinforce PUI when members excessively engage with the internet as a coping mechanism. Little research has been done on PUI in general, and none in youth in South Africa (SA). To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the relationship between PUI and family functioning in South African youth between the ages of 18 and 30. There were four research objectives to the present study. The first objective was to determine the demographic profile of our sample of 18-to-30-year-old South Africans with PUI (including PUI prevalence rates). The second objective was to investigate whether there is a relationship between PUI and family functioning. The third objective was to explore whether there is a relationship between time spent on various online activities (e.g., online gaming, online gambling, and online pornography) and family functioning. The fourth objective was to determine whether there is an interaction effect between PUI and comorbid psychiatric disorders (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) on family functioning. Cross-sectional survey data was collected from 814 South Africans between the ages of 18 and 30 years. Among our sample of 814 respondents (๐‘›๐‘“๐‘’๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘’๐‘  = 531; ๐‘›๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘™๐‘’๐‘  = 278; ๐‘›๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘”๐‘’๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ/๐‘œ๐‘กโ„Ž๐‘’๐‘Ÿ = 5), the prevalence rate of PUI was 15%, indicating that PUI may be a significant mental health issue among our sample. Potential risk factors to PUI in our sample included: being single, having completed high school (grade 12), having some college/university education, and being a university/college student. Results showed that as scores on the JEG internet addiction test (IAT) 10-item instrument increased, scores on the general functioning scale of the family assessment device (GF-FAD) increased linearly, indicating that increased severity of PUI was associated with increased severity of unhealthy family functioning (r = .33, p < .001). There was a significant difference in the GF-FAD scores for individuals with PUI (M = 2.57, SD = .51) and those without PUI (M = 2.13, SD = .61); t(812) = -7.52, p < 0.001, suggesting that individuals with PUI experienced unhealthier family functioning than individuals without PUI. The increased frequency of all but one of the PUI symptoms (i.e., symptom six: โ€œDo you snap, yell, or act annoyed if someone bothers you while you are on-line?โ€) correlated significantly with severity of unhealthy family functioning. Section B of the internet severity and activities addiction questionnaire (ISAAQ), i.e., the internet activities scale (IAS), indicated that as time spent on social networking (r = .11, p = .003), online pornography (r = .20, p < .001), streaming media (r = .11, p = .003), and cyberbullying (r = .17, p < .001) increased, the severity of unhealthy family functioning increased. No interaction effects of PUI and comorbidities on family functioning were found (p > .05). In conclusion, the current findings suggest that PUI is common in South African youth. This study also sheds light on the nature of the relationship between PUI and unhealthy family functioning among young South Africans. This relationship demands sustained attention and effort from role-players such as parents, schools, clinicians and policymakers alike, to mitigate it and therefore promote the optimal development of youth.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die internet is verweef met die meeste aspekte van ons daaglikse lewens en dra aansienlik by tot die vooruitgang van die mensdom. Nietemin, die oormatige en wanaangepaste gebruik van die internet is gekoppel aan ernstige gesondheidsprobleme en word, derhalwe, problematiese gebruik van die internet (PGI) genoem. Problematiese gebruik van die internet (PGI) word algemeen beskou as 'n gedragsverslawing en word dikwels aan verskeie sielkundige, sosiale, akademiese en/of professionele probleme gekoppel. Baie mense met die gedragsverslawing ly ook aan psigiatriese komorbiditeite, soos byvoorbeeld obsessief-kompulsiewe versteuring, obsessief-kompulsiewe persoonlikheidsversteuring, outisme, en aandagafleibaarheid-hiperaktiwiteitsindroom. Bowendien is daar baie navorsing wat daarop dui dat jong mense veral as โ€˜n hoe risikogroep beskou word om PGI te ontwikkel. Literatuur, hoofsaaklik van Asie, dui daarop dat familiefunksionering in PGI geimpliseer kan word. Volgens die uitgangspunt van familiesisteemteorie (FST), kan PGI slegs verstaan word deur die komplekse interaksies van familielede te ondersoek. Die verhouding tussen PGI en familiefunksionering word as wederkerig van aard beskou: PGI kan lei tot ongesonde familiefunksionering, gekenmerk deur konflik, lae vlakke van samesyn en swak kommunikasie. Op sy beurt, kan ongesonde familiefunksionering PGI versterk wanneer familielede uitermatig gebruik maak van die internet as โ€˜n soort hanteringsmeganisme. Oor die algemeen is daar min navorsing rakende PGI. Na ons wete, is hierdie die eerste studie wat die verhouding tussen PGI en familiefunksionering in Suid-Afrikaanse jong mense ondersoek. Daar was vier navorsingsdoelwitte vir die huidige studie. Die eerste doelwit was om die demografiese profiel (insluitend PGI voorkomssyfers) van ons steekproef van 18-tot-30-jarige Suid-Afrikaners met PGI te bepaal. Die tweede doelwit was om te ondersoek of daar 'n verband is tussen PGI en familiefunksionering. Die derde doelwit was om te ondersoek of daar 'n verband is tussen die hoeveelheid tyd wat aan verskeie aanlyn-aktiwiteite (byvoorbeeld, aanlyn speletjies, aanlyn dobbel, en aanlyn pornografie) bestee word en familiefunksionering. Die vierde doelwit was om te bepaal of daar 'n interaksie-effek tussen PGI en psigiatriese komorbiditeite (byvoorbeeld, obsessief-kompulsiewe versteuring, obsessief-kompulsiewe persoonlikheidsversteuring, outisme, en aandagafleibaarheid-hiperaktiwiteitsindroom) op familiefunksionering is. Deursnee-opnamedata is van 814 Suid-Afrikaners tussen die ouderdomme van 18 en 30 jaar ingesamel. Onder die 814 deelnemers (๐‘›๐‘ฃ๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘ข๐‘™๐‘–๐‘˜ = 531; ๐‘›๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘™๐‘–๐‘˜ = 278; ๐‘›๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘ ๐‘”๐‘’๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ/๐‘Ž๐‘›๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘Ÿ = 5), is โ€˜n PGI-voorkomssyfer van 15% gevind, wat daarop dui dat PGI 'n beduidende geestesgesondheidskwessie onder ons steekproef mag wees. Potensiele PGI risikofaktore wat onder ons steekproef gevind is, sluit in: om enkellopend te wees, om hoรซrskool (graad 12) te voltooi, om 'n mate van kollege-/universiteitsopleiding te he, en om 'n universiteit-/kollegestudent te wees. Resultate het getoon dat namate tellings op die JEG internet verslawingstoets (IVT) 10-item instrument toegeneem het, het tellings op die die algemene funksioneringsskaal van die familie asseseringstoestel (AFFA) lineer toegeneem, wat daarop dui dat verhoogde erns van PGI geassosieer is met verhoogde erns van ongesonde familiefunksionering (r = .33, p <.001). Daar was 'n beduidende verskil in die AFFA-tellings vir individue met PGI (M = 2.57, SD = .51) en die sonder PGI (M = 2.13, SD = .61); t (812) = -7.52, p <0.001, wat daarop dui dat individue met PGI meer ongesonde familiefunksionering ervaar het as individue sonder PGI. Die verhoogde frekwensie van al die PGI-simptome, behalwe een (d.i., simptoom ses: "Raak jy buite beheer, skree jy, of tree jy geirriteerd op as iemand jou pla terwyl jy aanlyn is?") het beduidend gekorreleer met die erns van ongesonde familiefunksionering. Afdeling B van die internet erns en aktiwiteite verslawing vraelys (IEAVV), d.i., die internetaktiwiteite skaal (IAS), het aangedui dat soos wat tyd spandeer aan sosiale netwerking (r = .11, p = .003), aanlyn- pornografie (r = .20, p <.001), stromingsmedia (r = .11, p = .003), en kuberafknouery (r = .17, p <.001) toegeneem het, het die erns van ongesonde familiefunksionering ook toegeneem. Geen interaksie-effekte van PGI en psigiatriese komorbiditeite op familiefunksionering is gevind nie (p > .05). Ten slotte, die huidige bevindinge dui daarop dat PGI algemeen is onder die Suid-Afrikaanse jeug. Hierdie studie het ook lig op die aard van die verhouding tussen PGI en ongesonde familiefunksionering onder jong Suid-Afrikaners gewerp. Hierdie verhouding vereis volgehoue en samewerkende aandag en moeite van alle rolspelers soos ouers, skole, klinici en beleidsmakers in โ€˜n poging om dit te negeer, en om sodoende die optimale ontwikkeling van jongmense te bevorder.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.embargo.terms2022-08-28
dc.format.extentxi, 159 pages : includes annexures
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125015
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subjectInternet addictionen_ZA
dc.subjectBehaviorism (Psychology)en_ZA
dc.subjectInternet users -- Psychologyen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleProblematic use of the internet and family functioning : a quantitative investigationen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
vandenberg_problematic_2022.pdf
Size:
3.82 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters Degrees (Psychiatry)