Sharma Manoj Kumar, Rao Girish N, Benegal Vivek, Thennarasu K, Thomas Divya
Department of Clinical Psychology, Service for Healthy Use of Technology Clinic, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Centre for Public Health, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Indian J Psychol Med. 2017 Jul-Aug;39(4):495-499. doi: 10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_171_17.
Technology use has shown an impact of users' lifestyle. The use has been attributed to psychosocial reasons. This usage manifests as excessive to addictive use of technology. There is a need to explore its addictive potential on large sample study as well as its association with psychosocial variables. It is one of its kind study on wider age group. The present work assessed the magnitude, burden, and sociodemographic correlates of technology addiction in an urban community.
A total of 2755 individuals (1392 males and 1363 females) in the age group of 18-65 years were approached for screening internet addiction and mobile overuse, using house-to-house survey methodology.
The survey indicated the presence of addiction for 1.3% for internet (2% males and 0.6% females) and mobile phone overuse (4.1%-2.5% males and 1.5% females). It was more common among males. Significant differences were observed in relation to family status for internet and mobile phone use more commonly among single/nuclear families. Technology addictions were found to be more common among single families and lesser in nuclear and joint families. Mobile phone users had psychiatric distress in comparison to users with internet addiction. The study showed negative correlation of age, years of marriage, and numbers of family members with internet addiction and mobile overuse.
It has implication for raising awareness about addictive potential of technology and its impact on one's lifestyle.
技术使用已显示出对用户生活方式的影响。这种使用归因于社会心理原因。这种使用表现为对技术的过度使用甚至成瘾。有必要在大样本研究中探索其成瘾潜力以及它与社会心理变量的关联。这是一项针对更广泛年龄组的同类研究。本研究评估了城市社区中技术成瘾的程度、负担及其社会人口学相关因素。
采用逐户调查方法，对年龄在18至65岁的2755人（1392名男性和1363名女性）进行网络成瘾和手机过度使用筛查。
调查显示，网络成瘾率为1.3%（男性为2%，女性为0.6%），手机过度使用率为4.1%（男性为2.5%，女性为1.5%）。在男性中更为常见。在单身/核心家庭中，网络和手机使用在家庭状况方面存在显著差异。技术成瘾在单身家庭中更为常见，在核心家庭和联合家庭中较少。与网络成瘾者相比，手机使用者存在精神困扰。研究表明，年龄、结婚年限和家庭成员数量与网络成瘾和手机过度使用呈负相关。
这对于提高人们对技术成瘾潜力及其对生活方式影响的认识具有启示意义。
