Internet Use and Psychological Well-being: A Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

This meta-analysis examines the relationship between various Internet uses and measures of psychological well-being, including depression, loneliness, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Forty studies represent a total sample of 21,258 participants and yield a data of 43 independent correlations. The mean correlation was -0.0504 for the fixed-effects model and r = -0.0385 for the random-effects model, indicating a small detrimental effect of Internet use on psychological well-being. According to the random-effects model, the effect of all moderators, including type of Internet use, indicator of well-being, quality of Internet use measure, and participant age and gender were insignificant. Since these moderators failed to explain the variation in the relationship between Internet use and psychological well-being, future investigations should consider the possible sources of these differences.

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Most cited references 34

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Preference for Online Social Interaction: A Theory of Problematic Internet Use and Psychosocial Well-Being

Scott Caplan (2003)

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Validation of a new scale for measuring problematic internet use: implications for pre-employment screening.

Tessa Davis, Avi Besser, Gordon L. Flett (2002)

The current study introduced a theory-driven, multidimensional measure of problematic Internet use: the Online Cognition Scale (OCS). Undergraduate students (n = 211) in an industrial/organizational psychology course completed the OCS, along with measures of procrastination, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, depression, and impulsivity. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that problematic Internet use consists of four dimensions: diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, social comfort, and distraction. As hypothesized, the OCS predicted all of the study variables in the expected directions. Representing a departure from previous research in this area, the current article focused on procrastination, impulsivity, and social rejection as key elements of problematic Internet use. Furthermore, interactive applications (e.g., chat) were most related to problematic Internet use, and scores on the OCS predicted being reprimanded at school or work for inappropriate Internet use. As a result, the utility of the OCS for both clinical assessment of Internet addiction and as an organizational preemployment screening measure to identify potential employees who are likely to abuse the Internet in the workplace (also known as "cyberslacking") were discussed.