Researchers from the University of Surrey and elsewhere have found that young people (24 years and youger) spend an average of six hours a day online; older people spend 4.6 hours online.
Problematic online usage and Internet addiction lack a refined classification. Using 796 questionnaires, Stangl et al. are the first to reveal a continuum ranging from casual users (i.e. older users) to addicts (i.e. digital natives) acknowledging five different severity levels of problematic online usage to Internet addiction. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.
“Our main aim was to clarify the difference between using the Internet in a problematic way and being addicted to it,” said Dr. Brigitte Stangl, a researcher in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey.
“We found that the younger you are, the more likely you are to be addicted to the Internet, and this tendency decreases with age.”
“We also wanted to explore how the severity of Internet addiction affects users’ experience with new, high-tech applications like augmented reality.”
In their study, Dr. Stangl and her colleagues from the WU Vienna, Kyung Hee University and the University of Jyväskylä analyzed data from the questionnaires filled out by 796 participants.
They introduce a new Internet addiction spectrum, categorizing Internet users into five groups:
(i) casual users (14.86%): this group mainly goes online for specific tasks and logs off without lingering; they show no signs of addiction and are generally older, with an average age of 33.4 years; they are the least interested in exploring new apps;
(ii) initial users (22.86%): these individuals often find themselves online longer than they initially planned and are somewhat neglectful of household chores but don’t consider themselves addicted; they are moderately interested in apps and have an average age of 26.1 years;
(iii) experimenters (21.98%): this group feels uneasy or anxious when not connected to the Internet; once they go online, they feel better; experimenters are more willing to try out new apps and technology, and their average age is between 22.8 and 24.3 years;
(iv) addicts-in-denial (17.96%): these users display addictive behaviours like forming new relationships online and neglecting real-world responsibilities to be online; however, they won’t admit to feeling uneasy when they’re not connected; they are also quite confident in using mobile technology;
(v) addicts (22.36%): rhis group openly acknowledges their Internet addiction and recognises its negative impact on their lives; they are the most confident in using new apps and technology; their time online is significantly greater than that of the casual users.
The researchers found no link between gender and online behavior. Additionally, higher levels of addiction correlated with more confidence in using mobile technology, particularly a greater willingness to try out new apps.
They also discovered that emotional experiences (the emotions felt while using an app) strongly predicted future behavior for all groups when interacting with augmented reality.
In contrast, action experiences (navigating a website or playing a game) were mostly irrelevant for addicts.
“Our study underscores the need for tailored interventions and support for individuals at various stages of Internet addiction,” Dr. Stangl said.
“The findings will certainly influence the design and development of digital services and AR applications, ensuring they cater to the diverse needs of users in the current digital environment.”
The study was published in the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing.
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Brigitte Stangl et al. 2023. Internet addiction continuum and its moderating effect on augmented reality application experiences: digital natives versus older users. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 40 (1): 38-54; doi: 10.1080/10548408.2023.2199776
