Consequences of excessive ICT use
The rise in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT; (i.e. computers/laptops, tablets, and mobile phones or smartphones) over recent years has brought with it some problems. One such problem is the potential for addiction to these devices and the device applications (e.g. video games, social networks), as is evident among European youth. TECH USE DISORDERS (Technological use disorders: European cross-cultural longitudinal and experimental studies for internet and smartphone problem uses) was an EU-funded study that examined the use and misuse of ICT among young adults in Europe. Researchers conducted a mixed methods study in two parts. Part one involved a cross-cultural longitudinal, three-wave, study (collaboration with 11 European universities) that was conducted in young adults (mainly undergraduate students) from the general population. Part two involved a subsample of undergraduate students from part one (Belgium site only) in an in-depth cross-sectional study that used experiments and qualitative focus groups. Translations into the various languages of participating countries were conducted on several scales that measured ICT use and misuse. European coordinators, including academics, researchers, and clinicians, successfully stored data on a server. During the study’s third wave, the team conducted an additional study in patients seeking treatment for any addictions, which could involve comorbid ICT problem use, with the help of several European outpatient units and treatment centres. A double data collection strategy was used to address questions in the qualitative part of the research. This was related to causes, development, consequences, and phenomenology of excessive ICT use. Additionally, TECH USE DISORDERS carried out a series of experimental studies on potential problematic ICT users and healthy matched participants. A comparison of the two groups was done in terms of established potential risk factors for these behavioural addictions, namely impulsivity traits, inhibitory control, and decision-making. Results have been published in reputable peer reviewed journals (e.g. Journal of Behavioural Addictions), and will also be disseminated in open-access form through the Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology website.
Keywords
ICT, technological use disorders, smartphones, tablets, computers, internet, cross-cultural study, behavioural addictions, public health
