Problematic Internet Use affects an array of people across the board in so many different ways and usually these problems or even addictions go unnoticed. PIU can affect people obsessed with online gambling, pornography addiction and less noticed addictions like obsessions with Myspace or chat rooms. According to Caplan, PIM is the loss of control over time on the Internet doing something where your spending long amounts of time starts to impede on the users off-line life.
The example that I feel shows PIU really well is eBay and its addictive qualities. There are many people who begin their accounts on eBay thinking they will look for one specific item to buy or sell something in particular before they start excessive use and are on the web and are exceeding their planned amount of time online. Then when the eBay user looses the control over their online activity they develop guilt about their lack of control. There are a number of reasons that eBay has a very addictive tendency. For one there is bidding involved which just like online gambling brings excitement and thrill, then the bidding can go on for hours to days and one can "watch" the item and see who else has bid and compete. This quality to be able to watch and bid and search for similar or new products at all time is very dangerous because there is never an end to control the time limit because there are always items for sale and being bid on. Similarly you can watch your own items action.
Caplan also describes a number of ways in which PIU begins to affect the users Psychosocial Well-Being. Individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence. This is clear in eBay because all of the bidding, buying and selling goes on behind their eBay account. People can remain anonymous and hidden but still act as much as they would like. Therefore, this preference to be online is because it is less threatening. This preference then leads to the spiral into excessive and compulsive online interactions, which will worsen their problems at home, work, school, and family. These people begin to compromise their off-line lives for this addiction and the hours they dedicate to it uncontrolled.
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3 comments:
Nice post. I agree that eBay can lead to PIU once users become actively involved in buying or selling items there. I also think that personalities prone to gambling and frequent-shopping habits are probably most at risk for eBay obsessions. However, I'm not sure if Caplan's model applies here. It seems that almost anyone, regardless of their perceived social aptitude, could become wrapped up in frequently checking their eBay account. I think that in the case of eBay, the particular features of the site are more important than personality traits in predicting PIU. Because the site provides constantly-updated information that is highly relevant to the user buying or selling, it would be difficult for many users to resist the urge to "watch" their account vigilantly.
Hey Margarethe,
I like your analysis of eBay’s addictive qualities. Apart from the attributes/affordances of the internet that increases the chances of problematic internet usage (such as greater interaction control, less social responsibility, etc.), an auction site like eBay also has those elements of non-mediated addiction. Many people suffer from this addiction to gambling in face-to-face environments. Do you think this gives eBay the tendency to be more addictive than other online sites like gaming, social networking sites, etc.? Do you think eBay is distinguished from other internet addictions since its usage is brought on through need to sell/buy an item, rather than psychosocial problems like depression/loneliness?
Great post,
Christina
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