PIU is defined as problematic behavior related to too much time online. An online activity that I commonly associated with problematic Internet usage is constant checking of one’s email. This has become even more prevalent as people increasingly communicate over email as opposed to snail-mail and the telephone, and as hand-held devices such as the BlackBerry and iPhone become more widespread. In my own experience, I see this problem among not only my friends, but also my family members.
In particular, my father finds it difficult to put down his BlackBerry when away from the office. On family vacations, the BlackBerry never leaves his side and after a long plane-ride, it is the first thing that he turns on when the plane touches down at our destination. While this usage might not qualify as “addiction,” it certainly makes it difficult for us to relax when on vacation or while spending time as a family.
Wallace identifies operant conditioning as a property of the Internet critical to PIU. Operant conditioning occurs when a behavior is rewarded with a variable schedule. This results in behaviors that are difficult to extinguish. Operant conditioning clearly plays a role in the “email checking” problem. People are drawn to checking their email in hopes that they will have a new exciting or important email. While one is not always rewarded with a new email each time that he/she signs online, he/she is bound to encounter an email at least every couple of tries. This “variable reward schedule” makes email checking very attractive and difficult to abandon.
Another relevant Internet property is the need to maintain a virtual presence online. It is important to respond to pressing emails in order to let senders know that their emails have been received. Other than sending a reply-message, there is no other way to maintain your online presence and let other know that you are receiving the information that they are sending.
A third Internet factor Wallace identifies is “newbie” disease. She predicts that those who are newer to online spaces will be more drawn to the excitement and novelty that such spaces bring. In the case of email use, I do not find this to be the case. Most have had access to email and hand-held devices for years now, yet the fascination with checking email has not subsided.
In regards to individual factors, Wallace predicts that individuals with a high locus of control are more drawn to the Internet. Wallace predicts that because these individuals believe that they have a high level of control over their circumstances, they will be attracted to the Internet’s ability to allow them to engage in selective self-presentation. I do not believe that this factor plays a role in compulsive email checking. I find that individuals are more drawn to checking their email and writing short replies than with actually initiating new, lengthy emails and therefore selective self-presentation is not relevant.
Caplan identifies a model associated with PIU. In her studies, she has found that individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence. These individuals prefer online interaction because it is less threatening and because they feel more effacious online. Furthermore, their preference for online interaction leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which then worsens their problems (at school, home, work). In sum, Caplan identifies two factors key to PIU a) individual characteristics such as loneliness and depression and 2) a preference for online interaction.
I do not find that this model applies to compulsive email checking. Unlike other compulsive online activities (gambling, chatrooms, gaming, etc), email normally occurs in a context that supplements face-to-face interaction. I find that those likely to receive dozens of emails daily are not those who are lonely and depressed, but instead are actively engaged in their communities and have multiple contacts. Instead of acting as a forum in which these people feel more comfortable and effacious, email allows them to communicate efficiently at anytime and place. Therefore, because compulsive email checking acts as a supplement to face-to-face communication unlike other online activities, it does not easily fit into Caplan’s theory.
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4 comments:
I thought your observations about the BlackBerry epidemic were great. Personally I always was annoyed at people who could never let go of theirs and I always told myself that I would never be addicted to a BlackBerry if I ever got one. Well, I have to admit that I recently got a BlackBerry and sadly have to admit I have become one of those people who are constantly checking their email and texting my friends. I think the most addicting part about the BlackBerry is the variable reward schedule, like you mentioned in your blog. The fact that you never know when someone will be sending you an email or text makes you want to keep checking.
Your post was definitely relevant to a lot of people I know, and certainly to modern technology. I can definitely see how easy it is to become "addicted" to checking your email, especially since we now get so many from our colleges, professors, and even bosses. You did a great job of relating the BlackBerry "addiction" to the concept of PIU, wallace, and Caplan's study. Nice!
While I don’t have a BlackBerry, many of my friends do, and I can attest to the fact that they are constantly checking their email on their phone. I had a conversation with one of these friends today, and she claims that she does have an addiction to her phone – she can’t go very long without checking her phone (her email, calendar, text messages, games). This phone increases attachment to technology and the internet. The BlackBerry addiction is definitely relevant, especially to Wallace, Caplan, and PIU. Great post!
Nice post. The rise of the blackberry is a vicious cycle. You state that it makes it harder to relax (escape) when your father turns on his blackberry on vacation. In the world of blackberries, everyone is expected to be able to be reached at all times.
I like your description of the award cycle and email checking. But how do the affordances of the blackberry device differ from checking email on a computer? While on a computer, work is often suspended when you check email. While checking the blackberry email, what actions are suspended?I wonder if checking email compulsively might qualify more as OCD than PIU.
I agree that email does not fit within Caplan's theory. Since email is not public, it is less of a social replacement, and often an extension of ftf.
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