Predicting Compulsive Internet Use: It's All about Sex!
Abstract
The objective of this research was to assess the predictive power of various Internet applications on the development of compulsive Internet use (CIU). The study has a two-wave longitudinal design with an interval of 1 year. The first measurement contained 447 adult heavy Internet users who used the Internet at least 16 h per week and had Internet access at home for at least 1 year. For the second measurement, all participants were invited again, of whom 229 responded. By means of an online questionnaire, the respondents were asked about the time spent on various Internet applications and CIU. On a cross-sectional basis, gaming and erotica seem the most important Internet applications related to CIU. On a longitudinal basis, spending a lot of time on erotica predicted an increase in CIU 1 year later. The addictive potential of the different applications varies; erotica appears to have the highest potential.
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The absence of approved diagnostic criteria makes it difficult to estimate how often Internet addiction occurs.
“In addition, a lack of approved criteria hampers estimation of its occurrence.”
From Occurence of Internet addiction in a general population sample: A Latent Class Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [2]
The DSM-5 proposed criteria for Internet addiction are limited to Internet gaming.
“However, in DSM-5, the proposed criteria are restricted to Internet gaming.”
From Occurence of Internet addiction in a general population sample: A Latent Class Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [2]
Compulsive Internet use or Internet addiction is widely asserted to exist and is listed in DSM-5 as a condition needing further study.
“the existence of compulsive Internet use or Internet addiction is widely claimed and included as a condition for further research in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [1, 2]”
From Occurence of Internet addiction in a general population sample: A Latent Class Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [2]
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References 24 · Cited by 257
- Authors
- Meerkerk, G.-J., Eijnden, R. J. J. M. V. D., & Garretsen, H. F. L.
- Affiliations
- IVO Addiction Research Institute (NL)
- Venue
- CyberPsychology & Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2006-02
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 95-103
- ISSN
- 1094-9313 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-8364
- OpenAlex
- W1971740855
- Cited by
- 257
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 35.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- CyberPsychology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
- Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Stichting Volksbond Rotterdam
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Keywords
- compulsive internet use, internet addiction, online pornography, erotic content, online games, internet applications, addictive potential
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Compulsive Behavior, Cross-Sectional Studies, Erotica, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Netherlands, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Sex, Statistics as Topic, Time Factors, Utilization Review, Behavior, Addictive, Internet
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