Analysis of attitudes toward computer networks and internet addiction of Taiwanese adolescents

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Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Analysis of Attitudes Toward Computer Networks and

Internet Addiction of Taiwanese Adolescents

CHIN-CHUNG TSAI, Ed.D., and SUNNY S.J. LIN, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

This study explored the interplay between young people’s attitudes toward computer net-works and Internet addiction. Ninety possible Internet addicts were selected for examination after analyzing the questionnaire responses of an initial sample of 753 Taiwanese high school adolescents. It was found that the subjects’ attitudes toward computer networks could explain many aspects of Internet addiction. However, actual behaviors on Internet usage and per-ceptions on the usefulness of Internet were more important than affective responses toward computer networks in predicting adolescents’ Internet addiction.

373 INTRODUCTION

I

N RECENT YEARSmost people have experienced some of the various benefits of computer net-works, with the rapid growth and prevalence of computer network technology. For example, on the Internet, people can find specific informa-tion, talk with others, and purchase almost any kind of merchandise. Young people are gener-ally viewed as the majority of Internet users. However, recent studies1–5 _{revealed that some} young people exhibit addictive behaviors, termed “Internet addiction” by researchers. However, few studies on high school adoles-cents’ Internet addiction previously existed. In educational research, students’ attitudes toward a subject matter are often viewed as important variables for predicting related performance. Hence, adolescents’ attitudes toward computer networks are treated as an important variable contributing to their Internet addiction herein. This study explored the relationships between

adolescents’ attitudes toward computer net-works and Internet addiction by analyzing the questionnaire responses of 90 Taiwanese high school adolescents who appeared to be addicted to the Internet.

METHODOLOGY

Subjects

The initial sample included 753 high school adolescents (around 16 to 17 years old) who had Internet experience. The population was stratified into three demographic areas: North-ern, Central, and Southern Taiwan. The ado-lescents were asked to finish a series of ques-tionnaires about their attitudes toward computer networks and Internet addiction. Those with a score of 5 or higher (likely Inter-net addicts) on Young’s questionnaire,6_{a total} of 90 (72% of them are male), were selected for

Center for Teacher Education, National Chiao Tung University, 1001 Ta Hsueh Rd., Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China.

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study. Young’s questionnaire included eight items of assessing people’s Internet addiction (in yes/no format). By Young’s definition, people with a score of 5 or higher are Internet addicts.6

Instruments

The computer attitude scale developed by Selwyn7 _{was modified into a Computer} Net-work Attitude Inventory (CNAI) to assess the subjects’ attitudes toward computer networks. The original CNAI included 32 Likert scale (ranging from 1 to 4) questions. The final CNAI consisted of 18 questions with the same scales proposed by Selwyn after factor analyses of the initial sample of 753 adolescents:

1. Affective scale (5 items, a 5 0.71): An as-sessment of the adolescents’ feelings to-ward the Internet (e.g., the Internet make me

feel uncomfortable; scored in a reverse

man-ner).

2. Perceived usefulness scale (5 items, a 5 0.82): An assessment of the degree to which the adolescent believes using computer net-works will enhance job performance (e.g.,

the Internet can allow me to do more interesting and imaginative work).

3. Perceived control scale (5 items, a 5 0.68): An evaluation of the perceived ease of using computer networks (e.g., I need an

experi-enced person nearby when I use computer net-works, scored in a reverse manner).

4. Behavior scale (3 items, a 5 0.49): An as-sessment of behavioral intentions and ac-tions with respect to computer networks (e.g., I use the Internet regularly throughout

school).

The reliability coefficient for all questions of the CNAI is 0.82, with an explained accumu-lated variance of 54%. Adolescents with better attitudes toward computer networks (e.g., showing more confidence in using the Internet) would have higher scores.

The subjects’ Internet addiction was assessed by using the Internet Addiction Scale for high schoolers in Taiwan (IAST) developed by Lin and Tsai.8_{IAST also employed a 4-point Likert} scale with 29 items and 4 subscales:

1. Compulsive use and withdrawal: An examina-tion of the degree of compulsive Internet use and the degree of depression or moodiness if use is restricted (e.g., If I cannot use the

In-ternet in a certain period, I feel depressed; 10

items).

2. Tolerance: An assessment of the perception of less satisfaction in spending the same amount of time or using the same applica-tions on the Internet compared with one’s previous experience (e.g., I need to spend more

and more time on line, in order to reach the sat-isfaction I experienced in early days using the Internet; 7 items).

3. Related problem: family, school, and health: An assessment of the consequent problems of using the Internet, focusing on family inter-action, learning, and personal health (e.g.,

Because of my involvement with the Internet, I spent less time interacting with my family; 8

items).

4. Related problem: peer interaction and finance: An evaluation of the consequent problems of using the Internet, focusing on peer rela-tionships and financial management (e.g.,

The online service charges of my family were con-siderably increased because of my Internet use;

4 items).

Adolescents addicted to the Internet would have higher scores on the IAST. The reliability for the whole scale is 0.88. IAST shows a high correlation with that measured by Young6_{(r 5} 0.753, p , 0.001) and it provides a more de-tailed description of adolescents’ Internet ad-diction.8

RESULTS

A stepwise (forward) method was utilized to construct regression models (presented in Table 1) to predict adolescents’ Internet addic-tion obtained from IAST by using adolescents’ CNAI attitude scale scores as predictors. Table 1 presents the final regression model in pre-dicting adolescents’ responses on each subscale of IAST.

The regression results indicated that adoles-cents who used the Internet more frequently TSAI AND LIN 374

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(i.e., CNAI’s behavior) tended to have more compulsive behavior of using the Internet, and they would feel depressed if it was restricted. Adolescents who highly valued the Internet tended to have one of the Internet addict syn-dromes, tolerance, in that they needed more time online to achieve original satisfaction. Moreover, a heavier Internet usage (CNAI’s be-havior) may have caused family, school, and health problems.

However, those Internet-addicted adoles-cents who displayed relatively higher anxiety using the Internet (CNAI’s affective scale) had a tendency to exhibit more family, school, and health problems. A further analysis indicated that the Internet-addicted adolescents’ scores on the CNAI’s affective scale were not signifi-cantly different from those of nonaddicts (t 5 21.47, n.s.). That is, some Internet-addicted adolescents may show some anxiety in using the Internet, a finding contradictory to the stereotype of Internet addicts.

Adolescents who actually used computer net-works more and had a higher perceived useful-ness tended to have more problems with peer relationships and financial management. Ado-lescents’ perceived Internet control was not sig-nificantly related to their Internet addiction, per-haps because most of these adolescents did not have relevant problems controlling the com-puter networks. A comparison of the CNAI re-sponses of perceived control scale of addicts and those of nonaddicts revealed that Internet-ad-dicted adolescents did perceive better control about using the Internet (t 5 3.12, p , 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study explored the interplay between young people’s attitudes toward computer net-works and Internet addiction. The adolescents’ actual use and behavior while utilizing com-puter networks could explain many aspects of their Internet addiction. Moreover, perceived usefulness also contributed to heavier Internet usage to achieve the same satisfaction received from the initial online experiences. However, the adolescents’ affective responses toward computer networks (e.g., the comfort of using the Internet) were not very important in pre-dicting adolescents’ Internet addiction. Ado-lescents’ perceived control about the Internet was not significantly related to their Internet addiction. In sum, the adolescents’ behavior in actually using the Internet (e.g., behavior) was more substantial than their emotional re-sponses toward the Internet (e.g., affective and perhaps, perceived control) in predicting In-ternet addiction.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

An early version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psy-chological Association, Boston, August 1999. Funding for this research work was supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, un-der grant NSC 87-2511-S-009-014-N. A copy of complete report and questionnaires about this study can be obtained from Dr. Chin-Chung TABLE1. REGRESSIONMODELS OFPREDICTING ADOLESCENTS’ INTERNET ADDICTION

Internet addiction

(outcome variables) Predictors b R

Compulsive use along with Behavior 0.416*** 0.416*** withdrawal

Tolerance Perceived usefulness 0.522*** 0.552*** Related problem: family, Behavior 0.316*

0.378* school and health Affection 20.269*