Internet addiction among young people living in metropolitan cities: Criteria and Typology

Abstract

Despite benefits provided by mass computerization, this phenomenon has dramatic global social consequences such as Internet addiction. Today the level of the Internet addiction is within moderately dangerous range; however, there are countries where the shares of strongly dependent and absolutely dependent users are permanent. The data obtained in the surveys conducted among youth living in world megacities allow defining that the users with moderate Internet addiction are prevalent worldwide; regional specifics of the Internet dependence are also traced. In developed countries with high levels of GDP per capita the trend is being strengthened. As the modern world cannot be imagined without internet, it is important to teach young people how to find balance between virtual and real lives. To solve the problem, a system of indicators of the Internet addiction as well as factors that causes addiction should be designed. The levels of the Internet addiction is dependent on the amount of time spent every day in the Internet, work or leisure outside of the Internet, overall period of time of Internet usage, mastering modern technologies, and time management skills. The author singles out three groups of factors of the Internet addiction at micro- and macro-levels and provides a socio-demographic portrait of the Internet-dependent metropolitan user.