Self-Regulation Theory in Combating Internet Addiction
Date
Self-Regulation Theory in Combating Internet Addiction.
Internet use has rapidly increased over the years and has become imperative in various fields such as academics, social communication, and entertainment. While it is helpful, a lot of research has revealed the problematic tendency of the internet to which several individuals have become addicted. The availability of new media and websites has led to the over or misuse of the internet. The term Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is often used to refer to internet addiction. It may affect a person’s social, psychological, professional, or academic life.
https://cdn.architecturendesign.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AD-Satirical-Illustrations-Show-Our-Addiction-To-Technology-CoverImage.jpg
The problem is individuated and can take various forms such as online gambling, cybersex which involves compulsive use of adult pornographic content and online video games. It is prevalent among people of most ages, some as low as four years. It is influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, gender, self-esteem, personality traits, and concurrent symptoms such as drug use, depression, anxiety, and social phobia.
Several solutions to the menace to the problem have been tried and tested. The solutions include a non-psychological approach, a psychological approach, a multimodal method, and a restart program. It was revealed through research carried out by PubMed Central that these methods are useful in combating internet addiction. Still, more can be done (“Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of Research and Practice”). It is attributed to the overlapping nature of symptoms of internet addiction and the inability to use these measures forever. The success of these methods can be done by checking the long-term results of an individual in the program.
https://media.springernature.com/w306/springer-static/cover/book/978-3-319-07242-5.jpg
However, a definitive solution to the problem would involve the self- regulation theory (SRT). Scientifically, it is defined as an individual’s conscious management that helps them control how they act, what they do, or say and enables one to achieve both short- and long-term solutions. In this case, self- regulation would, therefore, allow a person to limit their internet use, which prevents them from becoming addicted. There are two aspects of self-regulation, which are controlled and automatic aspects of self-regulation. Controlled facets of self-regulation are dependent on the executive processes. The person is thus able to influence their thoughts and actions voluntarily. For example, a student who plays online games every day after school can control the use of the internet in this way (“Problematic Use of the Internet and Self-Regulation: A Review of the Initial Studies”). On the other hand, automatic self-regulation aspects correspond to the motivation theory. For example, a person who is addicted to Facebook and often accesses it through a computer (the stimulus) sees it after work, and they are likely to elicit an automatic response of logging into Facebook. Consequently, in the absence of the device, the person may be able to regulate their internet use.
As seen in the research carried out by PMC, there are various obstacles in the attainment of accurate and conclusive results (“A Longitudinal Study for the Empirical Validation of an Etiopathogenetic Model of Internet Addiction in Adolescence Based on Early Emotion Regulation”). They include the inefficiency of tools used to collect information such as the self-report questionnaires, which may be filled inaccurately and proponent inhibition tasks. Another challenge would be the personality traits of the participants. While some people can easily stick to a decision they made, others may not and are therefore unable to regulate internet time, thus relapsing into addiction.
In conclusion, self-regulation is the most effective way of combating PIU and internet addiction. It is because the solution does not require finances and can be taken on by all individuals who understand the impact addiction may have on their lives. The method is tried and tested and is a long-term solution to the problem.
Works Cited
“Internet Addiction: A Brief Summary of Research and Practice.” PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3480687/.
“A Longitudinal Study for the Empirical Validation of an Etiopathogenetic Model of Internet Addiction in Adolescence Based on Early Emotion Regulation.” PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5863349/.
“Problematic Use of the Internet and Self-Regulation: A Review of the Initial Studies.” Search – Serval, © Billieux and Van der Linden; Licensee Bentham Open., serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_A4E45B1FC097.P001/REF.