CHAPTER 4: INTERNET ADDICTION AND ISOLATION;
SELECTIVE EXPOSURE AND POLITICAL POLARIZATION
Internet Addiction and Isolation ● include obsession with online
dating, watching pornography, and
What is Internet Addiction? cybersex.
● harmful to real-world romantic or
★ Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) intimate relationships
(aka problematic internet use)
○ impulse control disorder that does 3. Social Networking
not involve drugs or alcohol ● obsessive use of social media
○ characterized by excessive or platforms, leading to disrupted
poorly controlled internet use that real-world relationships and
interferes with daily life, causing responsibilities
distress or impairment in personal, ● include the over usage of social
academic, or professional areas networking sites like Facebook,
○ can manifest as compulsive Twitter, Instagram, etc.
behaviors like gaming, social ● the user also feels the need to
media use, or online shopping constantly update his/her social
○ often associated with media and to monitor different
psychological factors such as posts
anxiety or depression
○ slightly identical with gambling 4. Net Compulsions
○ The users enjoy different things ● addiction to online shopping or
online, like playing games, social
stock trading
media, and even binge watching
series and movies. ● often leads to financial instability
○ often leads to social isolation as and disrupted daily responsibilities
individuals prioritize online
interactions over real-life 5. Information
relationships ● includes obsession with searching
■ this behavior reduces and collecting different information
face-to-face ● Can lead to distraction from daily
communication, disrupts tasks and responsibilities.
social responsibilities, and
fosters loneliness
■ over time, it can diminish Causes of Internet Addiction
emotional connections and
exacerbate feelings of 1. Shy individuals feel secure in online
disconnection from society anonymity.
2. Internet use as an escape from problems.
3. Virtual connections replace real-life social
Types of Online Addiction interactions.
1. Computer or Gaming Addiction 4. Quick access to entertainment encourages
● include excessive amounts of time excessive use.
online playing online games and
gambling (like online poker)
● type of addiction that is very
Signs of Internet Addiction
rampant nowadays, especially with
the younger generation 1. Increasing time spent online to feel
● can negatively impact physical satisfied.
health, relationships, and 2. Using the internet to cope with negative
responsibilities emotions.
3. Anxiety, restlessness, or irritability when
2. Cyber, Sexual and Cyber Relationships
offline.
1
4. Repeated failed attempts to reduce internet ○ can be used if the person
use. thinks that the problem is
5. Losing track of time while online. not that serious, yet
○ If the user thinks that
6. Prioritizing internet use over important life
he/she can still handle and
activities (work, school, relationships). correct themselves on their
7. Sacrificing jobs, relationships, and own.
opportunities to stay online.
➔ Several steps to help in treating
mild internet addiction:
Effects of Internet Addiction 1. Keep track of daily internet use.
2. Look for other easy activities that
can be used to replace the time of
1. Family problems
using the internet.
● Less time with family leads to
3. Think of the reasons why you
conflicts.
always end up using the internet
2. Mental health issues too much.
● Can result in depression and 4. If you feel restless when not using
anxiety. the internet, try different relaxation
methods to center yourself.
3. Academic difficulties 5. Keep yourself busy doing other
● Poor academic performance. things.
6. If there is still no progress, start to
4. Financial issues consider asking for professional
● High costs from gaming and online help.
purchases.
2. PROFESSIONAL
5. Medical problems
TREATMENT
● Health issues like headaches, back
(for severe cases)
pain, dry eyes, irregular eating, and
○ involves a licensed
lack of personal hygiene.
psychologist or a
6. Work complications councillor, who can help
● Neglecting responsibilities, risking the user in controlling
job loss. their use of the internet
7. Unhealthy sleeping habits ➔ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
● Staying up late due to excessive Treatment
internet use. ◆ one of the most common
therapies
8. Social awkwardness ◆ includes the exploration
● Less real-world interaction and of the person’s usage
confidence. pattern
◆ Then after analyzing the
How to Treat Internet Addiction? usage pattern, they can
● ASSESSMENT: give a strict schedule of
1. Ask: Is there a problem? the time limitation in using
What is the problem? the internet.
2. Accept that you (he/she) ◆ can help in force altering
really have a problem. the usage pattern of the
user
● TWO WAYS TO TREAT INTERNET
ADDICTION ➔ Support groups
1. SELF-HELP STRATEGIES ◆ are also encouraged to
(for mild cases) help the user in feeling
motivated to improve
★ it occurs due to social isolation and
➔ Residential Inpatient Internet isolation emotionally because of social
Addiction Treatments Centers networks
◆ Having a healthy
environment can often ● Solitude = being alone
help in speeding up ● Isolation = lack of support in social
progress and there are relationships and emotion
nurses or helpers that can ● Loneliness = longing for social contact
help in supervising and
guiding the user.
Does Social Media Cause Isolation?
➔ Prescriptions and
Over-the-Counter medications ★ YES
◆ In worst case scenarios, ★ Social media usage has negative impacts
are taken into on social isolation by:
consideration to further ○ substituting social media usage for
help the treatment. face-to-face social interactions, or
◆ Although currently, there ○ exposing individuals to unrealistic
are still no OTC or distorted portrayals of
medications known to connections’ lives, leading to
directly assist internet feelings of social isolation
addictions
What is Social Isolation? How the Internet affects Social Isolation
★ Social Isolation ★ People who use the Internet frequently
○ the state in which a person feels the spend less time doing different kinds of
lack of ability in socializing activities and this includes socializing. But
○ the person also feels like he/she do people really sacrifice social interaction
does not belong. to be able to use the internet or do they use
○ He/she also usually fails in creating the internet because they lack the ability to
relationships with others. socialize?
○ People who feel socially isolated
involuntarily prevent contact and A study conducted by Sanders, Field,
socialization between individuals Diego, and Kaplan (2000) shows:
and the society. ➔ lower internet use by teenagers or
adolescents = better relationship with
➔ A person experiences social isolation if parents and even friends
he/she suffers from: ➔ higher internet use = weaker social ties
1. shame and depression
2. solitude
3. social anxiety and fears of Selective Exposure and Political Polarization
abandonment
4. lack in social contact What is Selective Exposure Theory
5. relationship on social and ★ Selective Exposure Theory
professional are limited ○ the tendency of a person within
6. loneliness and distress mass media to avoid stumbling
upon information that opposes their
current opinion and to search for
Emotional Isolation information that can strengthen or
★ state of inability and unwillingness to prove their view.
share emotions with anyone ○ It is human nature for us not to
want our ideas, opinions, and
beliefs to be contradicted.
3
○ A human’s emotion plays a big part ● 270 million Facebook accounts that
in this.
are fraudulent
○ It is not a requirement to change
your opinion or beliefs when you
read contradicting information, but
it is best to at least recognize it. ★ There are circumstances where a user
should carefully choose what to see, read,
or listen to avoid unwanted happenings.
Selective Exposure in the Internet Age
With the rise of the internet, we tend to
rely deeply on it in everything that we do.
Although there are certain parameters we
have to follow to fully utilize its use. It
may not be noticeable but selective
exposure takes place in our daily use of
the internet, especially on social media.
With 500,000 new users a day in
Facebook alone, users go through
thousands to millions of posts each day.
This is where we can positively use the
concept of selective exposure theory.
Negative & Positive Sides in Using
Selective Exposure in the Internet Age
★ Negative Side:
○ Readers should not avoid
information contradicting their
current view.
○ Instead, the reader should learn to
read information to educate
themselves without the need to
change their opinions because
selectively reading information
that only coincides with the
reader’s belief can cause the
reader to miss out on important
facts.
★ Positive Side:
○ Readers should learn what to
believe or what not to believe
when reading information online.
○ This way, readers could stay
away from “fake news” and from
spreading it.
Facebook’s Estimate
FAKE ACCOUNTS = no more than 3% users
DUPLICATE ACCOUNTS = 6% to 10 %
MST
REPORT NOTES
INTERNET ADDICTION AND
ISOLATION;
SELECTIVE EXPOSURE AND
POLITICAL POLARIZATION
BENGUA, Hannah Jane
CALATAN, Margeory
DAYWAN, Carina
JABAAN, Vanessa
GARCIA, Venus Jasmin
BSN 2C
Submitted to:
Ma’am Jessica Villacer
