Getting too tangled in net unwise

You’re asking for trouble if overusing the internet, but the question is — at what point do you draw the line?

Hscience ow much internet is too much internet?

Even after two decades of the web, in which it’s become an inseparable part of our lives, just what should define “problematic internet use”, or PIU, is still unclear.

But there is more than enough evidence to show that over-use may lead to problems ranging from relationship breakdowns and work problems to back strains, sleeplessness and even physical collapse.

A University of Auckland researcher is investigating the toll PIU is having in New Zealand, where more than 90 per cent of adults use the net at least once a day.

Delia Cotoros-Goodall’s new study aims to get a better picture of how Kiwis are using the internet, and at which point net surfing becomes a serious health risk, potentially worsening underlying conditions such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

“There has not been any agreement in terms of where to draw the line between what’s okay and what’s not,” Cotoros-Goodall said.

She described the current state of research on the topic as muddled and already outdated. Older measures of PIU considered someone as “addicted” if they spent 20 or more hours online each week — but that included use at work and school.

“Our society has evolved so much that we have entire jobs dependent on the internet, so 20 hours total per week seems to be a very outdated number.”

Types of PIU ranged from “general”, characterised by aimlessly ● ● surfing websites, to “specific”, where users were being drawn online to feed habits such as gambling, shopping or social networking.

“From what I found, all the previous measures were developed by academics who came up with the questionnaire based on what they’ve observed in people . . . a lot of the questions represented what the researcher believed to be a problem.”

Cotoros-Goodall has developed her own measure, combining general PIU and three scales addressing online shopping, gambling and porn.

She has carried out focus groups with a random sample of 70 internet users, on what behaviours would be indicative of someone who had a problem: “This was the first study to ask internet users in New Zealand what they consider to be problematic use in this day and age.”

Her next step was to validate the measure in a national context, and explore the relationship between internet use and various psychopathology scales. This might ultimately build a picture of the issue, detailing its prevalence and effects.

For parents concerned about their children’s use, NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker recommended setting parental controls on devices, putting restrictions on modems or routers, or routinely changing the Wi-Fi password and only giving access once chores or homework were done.

People aged over 18 who want to be part of the new study can complete it online via nzherald.co.nz, or email Delia Cotoros-Goodall at d.cotoros@auckland.ac.nz.