A Study on Internet addiction, College Students’ Personal Characteristics and Cyber Behaviors

1. A Study on Internet addiction, College Students’ Personal Characteristics and Cyber Behaviors Hsi-Chi Hsiao Hsin-Nan Chung Department of Industrial Education and Technology, NCUE, Taiwan

2. Outlines • Introduction • Purpose • The study framework • Methodology • Findings • Conclusions& Recommendations

3. Introduction • As we know, internet has gradually become the most important part of our lives in the 21st century. Most people surf the internet for a living, no matter it’s commercial or entertainment oriented; some even log in for developing interpersonal relationships. • As a result, the prevailing Internet provides users with the latest information, a quick access to send and receive E-mail, or occasions to trade on the internet, which is also known as “E- commerce”.

4. Introduction • No matter it’s for living or commercial needs, on-line service has become the most important issue in societies around the world. • With the imminent message that computer will broaden one’s eyesight, more and more students are addicted to Internet, while spending lots of time surfing on the internet.

5. Introduction • Such indulgence damages their health, studying and family relationship. Many researches have shown that if students spend more time surfing on the internet, the more melancholy motion will be they get. • The studies indicate that college students belong to a high risk group of internet addiction. These problems threaten their health and interpersonal relationship.

6. Purpose • The paper seeks to understand how college students are using the internet nowadays. • In addition, it also tries to understand the relationship of internet addiction between college students’ personality and cyber behaviors.

7. The study framework Students’ Personal Characteristics Cyber Behaviors Internet Addiction

8. The study framework • The theoretical framework of internet addiction , students’ personal characteristics and cyber behaviors used in the present study are based on literature review; • The key dimensions are used for conceptualization of internet addiction including： • Losing time control of internet • Escaping from society • Compulsive response

9. The study framework • Another, key dimensions are used to conceptualize students’ personal characteristics including: • Gender • Emotional intelligence • Adaption of Learning • Self-esteem • Family adjustment • Interpersonal relationship

10. The study framework • The other key dimensions are used to conceptualize cyber behaviors in the research questionnaire including: • Entertainment-surfing on internet for cyber game; • Virtual social intercourse- surfing on internet for online friends; • Virtual emotion- surfing on internet for cyber sex and virtual relationship; • Information searching- surfing on internet for searching latest information that really relates with research.

11. Methodology • The instrument of the study was “Questionnaire on the study of the relationship of internet addiction between college students’ personal characteristics and cyber behaviors”. A Likert scale was used to survey students’ perceptions about those items • The survey was conducted through BBS website. • Data were collected through 9 public and private institutes of technology from the central part of Taiwan. Within 653 respondents, there were 391 valid questionnaires. • Descriptive statistic, independent sample t-test, and Pearsons’ product-moment correlation were used for hypotheses testing.

12. Findings 5.1 There is a positive correlation between cyber behaviors and internet addiction Table 1 Pearsons’ product-moment correlation between cyber behaviors and internet addiction (N=391)

13. Findings 5.2 There is a negative correlation between students’ personal characteristics and internet addiction. Table 2 Pearsons’ product-moment correlation between students’ personal characteristics and internet addiction (N=391)

14. Findings 5.3 There is a significant difference among the gender item of students’ personal characteristics and cyber behaviors, entertainment, virtual emotion, and virtual intercourse. Table 3 t-tests for the gender item of students’ personal characteristics on cyber behaviors variables (N=391)

15. Findings 5.4 Also, the gender item of students’ personal characteristics shows that there are significant differences among the internet addiction dimensions. Table 3 t-tests for the gender item of students’ personal characteristics on internet addiction variables (N=391)

16. Findings 5.5 There is a positive correlation between students’ personal characteristics and cyber behaviors. The more positive personal characteristics show positive information searching with one of the cyber behaviors items. Table 5 Pearsons’ product-moment correlation between students’ personal characteristics and cyber behaviors(N=391)

17. Conclusions& Recommendations • The results indicated that it should encourage college students to develop their self confidence and build up social support framework. • The research shows that students addicted to Internet are inclined to be loners short of social support, and they turn to the internet to find friendship and commitment. • The more they hang on the internet, the more loneliness they will get, while they seek less social participation and support as well.

18. Conclusions& Recommendations • Meanwhile, parents and teachers should pay attention to their children’s cyber behavior, set up a go/stop standard about how to use the internet, and make some restrictions on how much they can download and how often/how long they can surf the internet. By doing so, adults can prevent the youth from abusing the internet.

19. 國立彰化師範大學 National Changhua University of Education Thank you very much for your attention