Understanding internet use and dependency

Abstract

Since the 1950s, the Uses and Gratifications approach has been widely applied to explaining the use of the media, such as the radio and newspapers. Recently, this framework has also been applied to the Internet, a new media and has helped in the understanding of how the motivations of individuals affect their Internet usage patterns and their consequences. The Internet is arguably very different from the conventional media, with salient features like interactivity, anonymity, chameleon of features, rich multimedia, censorship, the wide breadth and depth of information provided. More importantly, the Internet is a medium used mostly by the young and hence, the role of supervision should perhaps not be ignored. However, only limited, if any empirical studies on the role of supervision on internet usage and dependency. On the other hand, studies that have been conducted on parental supervision and adolescent behaviour such as delinquency, alcohol and drug use and these have concluded that parental supervision is an important factor in deterring deviant adolescent behaviour. This paper proposes a modification of the widely supported Uses and Gratification framework to better understand Internet usage and the dependency of adolescents. The proposed framework could help raise the awareness on risk mitigation on the Internet.