Педагогические науки/6. Социальная педагогика

graduate student E.A. Anistratenko

Transdniestria State Institute of a Development of Education, Moldova

TEENAGE AGE AS RISK FACTOR OF EMERGENCE OF INTERNET ADDICTION

In pedagogical and psychological literature we meet the description of the puberty, as extremely difficult stage in human life. Generally, every period human lives in own way puzzles it. Further development depends on the solution of these tasks. The majority of psychologists agree in opinion that the teenage period puts two important tasks:

1. Achievement of some autonomy, independence of parents.

2. Identity formation, creation complete I, harmoniously combining various elements of the personality. [1]

By results of research of the candidate of medical sciences of Loskutova V.A. the group of risk of development of Internet dependence includes male young people from 14 to 21 year. [3] It is obvious that this group includes people of teenage age.

The author of the on-line book «The Psychology of Cyberspace» the J.Suler Ph.D. answers a question why the Internet is so attractive for teenagers.

- identity experimentation and exploration

There is a possibility by means of the Internet to learn more about the personality, than he would like to be engaged in life and to receive other, especially important existential answers. [5] From this point of view, social networking services are very attractive to teenagers, there is a mass of electronic appendices where it is possible to answer questions of the acquaintances, to estimate photos of friends and in turn to receive from them estimates, to learn that they about you wrote. It is some kind of reflection, to learn what impression you make possibility on acquaintances or those who knows you only on virtual communication. In our opinion, danger is that teenagers not accepted by schoolmates, with the weak social activity, closed, can become dependent on communication in social networks, replace real communication virtual.

- venting frustrations

The puberty is critical and he is hard for worrying, this stage is accompanied by experiences, stresses and disappointments. It is natural that the teenager aspires to get rid of frustrating experiences. The anonymous, easily available Internet for this purpose is most welcome. [5] It is important to teach to consult the adolescents with stresses in the constructive ways, is skillful to leave conflict situations. For this purpose it is necessary to develop the program of psychocorrectional occupations.

The Russian scientists professor Lichko A.E. and professor Bitensky V.S. consider a number of reactions of teenage age which can both to promote addict behavior, and to interfere with it:

- emancipation reaction;

- the reaction caused by the being formed sexual inclination;

- imitation reaction;

- grouping reaction

- reaction of hobby.[2]

Let's consider these reactions in a context of behavior of teenagers in a cyberspace:

Emancipation reaction: aspiration to be liberated from under guardianship, control, the management, protection from native, tutors, the teachers, in general all seniors on age, from the orders established by them, rules and laws. Studying addict behavior, Lichko A.E. and Bitensky V.S. came to a conclusion that the special form of behavior at emancipation reaction «poisoning with freedom» (the behavior of the adolescent becomes opposite to that from it was required earlier, involves that wasn't permitted) promotes addict behavior. [2]

J.Suler Ph.D. describes some psychological features of the puberty in a context of behavior of adolescents on the Internet. He notes that the Internet is attractive to teenagers at the moment of their separation from parents. On the one hand the teenager is grasped by independence, possibility to get acquainted and communicate with everybody and to behave somehow on the Internet, on the other hand – teenagers feel alarm which accompanies process of separation from parents. The cyberspace allows to be independent, without leaving home walls. [5]

It is important to note that the environment of the global Internet allows to minimize authorities [6], anonymity of communication leads to that the people possessing the different social statuses, become equal, their possibilities to self-express on the Internet are almost identical. From this point of view, the Internet gives the chance quite realize emancipation reaction, in turn, anonymity of communication can to lead to «poisoning with freedom». Therefore, reaction of emancipation increases risk of development Internet addiction.

Doctor of medical sciences, professor Egorov A.Yu. considers that the reactions caused by the being formed sexual inclination, in a certain measure can influence a choice of psychoactive substances and even to promote abuse of them. “In the teenage environment there is an ordinary opinion that smoking of preparations of hemp also promotes increase of a potentiality and does sexual feelings especially sharp and attractive. In this case it is a question of disinhibition effect of hemp, elimination of social and psychological "brakes". With the same purpose alcohol is quite often used also”. [4]

J.Suler writes about "The Online Disinhibition Effect". Which essence that the Internet user feels it is more unchained and expresses itself more openly, being in virtual space. Exists as positive (unknown generosity, kindness etc.) and negative (more aggressive style of communication, visit of sites with the pornographic contents etc.) the parties of effect of an online disinhibition. [6]

Thus, we can draw a conclusion that on a row with a chemical disinhibition there is also not chemical. The reactions caused by the being formed sexual inclination, can be realized by teenagers on the Internet under the influence of effect of the online disinhibition. An act, on which the person wouldn't decide to make in real life, is quite possible in the virtual. Unfortunately, on the Russian-speaking Internet access to sites of the pornographic contents practically isn't limited. Here we see a big sphere of activity on informing of parents on need of control of what sites visits their child. It is important to educate parents about ways of such control, there is a software, allowing to block certain harmful sites.

Imitation reaction, i.e. aspiration of the adolescent to copy behavior, a manner to communicate and put on, tastes and addictions of people, usually, more seniors on age to which he has positive feelings — with respect before blind honoring and adoration (for example, an idol). As object of imitation variety stars, film actors, any celebrated personalities or the leaders of the teenage environment who are enjoying authority and respect can act. [2]

Reaction of imitation can, both to promote addict behavior, and to interfere with it. Doctor of medical sciences, professor Lichko A.E., studying a problem of tendency to alcoholization of teenagers, came to a conclusion that if the object or objects of imitation conduct a way of life connected with alcohol intake and drugs, and the teenager will follow their example. On the contrary, if "idol" stands up for a healthy lifestyle, interesting hobbies, sports activities, his behavior will be played by a role of rather powerful anti-narcotic incentive. [2]

It is obvious that with a view of prevention of Internet addiction it is necessary to involve mass media, to arrange actions with participation of youth musical groups within school evenings, to organize conversations with the young teachers who are enjoying authority at school students.

Grouping reaction with contemporaries is the leading sociopsychological factor promoting addict behavior [2].

The group of contemporaries for the teenager serves:

first: an important information channel which he can't receive from adults;

secondly: — a new form of the interpersonal relations by means of what the teenager learns people around and itself;

thirdly: the group represents a new type of emotional contacts, impossible in a family. [4]

Adolescents look for companions and new groups where they can have a feeling of accessory. All these relations have for an object the most part studying of the own personality. On the Internet there is almost boundless number of people and groups for interaction - all types of people and groups, with all types of persons, traditions, values and interests. [5]

Apparently from above told, the reference group is very important for the adolescent. If in group it is prestigious to have the personal computer, to be the skillful user of computer programs and the Internet, the teenager is obliged will divide these attitudes, otherwise, it is rejected by group. From conversations with pupils we learned that many (54 % from 95 people) after school communicate with friends in social networking services and play network games. On a question why don't play at the yard, answered: «My friends don’t play at the yard, all correspond or play at the computer». It follows from this that reaction of grouping promotes Internet addiction.

Social contacts in virtual community have the specific nature, combining such qualities, as selectivity, anonymity and availability.[3] According to candidate of medical sciences Loskutova V.A. the Internet as the way of addict realization, is rather unique, but only one it can't explain emergence Internet addiction, there should be a certain personal predisposition. «An insufficiency complex» (low self-image, a dissatisfaction with), tendency to imaginations, shyness, existence of a social phobia, understanding of a lack of the social status or attention to the person – here lines of the personality which can contribute to Internet addiction emergence. [3] Therefore, at carrying out preventive occupations, it is necessary to consider that teenagers with an insufficiency complex get to group of risk of emergence of addiction on communication in the Internet.

Reaction of hobby as a rule, interferes with addict behavior. Especially strongly counteracts addict behavior intellectual and esthetic hobbies (hobby for literature, music, painting, history, philosophy etc.). Corporal-manual hobby (aspiration to develop force, dexterity, to reach high sports results etc.) also interferes with addict behavior. [2]

We consider that this type of reaction, pertinently to use by program drawing up on Internet addiction prevention. It is important to cause interest of pupils to visit of circles, hobby groups, participation in various out-of-class actions, work of class teachers, the director of studies on teaching and educational work, organizers of leisure of pupils here is invaluable.

The unique exception — the special type of a hobby called information-and-communicative [2]. Such teenagers give all the time to thoughtless communication with contemporaries, absorption of unnecessary data and an exchange of little significant and not demanding any intellectual processing of information. From here — inclination to the asotsialny companies of contemporaries. [2]

Social networking services allow to realize reaction of an information and communicative hobby, considerable time is allocated for thoughtless communication with contemporaries. By results of our pilot study of 57 % from 95 pupils spend daily 3 and more hours in social networks of the Internet. Thus, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the environment of virtual communication with contemporaries is very attractive to the teenager and gives the chance to it to realize an information- and-communicative hobby.

Pilot study confirmed an urgency of prevention of dependence of adolescents from social networking services. The quantity of spent time for communication in social networking services should affect health and progress of pupils.

J.Suler comes to a conclusion “Because cyberspace can satisfy so many of the adolescent's needs, there is the possibility of becoming "addicted" to it”. [5] Meanwhile, he notes, what not all teenagers are subject Internet addiction: some will be only casual users, some will pass through a stage of strong interest to the Internet. “The ones who do fall prey to the net most likely are experiencing problems in their real lives. Cyberspace becomes an escape, a place to vent, a place to act out or even cry out for help.” [5] We draw a conclusion that for prevention the Internet of dependence it is important to lean on a psychological portrait of the teenager of group of risk of emergence the Internet addiction.

The point of traits of character, i.e. character accentuation according to Lichko A.E. is also peculiar to teenagers. How accentuation of character and Internet addiction correspond? Research of personal features of 75 male young faces with the Internet dependence signs, the led A.Yu.Egorov with colleagues (Egorov, etc., 2005), showed that according to the test of personal accentuation of V. Dvorshchenko among the Internet and addict teenagers with "schizoid" (29,8 %), "isteroid" (19,3 %), "labile" and "epileptoid" (on 12,3 %) accentuation types prevail. [4]

Among Internet addicts there was a risk of possible personal frustration (psychopathy) and a social disadaptation authentically more often. At surveyed Internet addicts the risk of alcoholization appeared in 7 times higher, than in control group, and the expressed and moderate risk of a narcotization— is higher in 6,8 times. In respect of features of character Internet addicts differ from teenagers with chemical addiction. At the same time the increased tendency to alcoholization and a narcotization, found at Internet addicts, testifies to existence of the general psychological to the devil of the persons inclined to different forms of addict behavior. [4]

Professor Egorov A.Yu. explains prevalence of shizoid accentuation among Internet addicts features of activity in a network: it is a certain escape from reality that is peculiar to shizoids. According to Egorov A.Yu., the large number of persons with an isteroid accentuation among the Internet addicts, speaks that is teenagers, whose requirements are frustrated in the real world, and they aspire to realization of the isteroid lines in the virtual world (for example, it can be acquaintance and communication in the chats, having relatively isteroid pseudologia elements). [4] Proceeding from it, we assume that teenagers will be inclined to dependence on communication in social networking services with an isteroid accentuation of character.

Professor Egorovs A.Yu. and colleagues also investigated the sphere of requirements by means of R. Kettell's 16-factorial personal questionnaire. It became clear that adolescents, having high, dominating need for close communication (a factor A), thus have no sufficient social courage (a factor H) for establishment of the relations with surrounding people in the real world. Internet addicts are low adaptive and timid that prevents them to look for relatives to itself people and to adjust close confidential relationship both with contemporaries, and with adults. Probably, the satisfaction of their requirements for support, approval, communication is displaced from a framework of an everyday life in life virtual. Egorov A.Yu. data also as well as Loskutova V.A. data speak about low self-image Internet addicts. [3,4]

Summing up, we draw a conclusion that, according to many scientists, the puberty is risk factor of emergence of dependence, including Internet addiction. The psychological features of the teenage period listed in article are necessary for considering at work on Internet dependence prevention. We emphasize, not all teenagers are inclined to the Internet addiction, but a stage of a keen interest in the Internet pass the majority of users and it is important to prevent dependence development. We emphasize, not all teenagers are inclined to the Internet addiction, but a stage of a keen interest in the Internet pass the majority of users and it is important to prevent dependence development. During preventive work it is necessary to give special attention to pupils from group of risk: with the underestimated self-image, timid, with a shizoid, isteroid, labile and epileptoid accentuation of character. It is important to inform class teachers and parents on psychological features of such pupils. Parents are also necessary for informing on ways of control of time which spent for visit Internet and qualities of looked-through sites.

Literature

1. Grace C. J., Baucum D. Human development. – St.: Peter, 2000. – 992.

2. Lichko A.E., Bitensky V.S. Teenage narcology. – L.: Medicine, 1991. – 304.

3. Loskutova V.A. Internet addiction as form of not chemical addict frustration Text.: author's abstract of the dissertation of the candidate of medical sciences. – Novosibirsk: Novosibirsk state medical academy, 2004. – 20.

4. Guide to an addictology/ edit by professor Mendelevich. – St.:Rech, 2007. – 768.

5. Suler J. Adolescents in Cyberspace: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, 2005

access mode: http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html

6.Suler J. The Online Disinhibition Effect Text/ J. Suler//CyberPsychology and Behavior. 2004. -Vol. 7- P. 321- 326.

access mode: http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/disinhibit.html