Social networking sites (SNS) are especially attractive for adolescents, but it has also been shown that these users can suffer from negative psychological consequences when using these sites excessively. We analyze the role of fear of missing out (FOMO) and intensity of SNS use for explaining the link between psychopathological symptoms and negative consequences of SNS use via mobile devices. In an online survey, 1468 Spanish-speaking Latin-American social media users between 16 and 18 years old completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Social Networking Intensity scale (SNI), the FOMO scale (FOMOs), and a questionnaire on negative consequences of using SNS via mobile device (CERM). Using structural equation modeling, it was found that both FOMO and SNI mediate the link between psychopathology and CERM, but by different mechanisms. Additionally, for girls, feeling depressed seems to trigger higher SNS involvement. For boys, anxiety triggers higher SNS involvement.

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It has been more than a decade since a concern about the addictive use of the Internet and mobile phones was first expressed, and its possible inclusion into the lists of mental disorders has recently become a popular topic of scientific discussion. Thus, it seems to be a fitting moment to investigate the prevalence of this issue over time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of the perception of problematic Internet and smartphone use in young people over the period 2006–2017. To this end, a questionnaire on Internet use habits and two questionnaires on the negative consequences of Internet and smartphone use were administered to a sample of 792 university students. The scores were then compared with the results of former studies that had used these questionnaires. The perception of problematic Internet and mobile phone use has increased over the last decade, social networks are considered responsible for this increase, and females are perceived to be more affected than males. The current study shows how strong smartphone and Internet addiction and social media overlap. Participants from 2017 report higher negative consequences of both Internet and mobile phone use than those from 2006, but long-term observations show a decrease in problematic use after a sharp increase in 2013. We conclude that the diagnosis of technological addictions is influenced by both time and social and culture changes.

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Passion represents one of the factors involved in online video gaming. However, it remains unclear how passion affects the way gamers are involved in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationships between passions and motivations for online game playing. A total of 410 MMORPG players completed an online questionnaire including motives for gaming and the Passion Scale. Results indicated that passionate gamers were interested in relating with others through the game and exhibited a high degree of interest in discovery of the game, gaining leadership and prestige but little interest in escape from reality. However, some differences were observed with respect to the role of the two types of passion in the different types of motivation. Specifically, harmonious passion (HP) predicted higher levels of exploration, socialization, and achievement, in that order, while obsessive passion (OP) predicted higher levels of dissociation, achievement, and socialization. The present findings suggest that HP and OP predict different ways of engaging in MMORPGs and confirm that passion is a useful construct to help understand different motivational patterns demonstrated by MMORPG players.

BackgroundThe emerging field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has brought about new interaction styles. Its excessive use may lead to addictive behaviours.The objective is to determine the prevalence of the problematic use of ICT such as Internet, mobile phones and video games, among adolescents enrolled in mandatory Secondary Education (ESO in Spanish) and to examine associated factors.MethodsCross sectional, multi-centric descriptive study. Population: 5538 students enrolled in years one to four of ESO at 28 schools in the Vallès Occidental region (Barcelona, Spain). Data collection: self-administered socio-demographic and ICT access questionnaire, and validated questionnaires on experiences related to the use of the Internet, mobile phones and video games (CERI, CERM, CERV).ResultsQuestionnaires were collected from 5,538 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 20 (77.3 % of the total response), 48.6 % were females. Problematic use of the Internet was observed in 13.6 % of the surveyed individuals; problematic use of mobile phones in 2.4 % and problematic use in video games in 6.2 %.Problematic Internet use was associated with female students, tobacco consumption, a background of binge drinking, the use of cannabis or other drugs, poor academic performance, poor family relationships and an intensive use of the computer.Factors associated with the problematic use of mobile phones were the consumption of other drugs and an intensive use of these devices.Frequent problems with video game use have been associated with male students, the consumption of other drugs, poor academic performance, poor family relationships and an intensive use of these games.ConclusionsThis study offers information on the prevalence of addictive behaviours of the Internet, mobile phones and video game use.The problematic use of these ICT devices has been related to the consumption of drugs, poor academic performance and poor family relationships.This intensive use may constitute a risk marker for ICT addiction.

Andres Chamarro*,**, Xavier Carbonell***, Josep Maria Manresa**,****, Raquel MunozMiralles**,*****, Raquel Ortega-Gonzalez******, M. Rosa Lopez-Morron*******, Carme Batalla-Martinez********, Pere Toran-Monserrat** * Departament Psicologia Basica, Evolutiva i de l'Educacio. Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, España. ** Unitat de Suport a la Recerca Metropolitana Nord, IDIAP Jordi Gol, Sabadell, España. *** FPCEE Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, España. **** Departament d'Infermeria, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, España. ***** CAP Ca n'Oriac, Institut Catala de la Salut, Sabadell, España. ****** CAP Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, Institut Catala de la Salut, Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, España. ******* CAP Castellar, Institut Catala de la Salut, Castellar del Valles, España. ******** CAP Sant Quirze, Institut Catala de la Salut, Sant Quirze del Valles, España.El objetivo del presente estudio es validar el Cuestionario de Experiencias Relacionadas con los Videojuegos (CERV). El cuestionario consta de 17 ítems, desarrollados a partir del CERI de Beranuy y cols., y valora el uso problemático de los videojuegos no masivos. Se ha validado para adolescentes que cursan estudios de secundaria obligatoria. Para la validación se ha realizado un análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) y un análisis de consistencia interna. La estructura factorial muestra dos factores a) Dependencia psicológica y uso para la evasión, y b) Consecuencias negativas del uso de videojuegos. Se ofrecen puntos de corte de la escala para sujetos sin problemas en el uso de videojuegos (SP), problemas potenciales en el uso de videojuegos (PP) y problemas severos en el uso de videojuegos (PS). Los resultados indican que se da una mayor prevalencia entre varones y que el uso problemático disminuye con la edad. El CERV parece ser un buen instrumento para el cribado de adolescentes con dificultades derivadas del uso de videojuegos. Estudios futuros deberían relacionar el uso problemático de videojuegos con dificultades en otros ámbitos de la vida, como el académico.Palabras Clave: adicción a los videojuegos en línea; cuestionarios; estudios de validación; videojuegos; adicción a videojuegos.Resumen

Título: Uso problemático de Internet y móvil en adolescentes y jóvenes españoles. Resumen: Las adicciones a las Tecnologías de la Información y de la Comunicación han devenido una importante área de investigación. Los objetivos del estudio fueron caracterizar el posible uso problemático de Internet y móvil y analizar la capacidad predictiva de estos usos problemáticos para explicar las puntuaciones en el Cuestionario de Experiencias Relacionadas con Internet (CERI) y en el Cuestionario de Experiencias Relacionadas con el Móvil (CERM). Se aplicaron tres cuestionarios) a 1.879 estudiantes: un cuestionario general sobre uso de Internet y de móvil, un cuestionarios sobre uso problemático de Internet (CERI) y otro sobre móvil (CERM). El clúster ofreció una solución de tres grupos tanto para el CERI como para el CERM: sin problemas, problemas ocasionales y problemas frecuentes. No se encontraron diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en Internet pero había más mujeres en el grupo de problemas frecuentes con el móvil. La comparación con nueve estudios españoles sugiere que: a) el tiempo conectado no es por sí sólo un buen indicador de uso problemático; b) emerge la relación entre uso problemático de Internet y malestar psicológico; c) el factor que puede explicar este uso problemático son las comunicaciones alteradas de identidad que ocurren al esconder la verdadera identidad; y d) las encuestas poblacionales no permiten confirmar la existencia de un trastorno adictivo persistente asociado a las TIC. Palabras clave: Adicción a Internet; Adicción al teléfono móvil, Adolescentes; Adultos jóvenes; Tecnologías de la Información y de la Comunicación (TIC).Abstract: Addiction to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has become an important research topic. The aims of the present study were to determine the problematic uses of Internet and cell phones in Spanish teenagers and young students and analyze the predictive capacity of these problematic uses to explain scores on the CERI (Cuestionario de Experiencias Relacionadas con Internet) and CERM (Cuestionario de Experiencias Relacionadas con el Móvil). Three questionnaires were applied to 1,879 students: a general questionnaire for Internet and cell phone use, one scale for problematic use of Internet (CERI) and one for cell phone (CERM). Cluster analysis yielded a solution involving three groups for both CERI and for CERM: no problems, occasional problems and frequent problems. There were no differences between males and females in Internet but there were more females showing frequent problematic use of cell phone. A comparison with nine previous Spanish studies suggests that: a) the amount of time spent connected is not a good indicator of problems deriving from its use; b) the factor that could explain problematic use is altered identity communication (AIC), which occurs when users hide or alter their true identity; and c) population survey data alone do not allow to confirm the existence of a persistent addictive disorder related to ICT.