Feelings of Loneliness: Understanding the Risk of Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents with Internet Addiction. A Theoretical Model to Answer to a Systematic Literature Review, without Results

Abstract

The Internet has become an essential tool for adolescents. It is part of their social integration within peers and supports their identity construction. The Internet can also become a source of addiction, especially when used as a coping strategy towards unpleasant life situations. Addiction to the Internet is often linked with an increase in the feeling of loneliness. The feeling of loneliness is an emotion present during adolescence. However, in excess, it can lead to suicidal ideation. Addiction to the Internet is also linked to an increased suicide risk. We questioned ourselves on the impact of the feeling of loneliness on the link between an excessive use of the Internet by adolescents and the risks of suicidal ideation. We attempted to find an answer to this question by performing a systematic review of the literature. We found no result matching our search criteria. We noted the absence of studies with regards to the interaction between the feeling of loneliness, addiction to the Internet and the risk of suicidal ideation amongst adolescents. We established a theoretical model which could be used as a lead for future research. We insist on the importance that studies need to be conducted in this domain, in order to enable us to establish efficient preventive measures for the risks of suicidal ideation amongst adolescents.

Internet Addiction and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduate Students in Kathmandu, Nepal

“…Self-control was negatively linked to Internet addiction as prevalence of Internet addiction was found to be higher in individuals with poor self-control than individuals with good self-control [ 30 – 32 ]. The loneliness of the participants was found to be significantly associated with Internet addiction ( p < 0.001) similar with the various studies [ 6 , 33 , 34 ]. Lonely individuals prefer to increase their communication through social networks to meet their emotional needs that was included in the meta-analysis conducted in Iran [ 35 ].…”

Predictors of Gaming Disorder or Protective from It, in a French Sample: A Symptomatic Approach to Self-Regulation and Pursued Rewards, Providing Insights for Clinical Practice

“…Social motives are based on the desire to make new friends. On the other hand, GD is described to induce a social problem in real life which may increase this motivation by compensation [ 23 , 55 ]. Socialization could thus be a protective factor and the video game can create strong social bonds if players continue their friendships outside of online games, which improves socio-emotional well-being [ 28 , 29 ].…”

Adicciones y COVID-19, impacto de la pandemia

“…También preocupa que el uso de internet y las redes sociales aumente la soledad y desesperanza de los más jóvenes incrementando el riesgo de aparición de conductas autolesivas y suicidas (Khatcherian, Zullino, De Leo y Achab, 2022).…”

“…Preocupa especialmente el incremento en el uso de internet y las redes sociales que el confinamiento produjo en los jóvenes y adolescentes. Es ya conocido el efecto que estas tecnologías tienen para la salud mental de los adolescentes y jóvenes más vulnerables; sabiendo, además, que dicha vulnerabilidad ha aumentando durante el confinamiento al producir aislamiento y desesperanza en los más jóvenes (Gjoneska et al, 2022;Khatcherian et al, 2022;Marciano et al, 2021;Shannon et al, 2022).…”