How have excessive electronics devices and Internet uses been concerned? Implications for global research agenda from a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Background and aimsExcessive use of electronic devices has become a major global problem. However, little is known about the development and current landscape of research concerning this field. This study aimed at exploring the overall publication trend and topics of research on the overuse of electronic devices and the Internet from 1971 to 2017.MethodsWe systematically searched the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases for published articles on the excessive use of electronic devices and the Internet. Data regarding the publication volume, international collaborations, and geographical locations were analyzed by bibliometrics analysis. Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was undertaken to categorize publications into different research topics.ResultsA total of 2,276 papers from the WOS and 600 papers from the Scopus were included. We found a dramatic increase in the number of scientific papers towards addiction to electronic devices and the Internet. The United State led in all publication parameters including the total number of papers and total citations. China, Korea and Taiwan were among the most prolific countries/regions. Smartphone addiction was the main concern, and the relationship between the overuse of electronic devices and the Internet and mental health issues have been highlighted. On the other hand, our study found a limited appearance of discussion on effective treatment and intervention.Discussion and ConclusionThe findings of this study call for more national and international cooperation in evaluating and intervening addiction to electronic devices and the Internet to gather more knowledge about this phenomenon and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Global scientific production regarding behavioral addictions: An analysis of the literature from 1995 to 2019

“…Firstly, we observe that Asian countries are less productive in gambling and more productive in ITC and gaming. This interest was also observed in the literature ( Chia et al, 2020 , Tran et al, 2020 ). More specifically, it was observed that ITC and gaming have received special attention in Southeast Asia being considered both in China and South Korea as national health problems ( Kuss et al, 2021 ).…”

“…These studies use easy-to-understand production, collaboration, and impact indicators to identify trends over time. In the field of behavioral addictions, some studies have focused only on a particular behavioral addiction, such as internet use disorder ( Moreno-Guerrero et al, 2020 , Tran et al, 2020 , Vega-Almeida and Arencibia-Jorge, 2019 ), gambling and gaming ( Shaffer et al, 2006 , Stehmann, 2020 ) or a combination of the internet and gaming ( Carbonell et al, 2009 ). In the case of the analysis by country, the trend is the same, and studies focused only on a specific behavioral addiction ( Moreno-Guerrero et al, 2020 , Tran et al, 2020 , Vega-Almeida and Arencibia-Jorge, 2019 ) or those that involved the use of technologies and the internet ( Carbonell et al, 2009 ) were found.…”

Technostress Dark Side of Technology in the Workplace: A Scientometric Analysis

“…Research on technostress undoubtedly requires greater post-disciplinary collaboration between researchers from both knowledge branches to collaborate closely, complementing each other in addressing holistic studies on the problems and challenges to be faced in the immediate future [99]. This is new when compared to recent bibliometric studies on the use of technology and its effects on mental health, where journals focus mainly on health issues (Psych* and Neuro*) [100].…”

Prevalence and impact of the use of electronic gadgets on the health of children in secondary schools in Bangladesh: A cross‐sectional study

“…The effects were more on young children than other age cohorts. 7 According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average child spends about 8 hours a day watching electronic screens. 8 Too much screen time and lack of sleep can lead to lack of productivity among children.…”