Internet-related Behavior and Mind Wandering

Abstract

Awareness of attention, especially mind-wandering, is more prominent nowadays because of the development of technology that empowers a person to do several jobs and focus on several things simultaneously. This study examines internet-related behavior, namely online fear of missing out and compulsive internet use on mind wandering on active internet users. This study involved 327 internet users aged 17-40 years selected by convenience sampling. This research confirms that fear of missing out and compulsive internet use positively correlate with mind wandering. Furthermore, mind wandering and fear of missing are contrarily related with age.This study explicates that the contribution of internet-related behavior is significant to the incidence of mind wandering, which proves the influence of internet use on inattention, especially in young internet active users. Therefore, the younger generation must be cognizant of and monitor the use and impact of internet use, especially concerning the necessity to maintain focus when handling task demands. This study proposes addressing the adverse consequence of FOMO, compulsive internet use, and mind-wandering on productivity and wellbeing further, notably for the young age.

How and for Whom Is Mobile Phone Addiction Associated with Mind Wandering: The Mediating Role of Fatigue and Moderating Role of Rumination

“…Attention quality, as an important index of individual psychological adaptation, could not be spared from the adverse effects of mobile phone addiction [ 37 ]. Our finding validates and expands previous related research [ 20 , 21 ], which found that individuals with mobile phone addiction have similar cognitive problems to those with Internet game addiction and compulsive Internet use. Specifically, this is reflected in the two aspects of concentration and inhibition of mind wandering.…”

“…Consistent with a previous study [ 20 , 21 , 38 ], the current study indicated that mobile phone addiction will undermine individuals’ cognitive function. Specifically, mobile phone addiction could positively and significantly predict individuals’ mind wandering.…”

“…As a mobile communication device with strong user stickiness, mobile phones were bound to have an impact on the individual’s state of attention or consciousness, especially for individuals with mobile phone addiction [ 19 ]. A few studies have found that individuals who are addicted to the Internet and Internet gaming have inattention problems, such as mind wandering [ 20 , 21 ]. However, few studies focus on the association between mobile phone addiction and individuals’ attention quality and state of consciousness.…”

“…As mobile information technology develops rapidly, the mobile phone, as one of the most attractive mobile internet terminals, has become a major killer of individuals’ attention quality [ 19 , 37 , 38 ]. It is worth emphasizing that mobile phones are a collection of functions such as the Internet and Internet games, which may make individuals addicted to mobile phones and also have similar symptoms and negative effects (e.g., mind wandering) of related addiction problems to a certain extent [ 20 , 21 ]. Mobile phone addiction may also be a prominent risk factor leading to mind wandering.…”

“…As an important indicator of an individual’s sustained attention, mind wandering is the product of the spontaneity of individual thinking [ 24 ]. Similar to individuals with compulsive Internet use and Internet gaming addiction, individuals with mobile phone addiction may also have mind wandering [ 20 , 21 ]. At the same time, according to the executive control failure hypothesis and the resource-control theory of mind-wandering [ 24 ], the lack of executive control resources (such as fatigue) is an important reason for the individual’s mind wandering.…”