According to previous studies, negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and boredom have static effect on problematic Internet use and metacognition have partial parameter effect about worry at this time. Perceived stress has influence on negati...
According to previous studies, negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and boredom have static effect on problematic Internet use and metacognition have partial parameter effect about worry at this time. Perceived stress has influence on negative emotions such as depression or anxiety depending on the metacognition level about worry(Spada, 2007). However, there were no studies directly searching for the relation of perceived stress, negative emotion, metacognition about worry, and problematic Internet use. Following previous studies, this study looked into the model reaching for problematic Internet use with metacognition about worry as a parameter, in which perceived stress and negative emotion has gradual relation, and aimed to clarify the mental matter of problematic Internet use.
Unlike Internet addiction, problematic Internet use is a concept including cognition, behavior related to Internet use and negative results following it. Because the criticism that applying the concept of addiction, which is used in material dependance and abuse, in behavioral disabled Internet use isn't right was proposed(Wallace, 1999), using the concept of problematic Internet use which can syntagmatically explain the mental matter of Internet immersion is important.
Unlike everyday stress which is generally used, perceived stress the aspect of an individual perceiving that situation as stress is the concept of stress focusing on cognitive aspect. The same situation can be perceived as stress depending on the individual's cognition and evaluation, and might not be perceived that way. Therefore, instead of the stressful event itself influencing the individual's negative emotion, events perceived by stress have larger aspects causing negative emotion of individuals. Problematic Internet use has close relation with perceived stress and is a factor predicted by negative emotion.
Especially according to Cartwright-Hatton(1997) and Wells(1997), mental disability is a type of mental disability resulting from failure of mental control and metacognition about worry has close influence. Metacognition about worry means metacognition on one's own thinking(especially about worry and invasive thoughts) and is classified into metacognition knowledge and metacognition control strategy.
To verify the metacognition model on stress, anxiety, worry perceived by problematic Internet use, this study conducted a self-report type survey subject to 367 teenagers living in the capital city and perceived stress questionnaire(PSS), anxiety(SCL-90-R), shortened metacognition questionnaire(MCQ-30), problematic Internet use questionnaire(GPIU) were used. Excluding insincere replies, the structural model was verified based on 367 samples and the results are as follows.
The higher the perceived stress level was, anxiety level was higher and people with high anxiety showed high metacognition levels about worry. Especially metacognition about worry set perceived stress and anxiety as prediction variables and complete parameter effect of metacognition about worry was verified because the route of anxiety influencing problematic Internet use wasn't significant. This result doesn't reach problematic Internet use by just perceiving stress or feeling anxiety, but shows that problematic Internet use is reached through the procedure of metacognition about worry. Thus, to escape perceived stress and anxiety, an individual uses the Internet with positive beliefs about worry on problematic Internet use. Thus, they expect that anxiety and stress will be improved if the Internet is used. If anxiety and stress is relieved due to Internet use, they will continue to use the Internet as cognitive confidence on themselves are built, and that results in maladjusted life patterns. That is why necessity of controlling Internet use is felt(Beliefs about the need to control thoughts) and negative beliefs about worry concerning uncontrollability and danger of Internet use occur. Users use the Internet at the thought that they can solve their stress and negative emotion in the first place, but don't believe their own thoughts experiencing more negative results in their life due to Internet use and cannot have confidence(Cognitive self-consciousness). If one's own thoughts and beliefs aren't trusted, stress is once again perceived and the same emotions are experienced. To escape this, they show the same vicious circle of using the Internet again. If intervention is conducted focusing on metacognition about worry of teenagers with problematic Internet use based on the results of this study, it is expected that it will help counseling scenes.