Hey everyone,

I’m doing my Doctorate at QUT and I’m exploring the phenomenon of ‘internet addiction’, or problematic internet use, i.e., spending too much time online (e.g., whether it actually exists, what the main features might be).

As such, I’m hoping to recruit people who:
- are over 16 years of age
- experience MILD TO SEVERE PROBLEMS from their internet use or feel their use of the internet is excessive.

If you think you might fit this description (or even if you’re not sure, but are curious to take part), please follow the link below, read the information sheet about the project, and decide whether you’d like to take part.

The research involves a SHORT ONLINE SCREENING SURVEY and then possibly a PHONE INTERVIEW if you are happy to do one (the screening survey is so I can make sure I interview people with a range of different problems). If it interests anyone, the phone interviews are largely open-ended, so you'd get the chance to talk more openly about your internet use.

PLEASE NOTE: Completing the survey does not oblige you to do a phone interview, so it’s okay if you change your mind during or after the survey.

There’s a detailed information sheet and consent form before you have to answer any questions, so just follow the link to find out more:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/internetuseresearch

I really appreciate your help - please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

- Tania McMahon

*Sanctioned by trog 221100* (huge thanks for permitting me to post :D)

EDIT: Thanks guys for fixing up the link! And thanks to those who have done the survey so far, although I haven't got many takers for the phone interviews yet unfortunately :( If it helps, there's a $25 Coles/Myer gift voucher in it for anyone who opts to do an interview....

There's an awkward barrier which I must first overcome to do surveys on the Internet about how I use the internet too much. :P

Posted at 1am :P

DON'T TELL ME I HAVE A PROBLEM TANIA.

Here's a corrected link to survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/internetuseresearch

il give it a go

bet trog advertises on surveymonkey. man-children WHO TOO MUCH INTERNET?? qgl.org

I really enjoyed your UQ honours thesis entitled "How can they possibly believe that? The influence of age-related inhibitory losses on belief in false and suspicious information"

Pinky, I raise you! Completed at 2am!!

Addict!

Wait ...

(e.g., whether it actually exists, what the main features might be).

and then ...

- experience MILD TO SEVERE PROBLEMS from their internet use or feel their use of the internet is excessive.

Just a thought, you might want to ask for people who use the internet for X number of hours per day / week rather than just people with problems, otherwise you're going to get an absolute result of "wow everyone that uses the internet has problems!".

Ah, I see your angle. So what would determine if someone is addicted or not? I use it up to 12 hours a day some times (8 hours work, the rest entertainment).

In my view the internet just centralizes a lot of things I enjoy or have to do (work included), so I use it a lot ... otherwise I'd be out in front of the TV, reading books, talking/texting on a phone, playing a console or asking someone if they want fries with that. Or playing jenga.

Completed it, I have cut down alot in the last week or so by turning my computer off which deters me from just jumping on as soon as I get home from work. Parts of the survey needed a sometimes not just a straight out YES/NO.

Superform, are you not English?

your doing a phd at an Australian uni and your asking Australians to participate and yet there is no category for Australian..

I don't think that most of us see it as an issue, maybe less of a "mistake" and more an incompatibility with whatever upsets you about that. FTR I'm like a jillionth generation Australian and don't consider myself English, but know that my cultural background is obviously the "English" option.

Or someone actually did their homework and is contacting their target population directly rather than post it randomly around the internet?

/shrug

Hahah well hello kr0wb4r, I was wondering when I'd see you on here. Thanks for the props, you know where I'm coming from :)


And re: Zakson

So what would determine if someone is addicted or not?

I get this question all the time, and I always reply....that's exactly what the aim of my study is. And then people ask, 'well why not interview people and ask them directly?' And I say.....that's exactly what I'm doing ;P

I think most of the people who claim internet is addicting are just old curmudgeons who don't get it yet.

I'm not gonna say it doesn't exist at all, but it's very easily biased by the person.

I think you're gonna find alot of people spent tons of time online, yet only do it because all the stuff they like (tv / music / friends) are on there too. It's just a different place that's more comfy than a pub down the road to meet up.

Calling it now :P

Also, completed at 2am... Yeah, I have a problem... It's called insomnia >_

The real internet addicts mainly frequent hardcore porn torrent forums

Better check those out

I'm fairly sure that the real addicts visit reddit..

Wtf is with people acting like being up at 2am on a friday night is a problem, you've all gone soft! I doubt theres a friday night where I'm NOT up at 2am, with or without internets.

Yeah if it's not the internet, it's whiskey and cocaine.

Having lived with khel unless the housemate left whiskey and cocaine in the fridge, it's DDR or Hamburgers.

DDR on a full stomach of hamburgers sounds like a recipe for disaster.

having lived in EU for many years now i can say for certain i do not have an english or european cultural background..

i have an austalian cultural background...