LOOKING WITHIN IS EVEN SCARIER –
Oct. 28, 2023 – “The growing interest and use of screen-based technologies throughout the world made me think about its pros and cons,” study author Adeena Ahmed, a clinical psychologist at Lifeline Rehabilitation Centre Islamabad in Pakistan, told PsyPost.
“As I read previously published articles related to screen-time addiction, I realized that very little importance has been given to this topic,” Ahmed said.
To analyze these issues, Ahmed conducted a study involving 150 adults from Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan who completed the Internet Addiction Test, a questionnaire consisting of 20 statements designed to assess an individual’s level of internet addiction. The questionnaire covers several aspects of screen-time use, including spending more time online than intended, neglecting responsibilities, preferring online interactions over real-life ones and experiencing negative emotions when offline.
“Everyone knows about negative impacts of screens and how a behavioral addiction can have the same consequences as substance addiction, but we still have very little empirical evidence that support this debate,” Ahmed said.
