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This study examined the relationship between teenagers' use of mobile Internet devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and their involvement in potentially problematic digital behaviors. A cross-sectional correlational design employing a sample (N = 97) of teens aged 13-18 was used. Results indicated that teens using smartphones as their primary source of Internet access spent more time on the Internet and were more likely to receive sexting requests than teens using computers or other devices. Additionally, teens using computers to access the Internet were most likely to view pornography intentionally. Contextual factors such as age, gender, family structure, religious commitment, attachment to parents, and parental monitoring of online activities were also examined to determine their relationship to negative psychological and interpersonal outcomes. Teens who were highly religious and who had strong attachment to their parents were less likely to use the Internet in problematic ways.
With unprecedented access to technology via mobile devices (Rideout, 2015), young people rely heavily on the Internet for interpersonal contact with others (Lenhart, 2015). Many adolescents use Internet-enabled mobile devices in positive ways, such as learning more about the world, assisting in school work, enhancing their social lives, expressing themselves, becoming more organized, finding age-appropriate entertainment, and creating content for other people to use and enjoy (Common Sense Media, 2012; Guan & Subrahmanyam, 2009; Livingstone, 2008; Rideout, 2015). Others, however, can use mobile technologies in potentially problematic ways including excessive Internet use, viewing pornography, and sexting.
Excessive Internet Use
Almost all teenagers access the Internet frequently throughout the day (Madden, Lenhart, Duggan, Cortesi, & Gasser, 2013). However, for some teens who have difficulty controlling the duration and frequency of their online activities, the Internet can be a pervasive influence that interferes with other aspects of life (Caplan, 2010). This excessive Internet use is often referred to by researchers as problematic Internet use (Beard & Wolfe, 2001; Caplan, 2002), Internet addiction (Young, 1998; 2007), or compulsive Internet use (Chou & Hsiao, 2000; Meerkerk, van den Eijnden, & Garretsen, 2006). The term used in the present study is problematic Internet use (PIU). Researchers conceptualize PIU as compulsive use of the Internet that interferes with normal daily life activities (Caplan, 2010), and promotes frequent and unhealthy habits including a preference for online...