Balancing Between Internet Use Risks and Opportunities: A Multimodal Perspective

Abstract Background: The technological advancement experienced in recent years accelerated the transition from offline to online environments, resulting in a significant Internet use uptake and thus redefining the social fabric. Considering the recency and significance of such an event, new risks and opportunities related to online activity have emerged. In this context, risks associated with excessive and disordered online activity may result in interpersonal conflict and undesired mental states. Alternatively, the systematic examination of online behavior may present the opportunity to identify phenotypical expressions of undesired mental health conditions. Aims: This project aims to understand the risks associated with Internet use by elucidating the conceptualization and measurement of excessive and disordered online activity. Additionally, it aims to assess potential opportunities of studying online activity, by detecting and predicting mental conditions, such as anxiety and depression, via the measurement and quantification of online behavior. Method: To address these aims, this project includes eight studies using a range of methodological designs and approaches to help improve the conceptualization, measurement and interventions related to risks and opportunities of Internet use. Results: Results provide evidence of uniquely different problematic behaviors related to disordered online activity. These involve disordered online gaming, disordered Internet use, problematic social media use, problematic online shopping, problematic online sexualized behavior, and compulsive online gambling, among others. Moreover, the results reported here identified the appropriate psychometric properties of selected measures for assessing disordered online activity. Finally, considering the opportunities related to online activity, these results illustrate the possibility of accurately detecting and predicting mental health presentations via digital means. Conclusions: These results suggest the need to move towards a formal recognition of diagnoses related to disordered online activity. Considering these disorders’ high prevalence and negative consequences, addressing and acknowledging the problematic nature of the disordered online activity may mitigate a potentially ill-favoured restructuring of our current social fabric. Similarly, recognizing the unique nature of these problematic behaviors can help mental health professionals devise tailored interventions to address these presentations effectively. Finally, findings suggest links between a person’s digital records and mental health presentations, enabling early detection and timely interventions and thus significantly minimizing undesired consequences.