Positive psychology in internet addiction. Psychology Research Paper

Positive psychology in internet addiction
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Abstract
Positive psychology has been determined as an effective psychology approach that helps in studying an individual’s feelings and thoughts and determining how one’s strengths can be promoted to make life worth living by facilitating happiness and joy. Besides, it has been noted that the development of technology and the availability of the internet have increased internet usage. There are individuals who use most of their time on the internet, which can cause addiction. Addition occurs when internet use interferes with one’s regular activities and hinders an individual from engaging in real face-to-face interactions and becomes reliant on the virtue relationships established on the internet. Ideally, positive phycology can be easily integrated into internet addiction disorder. It has been noted that positive psychology may be attained at different levels, including subjective level, which is concerned with positive experiences such as happiness and joy. The second phase is the individual level, and it is concerned with the elements of a good life. The positive cognitive behavioral therapy has been identified as the most appropriate intervention to help an individual with an internet addiction disorder. The Positive CBT would help in help in identifying the strengths of the addicted individual and determine how they would be applied in facilitating well-being.
Introduction
Psychologist Abraham Maslow was the original coiner of the term Positive Psychology back in the 1950s. Positive psychology refers to the scientific study of things that makes human beings’ life worth living. Also, positive psychology can be examined as a scientific approach to the study of an individual's feelings, thoughts, and behaviors while maintaining focus on the strengths and not the individual's weaknesses. It involves building a good life instead of focusing on repairing the old unfruitful life of the individual. Positive psychology also aims at taking the ordinary people to live up to great, not only focusing on bringing the low life to be healthy. Positive experiences and positive traits and states such as joy, happiness, love, inspiration, gratitude, compassion, and resilience are applied in positive institutions and organizations.
Internet addiction is commonly known as Compulsive Internet Use and Problematic Internet Use. It was theorized as a disorder back in 1995 by doctor Goldberg Md after he compared the pathological gambling of the internet addiction disorder in the past few years. With the current technological advancements and the availability of internet connectivity and connected devices, the internet addiction has found its way to curb most internet users who unfortunately do not understand that they are suffering from a disorder (Iacolino et al., 2019). The joint effects of internet addiction disorder are in some parts of the brain. The experience of the internet releases dopamine, which is the chemical in the brain that promotes a pleasurable feeling which lacks in case of the passage of time without the use of the internet. This is precisely the case of internet disorder. At the beginning stages, most people fail to realize that a disorder is forming in the brain since it is a part of their routine until much later when they cannot do without internet (Hanson, 2019). The particular day's activities are left undone, and physical, social relationships are kept minimal since the individual is used to the virtual internet world. The discipline of Positive physiology comes in with strategies that help curb this effect and restore the healthy human brain.
This literature, focuses on internet addiction disorder and the application of positive psychology to the society to deal with the problem of internet addiction, which as mentioned most people fail to understand the initial stages of addiction until it is a lot developed. The extents of internet addiction in society will be evaluated from the findings of the past researchers concerning the issue. The available and most appropriate means of curbing the disorder will be discussed as well.
Current approaches that most psychologists use while approaching this internet addiction disorder will be evaluated and discussed, including physiological treatments and border intervention programs are some of the approach strategies used to curb the disorder and will be analyzed. The report will also focus on the medical industry's existing efforts or, in other terms, the most common modes of fighting and addressing this social issue. Positive physiology is also critically discussed in the report with the focus being on understanding what the strategy of positive physiology entails, the procedure used for the application of positive physiology intervention to the society for the proper address the issue of internet addiction.
Overview of chosen social issue
The problem of internet addiction is a condition which affects the brain in such a way that, after an individual spends a lot of time on the internet continuously for the better parts of the day, dopamine which is the chemical in the brain that promotes a pleasurable feeling which lacks in case of the passage of time without the use of internet (Kato, Shinfuku, & Tateno, 2020). Therefore, Internet addiction occurs when an individual is affected by a lack of internet or cannot stop the habit of internet usage for a long time. To understand the level of addiction of an individual, questions such as the frequency of online gaming, the amount and time spent in online shopping, and how frequent in a small period such as two hours do, and individuals check their medial social accounts such as Facebook and snap chat.
With such questions, the level at which the internet is, affecting the individual’s daily life can be determined. Another criterion that an individual could assess their level of addiction is by analyzing their physical relationship compared to the virtual relationships created by internet addiction (Tokunaga, 2017). The above-discussed instances comprise the precise meaning of the term internet addiction. Before its theorization by Dr. Ivan Goldberg, internet addiction was initially being debated if it was real. Since Goldberg's findings and reporting, the condition has rapidly spread and gained ground in all parts of the world.
Many researchers, doctors, and mental health counselors have given many resources in internet addiction research. They have found out that internet addiction disorder is a much debilitating disorder that it seems (Chou & Lee, 2017). In the European and American cultures, though not widely accepted as a disorder, internet addiction, as reported by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is staggering. The reports show that the condition has affected about 38% of the general population. There are also other reports suggesting that the rate of prevalence of internet addiction disorder is about 8.2% (Wang, Wu, & Lau, 2016). Many researchers agree that the difference in the research findings is since there has never been a clearly outlined mode and methods of standardized criteria that researchers could use to assess internet addiction. Different mental health professionals and scientists use their individually selected methods of research across different ethnic cultures in different parts of the world.
The advancement of technology and internet resources recently has made the availability of content on internet inexhaustible. The availability of access to the internet has also been made much more comfortable with the production of cheap mobile phones and a high-speed internet connection, such as the current 5G network, which has raised controversial issues. Another issue that has led to the outburst of internet addiction is the lack of standardization of internet use. Anyone, as long as they have internet connectivity, can surf the internet as much as they want without intervention or prevention (Lau et al., 2017). This is why that makes the condition more common in the young generation compared to the old population. It is a common idea where the medicine of boredom is surfing the internet since the virtual world has become more interesting than the real world.
The troubling idea is that, due to the explosion of the digital era that has left internet addiction to take charge of most people’s lives, the trouble comes to those who understand that they are suffering from internet addiction and are trying to quit (Tang et al., 2020). The outburst of the technological era has made everyone to be surrounded by technology. Quitting, therefore, has been a nightmare for most people. Most of our daily lives’ activities are run and enhanced by technology. Moving to old-school lifestyle has therefore proved futile for most patients with an internet addiction disorder.
It is important to note that, just because an individual watches many videos on YouTube, likes to check their social media accounts frequently and makes purchases very frequent in online shopping, does not mean that they suffer from the condition of internet addiction. Trouble, however, starts where the activities mentioned earlier starts to interfere with the ordinary lives of the individual. For instance, when a person misses their common list activities. At the same time, on the internet, it does not complete daily duties and has no life outside social media, then the person is addicted to the internet (Ogel et al., 2015). Internet addiction is divided into categories with the most common ones, including social networking, online gaming, blogging, emailing, and inappropriate internet use, such as cybercrime and pornography use.
The above-discussed examples make up for the reason that other researchers use in the evaluation of the internet addiction condition by giving their argument like that the time spent on the internet is not the problem that causes internet addiction. Instead, the motive behind using the internet comprises the better part of the establishment of the cause of internet addiction. There are different multi-dimensional risks of internet disorder, including child molesters, which is a typical experience case for the youth population (Tateno et al., 2018). Other risk factors are social functional impairments, physical impartments, impulsive use of the internet, emotional impartments, and dependence on the internet for their daily lives.
Just like most disorders, internet addiction is a disorder that has multiple contributing factors. According to researchers, individuals with internet addiction have their brains making up similar processes for those suffering from drugs and alcohol (Iacolino et al., 2019). To be precise, most researchers think that there is a link between internet addiction and the changing of physical brain structure, such as the brain mechanism that deals with the amount of white and gray matter in the prefrontal brain region. This is the region in the brain that is tasked with duties such as attention, planning, remembering details, and prioritizing tasks (Zhang & Ho, 2017). Researchers, therefore, argue, argue that, since individuals suffering from internet addiction are unable to do each of the activities mentioned above, internet addiction disorder affects the prefrontal region of the brain, leading to losing control of most of their lives’ situations and dependence the internet for survival.
Diagnosis of internet addiction, as mentioned above, is not yet standardized but has been used by a significant number of researchers is the KW Beards’s article published in 2005 on CyberPsychology and Behavior. Beard's criteria involve the observation of an individual by an external party to diagnose how internet use is affecting them (Liu et al., 2020). In the treatment issue, most medical professionals have argued that medications can be an active mode of treatment of internet addiction. This is because of the treatment of internet addiction disorder as a condition that affects the brain, causing depression and anxiety. The argument, as mentioned earlier by medical professionals, further argues that research done on the use of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications proved fruitful for most patients with a reduction of from 35 hours to 16 hours of use of internet per week of the infected individual (Koski-jännes & Simmat-durand, 2017). Physical activity programs have also been included in the therapy for the treatment of internet addiction.
Introduction and integration of positive psychology
Positive psychology is examined as the branch of psychology that is aimed at character strengths and behaviors that make it possible for individuals to build and establish a life of meaning and purpose. Therefore, positive psychology may be examined as a science of the positive aspects of human life and may include various aspects that are critical in an individual’s life, such as happiness and well-being. It is essential to comprehend that positive psychology is critical about developing human strengths that are ideal for making life worth living. Besides, while other branches of psychology are determined and focused on abnormal behaviors, the goal of positive psychology is to help individuals to become happier. There is a need to comprehend that the concept of positive psychology has grown significantly since its inception. In contemporary society, more people are increasingly looking for information that would be critical for making them more fulfilled and achieving their full potential.
Positive psychology can be attained through three different levels; these include the subjective level where which may include the positive experiences that may include joy, happiness, optimism. Positive psychology, at this level, is concerned about feeling good and is not critical about the wellness of an individual. The second phase is the individual level, and it is concerned with identifying the various components of a good life and is also determined in identifying the traits that are associated with the right person (Positive Psychology, 2017). It is essential to comprehend that individuals are likely to become happier through studying various human virtues such as courage, interpersonal skills and the capacity of love. Lastly, the community level focuses on civic virtues and social responsibilities and tolerance, among other factors that would contribute the development of other people in the communities.
There are various ways through which positive psychology may be applied in changing and improving peoples’ well-being. For instance, positive psychology can ne be utilized in creating a purpose which is ideal for improving someone’s psychological well-being. Additionally, positive thinking is critical in helping individuals to facilitate their psychological well-being, and it makes it possible for people to have positive thoughts and facilitate them to feel good. Positive thinking is facilitated when individuals recall positive memories, practice mindfulness and act kindly to other individuals. Besides, individuals who identify their strengths find it easy for them to feel confident and individuals are capable of focusing on the things that they are excellent at and are also able to capitalize on the strengths that they possess. Most importantly, fostering relationships is also critical in reducing loneliness and may also help in improving one’s emotional and physical health. Having quality relationships plays a significant role in improving individuals’ psychological well-being.
There are various aspects of positive psychology that are ideal for promoting interventions and would help in building positive emotions. It is essential to comprehend that there are different factors which are likely to promote well-being. These factors may include positive emotions, engagement, developing meaning, establishing relationships and making accomplishments. Besides, well-being would also be examined from two distinct components that include subjective well-being which would be regarded as hedonic outlook to one’s well-being and it is involved in a cognitive and emotional examination of an individual’s quality of life. It is critical to comprehend that subjective well-being can be assessed through examining and evaluating a person’s satisfaction with life and happiness (White, Uttl & Holder, 2019). On the other side, Psychological well-being is involved with positive relations, independence and an individual’s maturity. Additionally, it is critical to comprehend that psychological well-being would be reflected in different dimensions that include self-acceptance, connecting with other people and being empathetic and can also be exhibited through self-motivation.
Martin Seligman, an American psychologist, developed the PERMA theory of well-being, and it highlights the five most critical elements that should be capitalized when...