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Korean College Students' Internet Use and Dependency

Investigating Korean College Students' Internet Use Patterns and Motivations,
And Exploring Vulnerability of Internet Dependency



Yong Jun Choi
School of Communication
University of Southern Mississippi

Mary G. "Jorji" Jarzabek
Director of Forensics
Louisiana State University in Shreveport

Jong-Gil Song, Ph.D
Senior Researcher
Broadcasting Research & Information Center
Korean Broadcasting Institute

Do-Sam La, Ph.D
Associate Research Fellow
Seoul Development Institute
Department of Social Development


Correspondence:
USM BOX 5814
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
Phone: (601) 266-3021
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This paper submitted to the Communication Technology and Policy Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Convention, for the 2001 Annual Convention in Washington, DC.


ABSTRACT: (fill in title of the paper here...let me know what it is)

        This in-depth study examines the patterns of and motivations for Internet use by Korean college students.  The research focus is to determine tendencies toward and pattern indicators of Internet dependence.  Data reveal that college students' motivations for using the Internet may lead to dependence on this medium for social interaction.  Students may be at risk for spending too much time "logging on" to the web. Excessive use is cited as a precursor to Internet addiction.





















INTRODUCTION
           The Internet has arguably become one of the most dominant communications media.  Logging onto the Internet has become a daily activity for many people around the world (USA Today, 2000).  Commerce Net (2000) reports the Internet population has grown from 26 million in 1995 to around 242 million in January, 2000.  Nua Internet Surveys (2000) puts the worldwide Internet population at 360 million by July 2000.
These trends in Internet usage are noted by many social scientists (Abela, 1997; Butler, 1995; Cooper, Scherer, Boies, & Gordon, 1998; Hunter, 1996; Kiesler & Sproul, 1987; Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark, Kiesler, Mukopadhyay, & Scherlis, 1998; Perry, Perry, & Hosack-Curlin, 1998; Scherer, 1997; Stempel, Hargrove, & Bernt, 2000; Stoll, 1995; Turkle, 1995; Yoo, 1996).  These studies reveal that the Internet is used as a social tool; to maintain social relationships, as a business tool; to purchase or sell products and services, and as an academic, research tool.  These studies, however, do not focus on the negative effects of Internet use.
Some researchers see excessive Internet use as a significant social problem (Brenner, 1996; Greenfield, 1999a, 1999b, 2000; King, 1996; Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark, Kiesler, Mukopadhyay, & Scherlis, 1999; Murray, 1996; Potera, 1998; Suler, 1996; Thompson, 1996; Young, 1996, 1997a, 1997b).  Researchers state that excessive Internet use could result in social impairment.  They warn that anyone who has access to online communications could become addicted resulting in "Internet dependence."
Internet In Korea
        Korea has experienced remarkable growth over the last 7 years in its Internet population.  Korean users, in 1994, numbered only 0.13 million (Ahn & Kim, 2000).   Recent statistics from the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) show that over 11.34 million Koreans, almost 25% of the country's population, were using the Internet at the end of January 2000 (Creed, 2000).   This number is expected to increase to about 34 million by 2003 (Global Research, 2000).  The latest figures from the MIC rank Korea as the fourth leading Internet user in Asia, exceeding usage in Hong Kong and Japan.
        This rapid expansion has caused some social problems.  Even though Internet technology may seem to help people communicate more effectively, it can reflect antisocial behaviors such as excessive game playing and sexual addiction.  Therefore, it is essential study of Korean Internet usage patterns.  The purpose of this study is to investigate how online activities can be addictive, what kinds of motivations relate to compulsive Internet use, and how addictive behaviors effect other communications.
LITURATURE REVIEW
Internet vs. Traditional Media
Internet technology has significantly affected the public's communication behaviors.  The Internet has partly substituted traditional media for daily communications and leisure activities.  The quantity of electronic mailing has already surpassed that of traditional mail services (Sklaroff, 1999).  FIND/SVP' s survey (1997) explains that traditional media has been displaced by the Internet just as other established media were displaced by the popularization of television in the 1960s.
Negroponte (1995) predicts that computer activities will substantially replace television viewing.  Nielsen Media Research (1999) confirms that people with Internet access watch less TV.  The Strategis Group's report (1998) shows that 64% of Internet users report a reduction in their television viewing or their VCR use.  Stempel, et al, (2000) state that uses of traditional media such as local and network TV news, daily newspapers, and news magazines decline significantly as Internet use increases.
Motivations of Internet Uses
Social scientists indicate a high degree of interest in the growth of Internet use among the public.  Many studies are trying to discover the reasons why people so quickly adopt this technology.  Research is also examining the kinds of Internet service used and how it affects the daily lives of the users.
Social Contact and Information Seeking
Many studies focus on the Internet's basic use for social communication and information seeking.  Butler (1995, Cited in Abela, 1997) and Yoo (1996, Cited in Abela, 1997) find that people mainly use the Internet to communicate with others or to find information.  90% of Butler's subjects report they use the Internet to communicate with other people or as a leisure activity.  They frequently use E-mail services, newsgroups, and Inter-Related Chatting (IRC).  According to the Yoo and Butler studies, E-mail is the most popular Internet service while web site services are common favorites for information gathering.  Abela (1997) confirms that people use the Internet to keep in touch with friends, family, and the world since the Internet has the advantage of having no geographic boundaries.  Abela further notes that users consider the Internet as a giant reference book that contains unlimited information.
Some studies concerning Internet use by college students report similar results.  Perry, Perry and Hosack-Curlin (1998) propose that 80% of surveyed students use the Internet for E-mailing.  Scherer (1997) suggests students mainly use the Internet for maintaining relationships and academic use.  Other motivations include meeting new people and social experimentation as well as seeking sexual, illegal, or immoral material.
Escapism and Avoiding Boredom
Abela (1997) reports that the Internet offers an escape from mundane, everyday life.  Unlike the traditional media, the Internet provides unlimited contents for users to surf coupled with timeless accessibility.  Greenfield (2000) proposes that the Internet has a powerful mood altering capability.  In his study, 29% of the subjects report they regularly use the Internet to alter their mood or escape real life.  He also suggests that people who use the Internet compulsively tend to engage in escapism because of unpleasant emotions associated with boredom.  Dr. Orzack, the founder of Harvard's Computer Addiction Services, confirms this opinion by stating, "the single greatest factor in becoming an addict is boredom," because when people are lonely, there is the Internet with its chat rooms and endless information to fill their needs (Cited in Gong, 1998).
Sexuality
Many people use the Internet for satisfying their sexual desires while they expose themselves to sexual materials such as adult stories, nude photos, and pornography.  Through chat rooms or discussion groups people also talk about sex or exchange their sexual interests.  According to Relevant Knowledge (1998), "9.6 million users, or about 15% of all web users, logged on to the 10 most popular sex sites in the month of April, 1998 alone" (Cited in Young, 1998, p.1).  The abundance and easy accessibility of such sexual materials online could result in compulsive patterns of Internet use for sexual gratification.  Greenfield (1999b, 2000) suggests a high correlation between seeking sexuality on the net and excessive Internet uses.  His study finds that among people who considered themselves as Internet dependents, 62% regularly log on to pornography sites, and report that they sometimes experience sexual arousal while online (Greenfield, 2000).  Also, this type of Internet addict is more likely to experience sexual gratification from online relationships (1999b).  These findings show an interrelationship between online sexual behavior, sexual addiction, and Internet addiction.
Internet Addiction
Although the above studies identify various motivations for Internet usage, they do not focus on excessive Internet use, also known as "Internet addiction or dependence."  Recent studies consider excessive Internet use as a social phenomenon (Brenner, 1996; Greenfield, 1999a, 1999b, 2000; King, 1996; Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark, Kiesler, Mukopadhyay, & Scherlis, 1998; Murray, 1996; Potera, 1998; Suler, 1996; Thompson, 1996; Young, 1996, 1997a, 1997b).  These studies define compulsive Internet use as a mental disorder even though there is no accepted set of criteria for testing Internet dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).  These studies estimate the number of Internet addicts from five to fifteen million.  They suggest that Internet dependents could number as high as 6-10% of total Internet users (Greenfield, 1999a; Young 1996).
Internet Addiction Criteria
Internet addiction disorder is the term first proposed by Dr. Ivan Goldberg for pathological, compulsive Internet usage.  Goldberg (1996) states that Pathological Computer Use Disorder causes distress and has a detrimental effect on "physical, psychological, interpersonal, marital, economic, or social functioning " (Cited in Suler, 1996, p. 2).  Young  (1996) reports that some online users are becoming addicted to the Internet in much the same way that others become addicted to drugs or alcohol.  Addiction results include academic, social, and occupational impairment as well as marital discord and separation.   Goldberg (1996) and Young (1996) parallel this phenomenon with "Pathological Gambling," officially defined by DSM-IV diagnosis criteria (APA, 1994).
Even though there is no formally accepted set of criteria for examining Internet dependence, Young (1996) suggests eight modified criteria for screening addictive Internet use by using the DSM-IV model for pathological gambling:
1.      Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous online activity or anticipate next online session)?
2.      Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?
3.      Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?
4.      Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when you attempt to cut down or stop Internet use?
5.      Do you stay online longer than originally intended?
6.      Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, educational, or career opportunity because of the Internet?
7.      Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet?
8.      Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of receiving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, and depression)?

Young (1996) states that people who answered "yes" to five or more of these questions could be classified as Internet addicts (or Internet dependents) while those who answered "yes" to less than five questions could be considered average Internet users.
Internet Addiction Studies
        Electronic or computer-mediated communications such as E-mail, online chatting, discussion groups, bulletin boards, and Multi-User Dungeons offer individuals the opportunity to experience social contact with no real social presence (King, 1996).  The anonymity of the Internet allows people to express themselves freely and may even encourage them to contact strangers.  Coate (1992) explains that an online community is a very easy, low-risk way to meet people.
        Online communications offer the potential for stimulating emotional involvement, ease of accessibility, 24-hour availability, diverse personal connections, the hyper-personal nature of interpersonal relationships, the ability to witness others interacting, and an uninhibited, no-risk communications environment (King, 1996).   These factors could be reasons why individuals become addicted to the Internet.  Excessive Internet uses that include dependent behaviors and emotional cravings are similar to those of food abuse, gambling, and sexual addiction (Young, 1996).  Internet use may also be an emotional escape from real life when social or emotional issues are painful (Kandell, 1998, Scherer, 1997).  Excessive Internet use is problematic when it results in impaired functionings such as compromised grades or failure to take care of personal and/or professional responsibilities.
Recent studies now define Internet Addiction Disorder.  Brenner (1996) posits that 30% of survey respondents report a failed attempt to cut back on their Internet usage.  Thompson (1996) finds that 72% of respondents report a dependence on the Internet, while 33% feel their Internet use has negative effects on their lives.  47% report some level of physical distress such as blurred vision or sleep disorders.  Thompson concludes that Internet addiction is a phenomenon that deserves more study.
Young (1996, 1997a, 1997b) has conducted studies to confirm this phenomenon as a mental disorder.  Young (1996) suggests that pathological Internet use may be likened to pathological gambling.  Using gambling as a model, Internet addiction can be defined as an impulse-control disorder that does not involve an intoxicant.  In her 1996 study, Young finds that Internet dependents spend an average of 38.5 hours per week online, compared with non-dependents spending an average of 4.9 hours per week.  Thus, excessive use might be a distinguishable characteristic of dependence.  Dependents also predominantly use the Internet for two-way communication functions such as chatting, MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons), news group discussions, or E-mailing, compared with non-dependents who mainly use the Internet for gathering information.  Dependents spend less time with real people in exchange for solitary time in front of a computer.
Sexuality on the Internet is also one of the reasons for compulsive Internet use.  Greenfield (1999b, 2000) found a high correlation between seeking sexuality on the net and excessive Internet use.  Among his subjects who consider themselves Internet addicts, 62% regularly log on to pornography sites and report that they sometimes experience sexual arousal while online (Greenfield, 2000).  Also, this type of Internet addict is more likely to establish online sexual relationships (Greenfield, 1999b).  These findings reinforce the relationship between increased Internet use and sexual addiction.  Greenfield (1999a) identifies four types of web sites that are frequently abused:
ù       Pornography/Sexual material site: 30% of study subjects who use those sites frequently report that they are sex addicts.

ù       Chat/Discussion site: chatting and discussing are basic human needs for "belongingness and social contact (Suler, 1996)."

ù       Indiscriminate Web surfers: surfing without purpose or direction.  There is no end on the net unlike a book, a television show, or a magazine.  There is always another link to follow or another site to investigate.

ù       Shopping, gambling, and stock trading: it is easier to conduct online shopping, gamble, or trade stocks over the Internet than to deal with real people in real time.
Greenfield reports that Internet addicts spend time online for web surfing (78%), gaming (62%), E-mailing (75%), chatting (57%), and shopping (20%) (Cited in Pike, 1999).
Internet Addiction among College Students
Murray (1996) insists that anyone who has access to the plethora of online services can become addicted.  College students are particularly susceptible to compulsive Internet use because of free, on-campus Internet access.  Kandell (1998, cited in Young, 1998) states that college students may be more vulnerable to Internet addiction because they are still in the process of forming their identities and new relationships.  Students may get caught up in the Internet as an escape from the difficulties of real life.
Young (1996), Scherer (1997), and Monahan-Martin (1997) suggest excessive Internet use is problematic for academic performance and relationship building.  Young (1996) finds that Internet dependent students suffer from a lack of sleep.  Some students report their inability to control their Internet use has resulted in an academic failure.  Morhan-Martin (1997) and Scherer (1997) also suggest that significant academic failure and relationship impairment can result from uncontrolled Internet usage.  Scherer (1997) states that 13% of weekly Internet users report dependent patterns that interfere with academic work, professional performance, or social lives.  The study also finds that dependent students spend twice as much time online for leisure activities than non-dependent students.  They are more likely to use the Internet for social experimentation and to seek out sexual or illegal material.  They are more likely to use less popular services such as bulletin board services, chat
rooms, and Multi-User Dungeons.
 Alfred University administrators are alarmed that heavy Internet users' dropout rate is more than double that of other students.  The University of Washington has limited the amount of Internet access available to their students to protect them from the academic failures result from excessive Internet use.  Several other colleges have set up support groups for Internet addiction (Young, 1998).
Addiction Vulnerability
Admittedly, most Internet users are not Internet addicts.  Among people who gamble or drink alcohol about 5-10% develop addictive behaviors (Potera, 1998).  This correlation may also be true for Internet users.  Generally, people who are lonely, bored, depressed, introverted, lack self esteem, or have a history of addictions could be more easily addicted to the Internet (Young, 1996).
        Shotton (1991) states that individuals who are introverted, are more educated than average, and are professional computer users are more easily addicted.  He also explains that computer dependents are more likely to maintain a socially dysfunctional lifestyle; feeling comfortable with prolonged periods of social isolation.  Young (1997b) states that dependents rank high in terms of being self-reliant, have a strong preference for solitary activities, and tend to restrict their social activities.  They also are emotionally sensitive and reactive towards others, have low self-disclose, and are less conforming to social convention.  Young (1996) states that more technically advanced computer users tend to deny their Internet use behaviors as addictive, even though their Internet use has become an integral part of their daily lives.
        King (1996) says an individual's real-life frustrations may enhance a tendency to compulsive Internet use.  Individuals may have an increased sense of equality in virtual communities.  Cyber-anonymity allows one to be judged solely on the strength of one's ideas, regardless of one's status in real life.  This status equalization allows users with less power and popularity in real life to feel more comfortable and respected in their virtual relationships.  This social reinforcement may promote online communications at the expense of real world interactions.  Thus, dependence on virtual communications may be exacerbated.
        Fantasy proneness could be another reason why people use the Internet compulsively.  Rauschenberger (1995) reports that fantasy proneness could indicate a risk for significant psychopathology.  He proposes that in the fantasy world provided by a virtual community one's role and character could be flexible, self-determined, and very different from one's real life.  This could produce a pathological absorption, if the individual is predisposed to that state.
Suler (1996) proposes that there is a strong relationship between Internet addiction and motivations for fulfilling basic human needs.   He suggests that Internet addiction may be understood by relating Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory to an investigation of cyberspace communication.  Suler (1996) says online communication behaviors tend to be related to the third level of Maslow's hierarchy, a sense of belonging, interpersonal contact, and social recognition. He suggests that participation in a virtual environment can become an individual's primary means for social interaction.
The fourth level of Maslow's hierarchy, self esteem and a need for learning, can also be related to Internet addiction behaviors.  Virtual communication environments allow individuals to learn how to interact with and influence others.  They build their personalities in virtual communities and are rewarded with the status earned from these virtual societies (Suler, 1996).  The Internet allows individuals "to work out questions of identity and perhaps even realize inner interests, attitudes, and aspects of their personality that were previously hidden" (Suler, 1996).   Thus, some individuals may rely on the Internet to fulfill their basic need for socialization (Suler, 1996).
Internet Uses in Korea
General Information of Internet Users in Korea
        The Internet population of Korea has doubled every year since 1994 when the technology was introduced to the public.  Information from NUA Surveys and the Ministry of Information and Communication of Korea shows that this cyberspace population will have increased 200% by the end of the year 2000 (estimated 15.3 million), compared with of 5.7 million in July, 1999 (Creed, 2000; NCA, 2000; NUA Survey, 2000).
According to NCA's statistics, the 20+ age group (47.19%) uses the Internet more than any other age group followed by teens (28.19%) and the 30+ age group (17.66%).  The average length of Internet experience is one and half years.  Over 33% of Internet users have been online over one year, but less than two years.  Thus, the majority of the Internet users in Korea seem to be college students while the technology has been widely adopted by the public only recently.  Data indicate that mostly college students and business people use the Internet more and use it longer than any other age group in Korea.  Data also show rapid expansion of Internet use among middle/high school students.
Internet Studies in Korea
        There are a few studies that target Internet use in Korea.  These studies focus primarily on Internet uses, usage motivations, and Internet addiction in Korea.  Three papers may be considered as major studies on these specific topics.

1.      Korean Teenagers' Internet Addiction and Accessibility of Sexual Materials.
Ahn and Kim (2000) examine Korean teenagers' Internet use and their usage motivations.  This study tests the link between vulnerability of Internet addiction and sexuality seeking.   According to this study, Korean teenagers mainly use the Internet for gaming.  About 80% of study subjects (total 696) state they use the Internet to play games.  Only 25% report they use the Internet for study.  The average Internet use time for these teens is about 5 hours per week; mostly spent on games.
        Although teens spend little time seeking sexual materials on the Internet it is important to note that 59% replied yes to at least one of the six "sexual addiction" test items (Ahn and Kim, 2000).  97% of these respondents are male and 3% are female.  The study concludes that there is a possibility of sexual addiction among teenagers and male teens are more vulnerable to online sexual addiction (Ahn & Kim, 2000).
          Ahn & Kim (2000) also examine Internet addiction among teenagers.  80% of the respondents use the Internet and, frequently, this use is longer than originally intended.  52% state they neglect other responsibilities because of Internet use.  58% report they anticipate when they will go online again.  57% say they try to escape from stress by using the Internet.  This study implies that there is a possibility of Internet addiction among Korean teenagers.  Korean teenagers can expose themselves easily to sexual materials; legally prohibited elsewhere, and there is a possible correlationship between seeking sexual materials and Internet addiction.
2.      Korean Teenagers' Internet Uses.
        Hwang's (1999) research tests teenagers' Internet usage and motivations.  He examines teenagers' use of "PC rooms", commercial Internet caf‚s, recently popularized in Korea.  The "PC room", is officially known as the "Internet Multi Cultural Center" or "Internet Multi Plaza;" a unique cyber-product of Korea.
        According to Hwang's national survey, teenagers use the Internet primarily for chatting followed by time spent on seeking information for schoolwork or college information.  This study shows that teens use the Internet more for reducing stress than for study.  Female teens (35.7%) are more likely to use the Internet for chatting than their male counterparts (28.5%).  Teens usually spend 52.3 minutes per week using the Internet.  This is far short of the average amount of time spent on the Internet by general Internet users (77.9 minutes per week).
        Six out of ten teens have visited a "PC room."  This ratio is in comparison to only 1 out of 10 general Internet users who visit a "PC room".  Teens log on to a "PC room" primarily for Internet gaming (46.4%) and chatting (32.7%).  Male teens mainly use "PC rooms" for gaming (81.4%), while female teens tend to use  "PC rooms" for chatting (62.6%).  Thus, "PC rooms" provide teens with places where they relax and escape from schoolwork.  Also, over 5% of teens spend more than five hours per day in "PC rooms".  This suggests that among the teens that log on to "PC rooms," 10% use the Internet more than 5 hours per day.  Thus, there is a possibility of Internet addiction among teenagers who spend too much time in "PC rooms".   The Hwang study further indicates that two out of ten teenagers who go to "PC rooms" spend most of their non-school time online.
        Only 46% of these teens report they have never been exposed to sexual material. This compares to the average teens' exposure figure (63%) implying that teenagers who use "PC rooms" are more vulnerable to exposure to antisocial materials.   Hwang concludes that teenagers who go to "PC rooms" are more likely to use the Internet longer and to view sexual materials than teenagers who do not visit these rooms.
3. Internet expansion and Internet addiction.
Yun (1999) directly investigates Internet addiction in Korea.  This research examines the vulnerability of Internet addiction by the adaptation of Young's addiction criteria.  Over 39% of the valid subjects can be identified as Internet addicts.   He explains that college students are more likely to use the Internet excessively.
Research Subjects and Questions
Most of the cited studies target teenage Internet use and motivations.  The Yun study focuses on college students because they are the largest user group in Korea and they use the Internet longer than other age groups.  Also, the NCA's statistics indicate that when teenagers get into college their Internet usage motivations change.  Thus, the comparison of Internet uses and motivations between teenagers and college students is essential to understand how Internet usage varies according to circumstances.
On the basis of the literature review, research questions and hypotheses are suggested to examine college students' Internet usage patterns, their motivations, and to explore their vulnerability to Internet dependence.  These questions are:
1.      What kinds of motivations are related to Korean college students' Internet use?
2.      What kinds of motivations are related to certain types of Internet services?
3.      What are the differences between heavy Internet users and light Internet users?
4.      Do students' Internet uses affect their other media uses?
5.      Are there Internet addicts among Korean college students?
ù       If there are, what kinds of motivations are related to their Internet usage?
ù       What types of Internet services are used by Internet addicts?
ù       What variables most effectively predict the degree of vulnerability of Internet addiction among Korean college students?

METHODOLOGY
Questionnaire Construction
The survey questionnaire consists of seven sections dealing with: (1) Internet use patterns, (2) motivations of Internet use, (3) Internet dependence test, (4) other media use after Internet use (5) face-to-face communications after Internet use, (6) personal traits, and (7) demographic information.
1. Internet uses patterns: (Q1 to Q6):  Six kinds of Internet services are selected to reflect services most likely used by students including: information searching or surfing, E-mailing, discussion groups, online chatting, gaming, and shopping.  A 7-point scale is used to determine students' usage of specific services. (0=less than one day to 6=everyday).  General information questions identify students' Internet usage patterns such as amount of time, frequency, place, computer or Internet connection ownership.
2. Motivations of Internet uses: (Q7 to Q30):  Rubin's (1981, Cited in Rubin, Palmgreen & Sypher, 1994) questions about television viewing motivations are modified to identify Internet usage motivations.  The researcher has added education, sexuality, and online shopping to the Rubin list of motivations.  A 5-point scale (never to always) is used for subject responses.
        3. Internet Dependence Test: (Q31 to Q50):  Vulnerability to Internet dependence is examined by using Young's (1998) Internet addiction test.  Twenty questions are asked using a 6-point answer scale to encourage study subjects to answer the questions.
        4. Other media uses patterns (Q51 to Q56):  This section tests patterns of traditional media use.  A 6-point scale (very increased to do not use) is used to discover the relationship between Internet use and traditional media use.
        5. Face-to-Face communications: (Q57 to Q59):  Students' face-to-face communications patterns are tested.  This study asks how the subjects' communicate with their family, friends, and partners after the start of Internet usage.  A 5-point scale (very decreased to very increased) is used for subject responses.
        6. Personal Traits: (Q60 to Q66):  These items seek to identify students' characteristics (e.g. whether they are extroverted or not) and to identify the subjects' level of stress, depression, loneliness, and escapism.  A 5-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) is used for subject responses.
        7. Demographic (Q67 to Q69):  Students' academic status is asked including gender and age.
Sampling and Data Collection
        Classroom surveys were conducted May, 2000 at Chung-Ang University and 556 completed questionnaires were collected.  44 out of 556 questionnaires were discarded because of missing response values.  512 valid reports are analyzed.
RESULTS
        The study sample consisted of 269 male students (52.5%), and 242 female students (47.3%), and 1 non-response to the gender question.  Among the 512 valid reports, there were 216 sophomores (42.2%), 140 seniors (27.3%), 117 juniors (22.9%), and 38 freshmen (7.4%).  Sample bias may be indicated since sophomores outnumbered freshman two to one.  The data reveal that 424 subjects (82.9%) are between 20 to 25 years of age, 66 subjects (12.9%) are between 26 to 27 years of age, 11 subjects (2.2%) are 18 to 19 years of age, ten subjects are between 28 to 35 years of age, and one subject did not answer this question.
Internet Use Patterns
Average students use the Internet over two hours per day (Mean=133.8 minutes, SD=100.13).  Students primarily use the Internet for information searches (42.06 minutes), followed by gaming (26.94 mins), E-mailing (23.44 mins), discussing (18.95 mins), chatting (11.25 mins), and shopping (2.95 minutes).
Subjects report Internet use 5.45 days per week and over half of them use the Internet at home (55.5%), followed by use at school (29.3%), and the Internet caf‚ (or "PC room") in Korea (12.9%).  474 students (92.6%) have a computer and 38 students (7.4%) do not.  371 students (72.5%) have an Internet connection at home and 140 students (27.3%) do not.  The average length of Internet use by students is over two years (Mean= 24.36 months, SD=15.16), ranging from 2 months to 84 months.
Factor Analysis of Motivation Items
A factor analysis was conducted for data reduction with motivation items.  Through the principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation, 7 factors were drawn from 24 motivation items based on eigenvalue (criterion is above one) and the scree test.  Factor 7 was discarded because it consists of only one item.  Six factors explain 62.28 % of total variance.  The results are presented in Table 1.



Table 1.  Factor Analysis of Motivation Items.
Factors
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Occupy
.817
Boring
.816
Habit
.753
Like
.744
Entertainment
.686
Amuse
.658
Calm Activity
.581
Research
.793
Information
.792
Assignment
.638
Learn some
.577
Get away
.703
Forget some
.654
Excite
.517
Thrill
Don't be Alone
.819
Less Loneliness
.751
Make friends
.577
Keep touching
Adult Picture
.953
Sex story
.949
Purchasing
.875
Compare price
.841
Relax
.831

Extraction Method: Principal Component Anaysis
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization
Overall Measure of Sampling Adequacy: .848
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity: 5373.28 (p<.001)

Factor 1 (Boredom/Entertainment) eigenvalue = 7.03, accounting for 29.31% of variance.  Pass time, habit, entertainment, and relaxation items are highly loaded.  Factor 2 (Education/Research) eigenvalue = 2.31, accounting for 9.61% of variance.  All items were highly loaded.  Factor 3 (Escapism) eigenvalue = 2.21, accounting for 9.20% of variance.  All escapism items and one arousal item are highly loaded.  Factor 4 (Loneliness) eigenvalue = 2.05, explaining 8.55% of variance.  Factor 4 includes two Loneliness items and one Social Interaction item.  Factor 5 (Sexuality) eigenvalue = 1.99, explaining 8.28% of variance.  It has two Sexuality items with high loading scores.  Factor 6 (Online Shopping) eigenvalue = 1.41, explaining 5.86% of variance.
Internet Use and Motivation Factors
        A correlation test was conducted in order to investigate which motivation factors are closely related to students' Internet use.  Test results show that all six motivation factors correlate to students' Internet use.  Five factors have relatively low correlation to students' Internet use.  However, Factor 1 (Boredom/Entertainment) shows a moderate correlation to students' Internet use (See Table 2).   Thus, boredom may lead students to entertain themselves by surfing the Internet, which may result in habitual use of the Internet.  Also, subjects use the Internet when they want to escape from real world problems (Factor 3), when they are lonely (Factor 4), and when they shop online (Factor 6).  Of interest is the relatively weak relationship between students' Internet use and sexuality (Factor 5), and education/information seeking (Factor 2).  Korean college students, then, rarely use the Internet for fulfilling sexual desires or for research.
Table 2.  Correlation between Internet Use and Motivation Factors
Amount of Internet use
Factor 1
.31 (p< .001)
Factor 3
.16 (p< .001)
Factor 4
.14 (p< .05)
Factor 6
.10 (p< .05)
Factor 2
.09 (p< .05)
Factor 5
.08 (p< .05)

Motivation Factors and Internet Services
        This study tests the relationships between motivation and the kinds of Internet services students use.  Factor 1 (Boredom/Entertainment) has weak correlations with four Internet services: gaming (r= .22, p< .001), discussion group (r=.17, p< .001), E-mailing (r=.15, p< .05), and chatting (r=.14, p< .05).  Factor 2 (Education/Research) has weak correlations to Internet search services (r=.22, p< .001) and shopping (r= .10, p< .05).  Factor 3 (Escapism) relates to gaming (r= .19, p< .001) and discussion groups (r= .12, p< .05).  Factor 4 (Loneliness) relates to discussion groups (r=.19, p< .001), E-mailing (r= .15, p< .05), and chatting (r= .16, p< .05).  Factor 5 (Sexuality) relates to gaming (r= .25, p< .001), chatting (r= .10, p< .05) and negatively relates to E-mailing (r= -.20, p< .001) and shopping (r= -.12, p< .05). Factor 6 (Online shopping) only relates to shopping (r= .30, p< .001).
Thus, students usually use interactive Internet services when they are bored, lonely, or escape from problems.  Students use Internet search services for information seeking or for online shopping.  Students who want to fulfill sexual desires use Internet game and chat rooms, but are not likely to use E-mailing and shopping services.  Results show that there are online games that contain sexual content which students use for sexual gratification.
Internet use and Other media uses
Data indicate that students' other media uses decline after they start to use the Internet.  Students report that when their Internet use increases their use of TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, and telephone decreases.  In addiction, their use of postal mail service is significantly decreased by use of the Internet (See Table 3).



Table 3.  Correlation between Internet use and Other Media uses
Internet use
Pearson r
Mean
Std. Deviation
TV watching
 .20 (p< .001)
2.80
1.18
Radio listening
 .25 (p< .001)
2.74
1.35
Newspaper reading
 .20 (p< .001)
2.64
1.18
Magazine reading
 .17 (p< .001)
2.69
1.22
Letter sending
  .14 (p< .05)
3.77
1.35
Telephoning
  .14 (p< .05)
2.44
1.20

Internet use and Face-to-Face communication
        Students report Internet usage causes a slight decrease in face-to-face communication with friends, families, and partners (See Table 4).
Table 4.  Correlation between Internet use and Face-to-Face communications
Internet Use
Pearson r
Mean
Std. Deviation
Friend
      .09 (p< .05)
1.94
.87
Family
.23 (p< .001)
1.92
.96
Partner
      .16 (p< .01)
1.71
.80

Light vs. Heavy Internet Users
        The median point (110 minutes per day) is used to group subjects into two categories; Light and Heavy Internet Use.  258 students are categorized as Light Internet users and 254 students as Heavy Internet users.  A t-test examines the difference between these two groups regarding motivation factors and kinds of Internet services being used.
        Heavy Internet users are more likely to use the Internet for 5 out of 6 motivation factors (except the online shopping factor) than Light Internet users.  Heavy Internet users also use all Internet services more and longer (See Table 5).   Data indicates that heavy Internet use is positively related to students' gratification factors.

Table 5.  T-test of Motivation Factors and Internet Services between Light and Heavy Internet Users.

T value
Mean difference
Boredom/Entertainment
3.83 (p< .001)
.34
Education/Research
2.32 (p< .05)
.21
Escapism
4.00 (p< .001)
.36
Loneliness
2.22 (p< .001)
.20
Sexuality
2.68 (p< .05)
.24
Search
      12.06 (p<.001)
33.10
Discussion group
7.01 (p< .001)
18.59
E-mailing
8.49 (p< .001)
15.49
Chatting
6.83 (p< .001)
18.15
Gaming
10.35 (p< .001)
38.00
Shopping
4.12 (p< .001)
3.68

        Heavy Internet users are less likely to use other media than Light Internet users.  Heavy Internet users report other media uses are slightly more decreased except when sending letters.  Heavy Internet users also report a higher decline in their face-to-face communications with family.  There was, however, no difference in face-to-face communications with friends and partners between both user groups (See Table 6).
Table 6.  T-test of Other media uses and Face-to-Face communications between Heavy and  Light Internet users.

T value
Mean difference
TV watching
3.71 (p< .001)
.39
Radio listening
4.48 (p< .001)
.59
Newspaper reading
3.46 (p< .01)
.37
Magazine reading
2.94 (p< .01)
.34
Telephoning
3.24 (p< .01)
.37
Family communication
3.47 (p< .01)
.30

Internet Dependency in Korea
        Young's (1996) Internet dependency test suggests that if a subject's sum of scores is 20-49, average online use is indicated.  Scores of 50-79 suggest moderate Internet dependence with occasional or frequent problems due to the Internet.  Scores of 80-100 suggests an Internet dependence that is causing significant problems.  This study finds no significant Internet dependence among Korean college students.  However, of this study's 512 subjects, 146 students (28.5%) are moderately dependent while 357 students (69.7%) can be defined as average Internet users.
1.      Differences of Internet Services Uses and Motivations
Moderate Internet dependents use discussion groups, chat rooms, and online
games much longer than average Internet users.  Moderate Internet dependents are more likely to use the Internet for avoiding boredom, escaping from life problems, and avoiding loneliness.  Moderate Internet dependents use the Internet as a two-way, interactive communication device when bored, alone, or stressed (See Table 7).
Table 7.  T-test of Internet Services and Motivations Between Moderate Internet
Dependents and Average Internet Users.

T value
Mean difference
Discussion group
5.32 (p< .001)
16.10
Chatting
5.00 (p< .001)
15.14
Gaming
5.42 (p< .001)
23.80
Boredom/Entertainment
8.22 (p< .001)
.78
Escapism
5.45 (p< .001)
.54
Loneliness
6.00 (p< .001)
.59

2. Differences of Other Media Uses and Face-to-Face Communications
        Moderate Internet dependents use all traditional media less.  Their face-to-face communications with friends, families, and partners are more decreased than Average Internet users.  Moderate Internet dependents report a decrease in their traditional media uses in comparison to Average Internet users.  Average users report a slight decrease in other media uses because of the Internet.  Traditional mail service use declines more for the Moderate Internet dependent than for the Average Internet user.  Moderate Internet dependents also report a slight decrease in their face-to-face communications while the Average Internet users report a rare decrease (See Table 8).
Table 8.  T-test of Other Media Uses and Face-to-Face Communications between Moderate Internet Dependents and Average Internet Users.

T Value
Mean difference
TV watching
9.58 (p< .001)
1.04
Radio listening
7.27 (p< .001)
1.03
Newspaper reading
7.93 (p< .001)
.90
Magazine reading
6.19 (p< .001)
.79
Letter sending
3.61 (p< .001)
.53
Telephoning
4.63 (p< .001)
.59
Friend communication
7.45 (p< .001)
.62
Family communication
9.84 (p< .001)
.87
Partner communication
7.96 (p< .001)
.71

3. Length of Internet use and Internet dependency
        Moderate Internet dependents have been logging onto the Internet an average of 27.7 months while Average Internet users have used the Internet for 23 months.  60.3% of Moderate Internet dependents say they have used the Internet for one or two years.  The remaining 39.7% of Moderate Internet dependents report using the Internet for over three years.  Data suggests that Korean students' Internet dependency is primarily established at the early stages of Internet use.
        4. Other variables and Internet dependency
        Little difference is noted for computer ownership at home between Moderate Internet dependents (92.5%) and Average Internet users (93%).  However, 84.9% of Moderate Internet dependents have Internet connections at home versus 67.5% of Average Internet users.  Also, 70.5% of Moderate Internet dependents report they use the Internet everyday while 34.6% of Average Internet users do.   Some difference is seen for place of Internet use between the two groups.  Both groups use the Internet at home (MID: 67.6%; AIU: 51.1%).  However, Moderate Internet dependents are less likely to use the Internet at school (MID: 15.9%; AIU: 34.8%).
Predictors of Internet Dependency
        Multiple regression with the enter method was conducted to test which variables more effectively predict the degree of Internet dependency among students.  The results show that Eta is .508 (F=23.01, df=20/445, p< .001) explaining 50.8% of the total variance of the degree of Internet dependency.  Motivation factors such as boredom/entertainment, loneliness, and escapism, and amount of time of Internet use are important variables to predict the degree of dependency.  E-mail service use and academic status showed negative relationships to Internet dependency.  These results suggest that students who use E-mail services more frequently are not likely to become Internet dependents.  As long as the students' academic status remains high they are less likely to be Internet dependent.  Frequency of Internet use, gender, online shopping and sexuality factors show relatively weak correlation to Internet dependency (See Table 9).
Table 9.  Multiple regression of a composite set of Independent variables with
           Internet dependency
 Independent variables
Beta
T value
Boredom/Entertainment Factor
.366
9.40 (p< .001)
Loneliness Factor
.309
8.85 (p< .001)
Escapism Factor
.263
7.64 (p< .001)
Amount of time of Internet use
.244
2.12 (p< .05)
E-mail service
-.139
2.91 (p< .05)
Frequency of Internet use
.138
3.40 (p< .05)
Academic Status
-.114
2.06 (p< .05)
Gender
.111
2.23 (p< .05)
Online shopping motivation Factor
.098
2.67 (p< .05)
Sexuality motivation Factor
.094
2.20 (p< .05)
Discussion
        These findings confirm that students use the Internet longer than any other population category.  They mainly use the Internet as a two-way, interactive communication device when they are bored, lonely, and when they want to get away from their problems.  Students' Internet use negatively affected their use of traditional media and face-to-face communication.
        Students who use the Internet heavily (over 110 minutes/day) are more likely to use the Internet for avoiding boredom, loneliness, or for escapism.  They also use the Internet for searching information and satisfying sexual desires.  The study shows a relationship between heavy Internet use and seeking sexual materials.  Heavy Internet users are more likely to use all kinds of Internet services and use them longer.  Heavy Internet users are less likely to communicate with their family while using the Internet as the primary communication device with their friends and partners.
Although there is no indication of serious Internet dependency among Korean college students, a potential for Internet addiction exists since so many students are placed in the Moderate Internet dependents category.  Three motivation factors were related to Internet dependency showing that Moderate Internet dependents use the Internet for avoiding boredom, loneliness, and escaping from the problems of life.
There is no evidence to indicate a relationship between Internet dependency and seeking sexuality.  However, there is a positive correlation between heavy Internet use and sexual motivation. Moderate Internet dependents are less likely to use other media forms and face-to-face communication than Average Internet users.  Also, Heavy Internet users' face-to-face communication patterns show only family communication is decreased significantly, while Moderate Internet dependents are less likely to communicate with friends, partners, and family members.
Internet dependency is related to early stage Internet use; partially confirming Young's (1997a) findings.  60.3% Moderate Internet dependents have used the Internet for one or two years while 39.7% of them have used the Internet for over three years.  Thus, Internet dependency could be considered a transitory medium use behavior.
CONCLUSIONS
         Internet addiction can be considered an active addictive behavior.  The medium's anonymity makes it attractive and allows for the creation of fulfilling, low-risk relationships.  When people use the Internet to communicate with others, they have an immediate feedback and reward, particularly within MUD's or chat rooms.  The interactivity of the Internet may be considered as one of the main reinforcements of compulsive behaviors.  Thus, most psychologists argue that cutting down on Internet use is not the correct way to avoid Internet addiction.  They recommend patients suffering from this disorder to increase real social relationships to fulfill their basic human needs.
Psychologists recommend (King, 1996 & Young, 1996) a self-regulation method in which users check the amount of times, the purpose, and the frequency of using the Internet.  Increasing the amount of time and the frequency may be a warning sign of addiction.  Purposeless web surfing and chatting also may result in addictive behavior.  Therefore, Internet users may recognize their purpose and amount of use to avoid addiction.
Arguably, the Internet is an advanced technology that can increase the amount and convenience of human communications.  Yet studies have begun to indicate that it may be a harmful technology that can have negative effects.  More research is needed to discover the patterns of Internet addiction, what factors contribute to this behavior, and what populations are most at risk.
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