Overcoming pathological IT use: How and why IT addicts terminate their use of games and social media |
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| Institution: | 1. Room 1103, Bldg 24, ANU College of Business and Economics, Copland Building 24, The Australian National University, ACT, 2601, Australia;2. Dean, College of Business, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa City, FF1-2-051, United Arab Emirates;3. Chair of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, College of Business, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa City, FF1-2-049, United Arab Emirates;1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Informática, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 274 – Bl. E – CCMN/NCE, 21.941-590, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;2. Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 274 – Bl. E – Room 1038 (NCE), 21.941-916, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil;1. Department of Business and Law, University of Calabria, Italy;2. Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Naples Federico II, Italy;1. Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering, University of Pisa, Largo Lucio Lazzarino, 1, 56122 Pisa, Italy;2. Department of Enterprise Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Orazio Raimondo, 00173, Rome, Italy;1. Department of Industrial Systems and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India;2. Reliability Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India |
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| Abstract: | IT addiction scholarship indicates that pathological use of IT such as games or social media is on the rise. While pathological IT use, such as addictive behavior, can negatively affect private, social and work life, individuals displaying addictive behavior toward an IT are challenged to overcome their addiction. In this study, we aim to offer insights into how and why IT addicts stop their pathological IT use by terminating to use the IT. We interview individuals who have overcome their IT addiction to games and social media, finding that some IT addicts terminate their use of the IT without external support because they had a strong intrinsic or extrinsic motivation or because they felt stressed, frustrated or guilty. Other IT addicts required external support, contacting a therapist after unsuccessful attempts to quit or after experiencing a shocking event. This study establishes a new strand of research into ending pathological IT use and becoming an ex-user. We theorize IT addiction as part of the IT lifecycle alongside adoption, usage and discontinuation. We also offer practical insights into why some individuals can terminate pathological IT use on their own, while others require external support. |
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| Keywords: | IT addiction Pathological use IT lifecycle Qualitative study Social networking sites Mobile games Facebook Instagram |
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