Internet Addiction Phenomenon in Early Adolescents in Hong Kong
Table 2
Percentage of participants with Internet addiction behavior in two years.
Internet use behaviors in the past year
No (Wave 2)
Yes (Wave 2)
Yes (Wave 1)
Related-Samples McNemar Tests
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
Statistics
P
(1) Feeling preoccupied with the Internet or online services and think about it while offline
2141
58.9%
1494
41.1%
1324
39.9%
1.50
.22
(2) Feeling a need to spend more and more time online to achieve satisfaction
2484
68.4%
1147
31.6%
1072
32.3%
1.11
.29
(3) Unable to control your online use
2765
68.1%
866
23.9%
752
22.7%
0.54
.46
(4) Feeling restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop online use
3119
85.9%
511
14.1%
484
14.6%
0.04
.85
(5) Stay online longer than originally intended
1937
53.4%
1691
46.6%
1404
42.4%
14.82
.00
(6) Risk the loss of a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of online use
2821
77.7%
809
22.3%
644
19.5%
5.89
.02
(7) Lie to family members or friends to conceal excessive Internet use
2925
80.6%
703
19.4%
651
19.7%
0.51
.48
(8) Go online to escape problems or relieve feelings such as helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression
2892
79.8%
732
20.2%
633
19.2%
1.63
.20
(9) Showing withdrawal when offline, such as increased depression, moodiness, or irritability
3151
77.6%
477
13.1%
395
12.0%
1.40
.24
(10) Keep on using Internet even after spending too much money on online fees
3219
89.0%
399
11.0%
331
10.1%
0.10
.75
Participants can be classified as Internet addiction (Young’s criteria)
2663
73.3%
972
26.7%
869
26.4%
0.10
.76
Note. Related-Samples McNemar Tests were conducted to examine whether the difference between the distribution of students with Internet addictive behaviors in Wave 1 and Wave 2 is significant.