Toward a Holistic, Age‐Graded Understanding of Excessive Internet Use: An Application of Containment Theory.

The growing prevalence of internet use and evidence indicating both harmful and beneficial consequences of "being on‐line" suggest the importance of understanding risk and protective factors that may prevent use from becoming "excessive." While research has explored the psychological factors precipi...

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Publicado en:Sociological Inquiry Vol. 96; no. 2; pp. 326 - 345
Autores principales: Borg, Marian J., Howard, Ryan
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell May2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: May2026
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        atl: Toward a Holistic, Age‐Graded Understanding of Excessive Internet Use: An Application of Containment Theory.
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        au:
          Borg, Marian J.
          Howard, Ryan
        affil: University of Florida
      su:
        Internet addiction
        Cohort analysis
        Social bonds
        Disease risk factors
        Protective factors
        Personality
        Life course approach
      sug:
        subj:
          Internet addiction
          Cohort analysis
          Social bonds
          Disease risk factors
          Protective factors
          Personality
          Life course approach
      ab: The growing prevalence of internet use and evidence indicating both harmful and beneficial consequences of "being on‐line" suggest the importance of understanding risk and protective factors that may prevent use from becoming "excessive." While research has explored the psychological factors precipitating excessive use, few analyses have focused simultaneously on the impact of individual traits and social attachments. Drawing on Walter Reckless' arguments in containment theory, we investigate how internal and external "containments" may influence excessive internet use. Using data from a 2017 online survey of adolescents and young adults (n = 785) recruited from a demographically balanced sample of Americans, we also explore how the effect of these factors may change or remain constant for individuals at different stages in the life course. Overall, results indicate that both internal and external containments influence the likelihood of engaging in excessive internet use, though the importance of each varies across age groups. Our findings point to a compelling life course story, suggesting an intersection between internet use and the changing circumstances and priorities that come with increasing age.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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