Problematic Internet Use among Information Technology Workers in South Africa

Abstract

This exploratory study looks at the prevalence and correlates of problematic Internet use (PIU) in South African technology workers (N = 630) and other workers (N = 769). The results indicated that the prevalence of PIU in this sample was higher in the IT group (3.81%) than the non-IT group (1.91%), both considerably lower than in other countries. In both groups, respondents were more likely to have higher PIU scores if they were younger and male, if they spent a large amount of time online, and if they used the interactive functions of the Internet. The best predictors of PIU in both groups were online procrastination, online flow experiences, spending a long period of time online in a single session, and chatting online.