Guarded individuals may experience more intimidation in their initial face-to-face meetings and have greater difficulty trusting others. Naturally vigilant and private persons may drawn to such anonymous interactive features of the Internet as this allows them to converse with others in uninhibited ways and form new relationships with greater ease than in real life circumstances. Anonymous electronic communication may also attract less conforming individuals who use the medium to rant radical ideologies or discuss taboo social belief systems they maintain, yet in real life either self-inhibit or find few others who share those views. If these individuals also display emotionally reactive tendencies, they may draw upon such a medium to emote in ways that are restricted by social convention. Outbursts of anger, over-sexualized comments, or blunt remarks which are typically self-monitored thoughts in real life may form the basis of typed messages to fellow on-line users in interactive forums. These specific personality traits may place an individual at a greater risk to develop PIU because the on-line world created inside their screens becomes the only outlet for such expression.

In general, these results show a discrepancy from the stereotypic profile of an "Internet addict" as an introverted, computer-savvy male (Young, 1996b) and suggests that specific personality traits may predispose an individual to develop PIU. Future research should continue to examine how personality traits influence PIU and how such interactive applications lead to addictive patterns of behavior. While it is unclear how PIU compares to other established addictions, future research should investigate if a similar personality profile may be an etiologic factor in the development of any addictive syndrome, whether to alcohol, gambling, or the Internet. Finally, these results do not clearly indicate whether these personality traits preceded the development of such Internet abuse or if it was a consequence. Young (1996a) showed withdrawal from significant real life relationships is a consequence of PIU, which could explain the high scores indicated on the 16PF for solitary activity. Therefore, further experimentation with a more comprehensive level of statistical analysis is necessary to examine cause and effect.

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References

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Young, K. S. (1996a). Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical disorder. Paper presented at the 104th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, August 11, 1996. Toronto, Canada.

Young, K. S. (1996b). Pathological Internet Use: A case that breaks the stereotype. Psychological Reports, 79, 899-902.

Young, K. S. & Rodgers, R. (1997a). The relationship between depression and Internet addiction. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 1(1), 25-28.

Young, K. S. (1997b). What makes on-line usage stimulating? Potential explanations for pathological Internet use. Symposia presented at the 105th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, August 15, 1997. Chicago, IL.

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