An Expanded Analysis of Internet Dependencies by Demographic Variables

摘要

This study presents an expanded review of Internet use in the US and the possibility of an unhealthy Internet dependence that may have developed. In this analysis of Pew Internet Research data, we review the relative strength of this dependence, and we explore how it varies by income, education, age, gender, and community type. The manuscript explores the concept of Internet addiction, the extent of our dependence and explores the literature on both Internet addiction and how past studies have found some demographic differences. This detailed study statistically reviews key demographic variables and also interaction effects among age and gender.