The problem of Internet addiction has become prevalent in today's generation of computer uses (mainly because we are the first generation of computer users...). This issue has led to the official title of Problematic Internet Use (PIU), which describes problematic behavior related to too much time online (usually considered an addiction). While a person's individual differences may define and play a part in their PIU, practically people today who use computers regularly have some problematic behaviors. Of course there is a wide range, from those who lose all aspects of their social life because they can't get away from online gaming sites or pornography sites, to those who feel the constant need to check facebook every time they are near a computer (which I think defines most college students..). However, it is not really a problem until these maladaptive behaviors result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences. Often times its due to excessive use of some component of the Internet. For the purposes of this blog I will focus on eBay and how it results in PIU among many online buyers.
The online activity of going to eBay and bidding/buying goods from other uses has led to many problems among buyers. I have heard many personal stories of people who once they start using the website begin to use it excessively and compulsively. In high school I babysat for a woman who certainly seemed to have PIU associated with eBay. Every time I went over she had lots of new clothes for her four year old daughter, and her living room was covered in piles of clothes she had bought or was ready to take pictures of and try sell on eBay. She explained her compulsive use of it, which showed me her apparent inability to control her online activity, which she did seem to feel guilty about because of her lack of control. She even said she was trying to hide some of it from her husband. I understand why it can become addictive; everyone likes to buy products for as cheap as they can. This website affords a great opportunity to find anything and everything that you want, and if you're lucky you can get it at an amazing price! It is also a great way to get paid for selling any old junk you may have lying around your house. While I have never experienced this first hand, I can understand why people may become addicted to find the best bargains, saving the most money possible and "winning" a product by having the best bid (it seems to have many similarities to gambling, to an extent).
While Caplan's PIU and psychosocial model does not exactly apply to this case, it can be modified to explain this addictive eBay behavior. Caplan described how individuals with psychosocial problems (loneliness and depression) often hold negative perceptions about their social competence (they have negative perceptions and do not want to go out and have real social interaction), which results in the preference for online interaction because it is less threatening. I do not think eBay can be described in this same way. Sure it may be true that people do not like going out in public to shop and feel uncomfortable socially interacting with sales people, but I think people enjoy eBay more for the "winning" aspect more so than the lack of social interaction. If someone has a psychosocial problem where they compulsively always have to be the best and out-do everyone else, in essence "be the winner" at all costs, they may feel socially incompetent to do this in a social way (such as making lots of friends or getting onto sports teams).. Or they may feel that they do not have the ability to shop in person and find the best deals available. Therefore, eBay would fill this immediate satisfaction. If someone wins a bid war over someone else, it may make them feel like they are a better strategist, or that they have more strength to "hold out" through the bid war to get the item that they really want. This leads into the next part of Caplans model, which explains peoples preference for Internet interaction. People may prefer eBay because they can then find any product they want and get it at a bargain, something they wouldn't be able to do in person. It is less threatening or less stressful because they do not need to worry about finding a product (for example, wondering if a movie store may have a certain movie) because there is a very likely chance that it will be on eBay. As individuals buy more and more products because they can find anything they want at such low costs, this will lead to excessive and compulsive online interaction, which enhances the problem. As a result, there will be a cyclic outcome, where psychosocial behaviors of not wanting to go out to shop and deal with searching for items becomes more of a problem.
Problematic Internet Use can happen to any individual. While 'online shopping' in general can be seen as a problem, eBay stands out among other shopping opportunities. It has the unique property that almost ANYTHING someone wants to find will be available (whereas when one looks at other websites to shop it's usually particularly for music, clothes, food, etc). Not only that, but someone can choose how much the product is worth to them, thus they can get something they've always wanted for a lot cheaper than if they went out to a store. It is no wonder that people are logged into their computers for hours at a time, arguing with someone in Iowa over how they will pay an extra three dollars for that special antique vase.
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It's interesting that you mentioned the similarity between gambling and eBaying. They are addictive for some similar reasons: to earn/save money that you may not otherwise earn/save.
But while gambling involves a considerable amount of skill, eBay seems like a sure thing to me. You can easily win the bidding wars if you are just willing to pay more (doesn't matter how much more; just more). It seems to me that eBay is attractive more because of its accessibility: no matter what you are looking to buy, chances are you'll find it on eBay, and someone's probably willing to sell it for less than what the retails stores are charging. This great variety of goods and ease to obtain them keep eBayers hooked for hours at a time.
Then there are the links to the other items the sellers are selling. Or maybe it's a link to their store. If you like one item by this person, you will probably find other items by this person that you like. Or at least we think this way when we click on the link.
To me, PIU due to eBay is definitely because of the properties of the Internet. Many people who normally hate shopping may get hooked to eBay really easily.
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