Some online activities are fun. Perhaps too fun. Soon, one might find oneself spending hours upon hours in front of the computer screen, not participating in anything else and only interacting online. One example of an activity is fan fiction, both reading and writing them. Throughout the years, fan fiction has grown extremely popular, evidenced by the rapid exponential increase of users and stories on sites like FanFiction.net, as well as blogs and personal websites devoted completely to stories. Extra perks were added, such as instantaneous feedback, forums, fan art for the stories – basically creating a writing community online. All these aspects of fan fiction would lead to a predicament: Problematic Internet Use.
Problematic Internet Use describes the problematic behavior related to one spending too much time online. According to Caplan, this can result in negative academic, professional and social consequences. There is excessive use, which is the quantity of use considered by the participant to exceed the normal planned time online, and compulsive use, which is the inability to control one’s online activity with guilt about this inability. Fan fiction can easily lead users to PIU, because not only does it play on their interests in books, television and movies, but it is usually free and completely accessible and easy to use for the average Internet user. Thanks to the new additions, fan fiction websites have numerous ways for people to interact with each other, by reviewing and commenting, or in their forums. The readers may stay online constantly, waiting for new updates to read or searching for new stories, while the writers may also stay online to view the reviews on their stories, and wait for more.
Caplan’s model would apply to PIU with fan fiction. Psychosocial factors would apply, since the individual may be lonely and “lack” social competence, so the writers create vicarious scenarios and can “live through” their characters. Also, by sharing this online and receiving reader attention and feedback, this would make them feel more accepted and even valued in the community. The readers would get involved in fan fiction if they themselves are also lonely and interact rarely in person with others. Thus, they search for their interests in stories and can also live through the characters’ lives. In the forums, they can interact with each other more easily since they would prefer online interactions. Individuals would have anonymity behind their usernames, as well as greater control over their self-presentation based on the stories or reviews they submit. However, the result is negative since this excessive Internet use would worsen their psychosocial problems and views about their social incompetence.
The study by Davis, Flett and Besser (2002) would also apply to this situation. Of the outlined four dimensions, excessive use of fan fiction would be a result of loneliness, a need for social comfort, and a distraction or procrastination method. Lonely individuals would reach out through their stories, and the writers would be comforted by the amount of reviews they receive. Also, reading is a perfect distraction from working or stress, so it is easy to procrastinate by staying on fan fiction sites for hours.
Nonetheless, reading or writing fan fiction can be a very enjoyable activity, if done in moderation :)
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Monday, November 5, 2007
What’s my diagnosis, Doc? Or should I say, Google?
“My left pinky hurts; I have a pain in my right eye, and an itchy nose.” Ever typed your symptoms into Google to see what was wrong with you? I propose that “Googling your symptoms” may be a form of online interaction that can lead to problematic internet use, related to too much time spent online doing this activity. This behavior may be considered normal when used occasionally just like any other internet space, but with increased use and an inability to stop, it can lead to more pathological issues than were present before as a result of the cyclical nature of problematic internet use and psychosocial well-being as described by Caplan (2004).
According to Caplan’s (2004) theory of internet use, those individuals with psychosocial problems and negative views of their own social competence are more likely to prefer online social interaction. This leads to excessive and compulsive use of the internet, further worsening their problems in school, work, and in social interactions. Caplan’s (2004) model illustrates how individual factors as well as affordances of the internet interact to create a space that can lead to a perseverance of the issues that initiated the behavior in the first place.
Individual differences that link these people to problematic internet use, on top of the addictive nature of the internet itself also impact their likelihood for uncontrollable use. Upon feeling the onset of a certain symptom never experienced before, people are often inclined to “Google” that symptom to see if they can diagnose themselves and find out what is wrong. This is fine for people who are not likely to become obsessed with looking up every ache and pain they experience. However, those who already have hypochondriasis, or a tendency to read into everyday normal bodily functions as the presence of a serious illness, may be prone to use the internet as a means of obsessively searching these bodily functions to the point that it becomes excessive and problematic. With increased internet use and Googling of their symptoms, people with hypochondriasis are likely to think that they have even more problems than they started with, thus continuing and worsening the cycle of pathology. When they start reading about all the possibilities that their symptoms could be, this just furthers their anxiety and concern.
According to Wallace (1999), the variant ratio schedule of the internet is what makes it so addictive. “Googling” your symptoms follows this same schedule of reinforcement, and so it may or may not give a definite solution, which is what conditions the person to keep trying until they get the “reward” or diagnosis in this case. Those who are constantly pestering their physicians and loved ones about symptoms and illnesses they believe they have, are likely to want to use the internet because it is anonymous and there is less social responsibility. The anonymity of Google allows people to type in any symptoms they want, without worries of embarrassment. They also do not have to worry that they are bothering “Google” about their problems like they do with their friends. Additionally, even after doctors tell them that they are completely healthy, many hypochondriacs will not believe them. Thus the constant availability and accessibility of Google allows them to search their supposed symptoms at all hours of the night without disrupting any real people.
However, this reliance or dependence on Google as a friend may lead them to turn to the internet as their means of comfort because it gives them the answers that their friends and physicians will not, thus diminishing social ties, increasing problems at school and work, and only furthering their focus and anxiety over nonexistent symptoms. Moreover, if people begin to view Google as a replacement for a doctor, in the case of true emergencies, people may not know what is really wrong with them. The negative outcomes of obsessive “Googling of symptoms” is not only like to increase and continue the existing problems, but may lead to detrimental problems if people truly do have symptoms that must be addressed by a doctor and these are ignored because Googling becomes more comfortable than seeking out a real doctor due to the affordances of the internet.
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Assignment 9...Goosemoosers Anonymous
Online forums are a major source of entertainment and, for many people, support, regardless of the primary topic of the forum. An example of one such forum is the Goosemoose Pet Portal: Rats Rule! online forum dedicated to the care of pet rats. This forum is used by a number of different people, with many posting daily, some even hourly. With the amount of use that Goosemoose has, it important to ask when does the use of this online forum become problematic. According to Scott E. Caplan, there are two different aspects to problematic Internet use that must be considered. These are excessive use and compulsive use.
Excessive Internet use is when the quantity of use is considered by the participant to exceed a normal, usual, or planned amount of time. Compulsive use is the inability to control one's online activity, along with guilt about lack of control. Examples of excessive and compulsive Internet use are quite prevalent within the Goosemoose community. One example can be observed by seeing the frequency with which people post on the forum. Some members, especially new ones (an idea presented by Patricia Wallace, known as newbie's diseases), post nearly one hundred messages a day, which is a large number considering that Rats Rule! is a relatively small forum. In addition to this, many forum members comment on the fact that they obsessively check Goosemoose, and that they often stay on much longer than they intend, which is supported by the times their posts are made (often around 3:00 AM).
There are number of different reasons that Goosemoosers find themselves facing this, as Caplan would term it, problematic Internet use. These reasons include both psychological consideration, and the possibility that certain Internet affordances make it conducive to being overused. It has been shown that individuals with impoverished self images often find it easier to interact with others online, since they find it less threatening, which can lead to problematic Internet use. This preference for interaction online can cause problems at school, work, and home, resulting in a further degradation of the individuals impression of self, thus creating a self perpetuating cycle. It is hard to find support for this theory on Goosemoose, since psychological impressions of all users are difficult to form. There are, however, a number of users that allude to, or openly state, that they are depressed, lonely, or socially awkward, which suggests support for the theory that a poor self image leads to problematic Internet use. Personally, I find Goosemoose to be an excellent source of distraction and procrastination (one of the four categories in the Online Cognition Scale presented by Davis, Flett, and Besser) , which are the main causes of my excessive Internet use
Excessive Internet use can also be caused by certain Internet affordances, which includes greater anonymity, greater control over self-presentation, more intense and intimate self-disclosure, less perceived social risk and less social responsibility. In online forums, and Goosemoose more specifically, users have a great deal of anonymity, thus causing them to disclose more than they would normally feel comfortable doing. This leads to a greater sense of understanding and community between online members, resulting in a feeling of closeness that may be lacking in face to face relationships, where self disclosure is inhibited by the lack of anonymity. Users of Goosemoose also have the opportunity to present themselves in any way that they please, giving them a control over their self presentation that they can not have in real life. This could cause an increased appeal of online interaction and a decreased appeal of face to face interactions, which may result in problematic Internet use.
Goosemoose Rats Rule! creates an online environment that, for many people, is more appealing than reality, leading to what many would consider, including Caplan, to be problematic Internet use.
Goosemoose!
Excessive Internet use is when the quantity of use is considered by the participant to exceed a normal, usual, or planned amount of time. Compulsive use is the inability to control one's online activity, along with guilt about lack of control. Examples of excessive and compulsive Internet use are quite prevalent within the Goosemoose community. One example can be observed by seeing the frequency with which people post on the forum. Some members, especially new ones (an idea presented by Patricia Wallace, known as newbie's diseases), post nearly one hundred messages a day, which is a large number considering that Rats Rule! is a relatively small forum. In addition to this, many forum members comment on the fact that they obsessively check Goosemoose, and that they often stay on much longer than they intend, which is supported by the times their posts are made (often around 3:00 AM).
There are number of different reasons that Goosemoosers find themselves facing this, as Caplan would term it, problematic Internet use. These reasons include both psychological consideration, and the possibility that certain Internet affordances make it conducive to being overused. It has been shown that individuals with impoverished self images often find it easier to interact with others online, since they find it less threatening, which can lead to problematic Internet use. This preference for interaction online can cause problems at school, work, and home, resulting in a further degradation of the individuals impression of self, thus creating a self perpetuating cycle. It is hard to find support for this theory on Goosemoose, since psychological impressions of all users are difficult to form. There are, however, a number of users that allude to, or openly state, that they are depressed, lonely, or socially awkward, which suggests support for the theory that a poor self image leads to problematic Internet use. Personally, I find Goosemoose to be an excellent source of distraction and procrastination (one of the four categories in the Online Cognition Scale presented by Davis, Flett, and Besser) , which are the main causes of my excessive Internet use
Excessive Internet use can also be caused by certain Internet affordances, which includes greater anonymity, greater control over self-presentation, more intense and intimate self-disclosure, less perceived social risk and less social responsibility. In online forums, and Goosemoose more specifically, users have a great deal of anonymity, thus causing them to disclose more than they would normally feel comfortable doing. This leads to a greater sense of understanding and community between online members, resulting in a feeling of closeness that may be lacking in face to face relationships, where self disclosure is inhibited by the lack of anonymity. Users of Goosemoose also have the opportunity to present themselves in any way that they please, giving them a control over their self presentation that they can not have in real life. This could cause an increased appeal of online interaction and a decreased appeal of face to face interactions, which may result in problematic Internet use.
Goosemoose Rats Rule! creates an online environment that, for many people, is more appealing than reality, leading to what many would consider, including Caplan, to be problematic Internet use.
Goosemoose!
Assignment #9 - Trading in One Addiction for Another
Partaking in chat rooms allows a person to meet people and expand his/her social network in a medium that is not bound by time and location constraints. However, too much time spent in chat rooms point to signs of PIU, Problematic Internet Use. It can become a space that people excessively use, neglecting important obligations to schoolwork, family and friends in order to stay in the chat room. Additionally, it can reach a point where the person compulsively obsesses over their next interactions in the space and loses his/her ability to control the amount of time spent in the chat room.
When Googling “addiction to online chatting”, I came across a thread from http://soberrecovery.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-618.html, which is a blog for recovering alcoholics. Interestingly, they had a section for recovering addicts that conquered their substance abuse only to succumb to an addiction to online chat rooms.
I obviously wouldn’t generalize these recovering addict’s experiences as typical usage of chat rooms as these people are self-professed addicts and understand that they have addictive tendencies. However, they do provide an interesting lens in to view Caplan’s theory which basically states that people with psychosocial problems have very negative views about their social competence so they prefer Internet interaction as which it turns worsens their initial problems. One blogger’s comment in particular alluded to this cyclical occurence as she wrote, “I've kind of withdrawn, become a little awkward and shy. Maybe it could be combined factors in my life that have caused me to be the way I am now, but I believe most the reason could be being addicted to online or chatting… I would go to the community site and feel comfortable there”.
Many of the bloggers admitted to escaping into these chat rooms for ridiculously long periods of time in order to distract themselves from their difficult recovery period, which corresponds the distraction factor of Davis, Flett and Besser’s study. The affordances of the Internet allow these addicts to escape their “real selves” due to the ability to employ greater control over their self-presentation. On the other hand, if they want to really be themselves, the Internet provides an environment conducive to more intense and intimate self-disclosures. This addiction could just be an outcome of Wallace calls “Newbie disease” as chat rooms are novel to them and provide the same rush that drinking did.
However, the impetus behind the person’s addiction to chat rooms is clearly the same psychosocial problem that led to the alcohol abuse. Compulsively chatting might be the only way to combat their loneliness or need for social comfort, as they might not be ready to do it in person quite yet. This blog is a perfect example of how important an individual’s disposition is in context of Internet addiction as people with addictive personalities will utilize whatever CMC space they’re in and its affordances and will subsequently get addicted.
When Googling “addiction to online chatting”, I came across a thread from http://soberrecovery.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-618.html, which is a blog for recovering alcoholics. Interestingly, they had a section for recovering addicts that conquered their substance abuse only to succumb to an addiction to online chat rooms.
I obviously wouldn’t generalize these recovering addict’s experiences as typical usage of chat rooms as these people are self-professed addicts and understand that they have addictive tendencies. However, they do provide an interesting lens in to view Caplan’s theory which basically states that people with psychosocial problems have very negative views about their social competence so they prefer Internet interaction as which it turns worsens their initial problems. One blogger’s comment in particular alluded to this cyclical occurence as she wrote, “I've kind of withdrawn, become a little awkward and shy. Maybe it could be combined factors in my life that have caused me to be the way I am now, but I believe most the reason could be being addicted to online or chatting… I would go to the community site and feel comfortable there”.
Many of the bloggers admitted to escaping into these chat rooms for ridiculously long periods of time in order to distract themselves from their difficult recovery period, which corresponds the distraction factor of Davis, Flett and Besser’s study. The affordances of the Internet allow these addicts to escape their “real selves” due to the ability to employ greater control over their self-presentation. On the other hand, if they want to really be themselves, the Internet provides an environment conducive to more intense and intimate self-disclosures. This addiction could just be an outcome of Wallace calls “Newbie disease” as chat rooms are novel to them and provide the same rush that drinking did.
However, the impetus behind the person’s addiction to chat rooms is clearly the same psychosocial problem that led to the alcohol abuse. Compulsively chatting might be the only way to combat their loneliness or need for social comfort, as they might not be ready to do it in person quite yet. This blog is a perfect example of how important an individual’s disposition is in context of Internet addiction as people with addictive personalities will utilize whatever CMC space they’re in and its affordances and will subsequently get addicted.
#9 - Online Gaming
An online activity that can lead to or is often associated with Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is online gaming. It involves many different types of realms such as MUDs, First Person Shooter (FPS such as Halo and Counterstrike “CS”), Simulation such as the SIMS, or Real Time Strategy (RTS) such as World of Warcraft and Starcraft. The following is an example of an online gamer from PurePwnage: a mockumentary series about the life of a heavy FPS player Doug who suffers from PIU.
In the video, “Doug” talks about his father having little faith in him because of his tendency to bring online gaming rules and actions to real life. He is also unable to keep a job. This perceived social competence is low which leads to his ultimate preference for online gaming. This spiraling effect ultimately leads Doug to exercise excessive, compulsive use of the internet.
Caplan states that PIU involves "maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving Internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences" which often involve compulsive and excessive use. Online gamers with PIU spend so much time playing online games that they have troubles maintaining jobs or grades. Excessive gaming can escalate to often spending whole days playing games. Compulsive use often results from problematic internet users because gaming becomes their life and it takes a greater precedent than other responsibilities. They usually recognize their lack of control but see it as their only passion or skill.
The following are some attritubes of online gaming that contribute to the development of PIU. Online games are easily accessible and affordable; easy to get and easy to use. Gaming offers social comfort because it often allows users to join a team, creating sense of social belonging and unity. Gamers also experience operant conditioning where games can start and any moment and your status can change at any moment. Online games have high levels of interactivity; the realm is simulated and meant to be a second reality. This realm is global; a game is going on with people wherever and whenever.
Caplan also states in his theory of PIU that psychosocial problems such as loneliness and depression lead to low perceived social competence. This in turn leads to a preference toward internet interaction where this space is less threatening and more efficacious. As users become more efficacious online and less competent on real life, some users head to excessive, compulsive levels of usage of the internet. The cycle escalates until some severe cases of PIU evolves.
In relation to online gaming, online gamers often feel they are less competent at “life” and more able to succeed in gaming realms. They often feel lonely or depressed because they feel isolated. They feel they are more able to succeed in this online gaming world. Their social competence maybe be attacked frequently in non-online communities and feel more at ease and secure in an online gaming network. This contrast of failure and success leads gamers to spend more time playing games increasing their skill level while their situation in school, home and work regress due to their focus on online gaming.
Most online gamers with PIU will exhibit many aspects of Caplan’s Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale. Gamers with PIU often experience mood alteration based on whether they are currently playing a game or are winning or not. Many will experience negative outcomes as mentioned before along with lying to employers or family about activities, carpel tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, failure to attend to personal hygiene, or even sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
The unique properties of online gaming deal mostly with the realistic, visual presentation of the online game. No other online realm offers such a high level of interactivity. Online gaming also has an extreme level of operant conditioning. The environment acts like the real world, and users are forced to stay alert to react to any changes or actions.
In the video, “Doug” talks about his father having little faith in him because of his tendency to bring online gaming rules and actions to real life. He is also unable to keep a job. This perceived social competence is low which leads to his ultimate preference for online gaming. This spiraling effect ultimately leads Doug to exercise excessive, compulsive use of the internet.
Caplan states that PIU involves "maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving Internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences" which often involve compulsive and excessive use. Online gamers with PIU spend so much time playing online games that they have troubles maintaining jobs or grades. Excessive gaming can escalate to often spending whole days playing games. Compulsive use often results from problematic internet users because gaming becomes their life and it takes a greater precedent than other responsibilities. They usually recognize their lack of control but see it as their only passion or skill.
The following are some attritubes of online gaming that contribute to the development of PIU. Online games are easily accessible and affordable; easy to get and easy to use. Gaming offers social comfort because it often allows users to join a team, creating sense of social belonging and unity. Gamers also experience operant conditioning where games can start and any moment and your status can change at any moment. Online games have high levels of interactivity; the realm is simulated and meant to be a second reality. This realm is global; a game is going on with people wherever and whenever.
Caplan also states in his theory of PIU that psychosocial problems such as loneliness and depression lead to low perceived social competence. This in turn leads to a preference toward internet interaction where this space is less threatening and more efficacious. As users become more efficacious online and less competent on real life, some users head to excessive, compulsive levels of usage of the internet. The cycle escalates until some severe cases of PIU evolves.
In relation to online gaming, online gamers often feel they are less competent at “life” and more able to succeed in gaming realms. They often feel lonely or depressed because they feel isolated. They feel they are more able to succeed in this online gaming world. Their social competence maybe be attacked frequently in non-online communities and feel more at ease and secure in an online gaming network. This contrast of failure and success leads gamers to spend more time playing games increasing their skill level while their situation in school, home and work regress due to their focus on online gaming.
Most online gamers with PIU will exhibit many aspects of Caplan’s Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale. Gamers with PIU often experience mood alteration based on whether they are currently playing a game or are winning or not. Many will experience negative outcomes as mentioned before along with lying to employers or family about activities, carpel tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, failure to attend to personal hygiene, or even sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
The unique properties of online gaming deal mostly with the realistic, visual presentation of the online game. No other online realm offers such a high level of interactivity. Online gaming also has an extreme level of operant conditioning. The environment acts like the real world, and users are forced to stay alert to react to any changes or actions.
Assignment # 9: Alert! You Have 13 Unread Conversations!
As if the ease of checking one’s mail is not simple enough, Google Mail (Gmail) now offers an even more technologically advanced tool known as Gmail Notifier. From the introduction of internet and email communication to present time, these devices have evolved to allow accessibility among users with few, and continually diminishing, constraints with regard to time and place. With the availability of computers and wireless networks, it requires very little effort to access mail online. Gmail Notifier, however, makes it even easier to do so, because it is designed to notify an individual of new mail immediately when it is received. At that point, a text box along with a noise alert pops up in the bottom right corner of the computer screen, which reveals who the message is from, the subject of the email, and the first few words within the email. This tool is easy and free to install in one’s computer and helps make communication through email even more efficient to the point of being almost synchronous. Although email is generally characterized as an asynchronous psychological space, Gmail Notifier eliminates time from the mail checking process so that if one chooses to do so, they can respond within seconds to a received email.
Although these affordances of Gmail Notifier are valued among its users, they can also lead to Problematic Internet Use (PIU). According to Caplan, PIU is characterized by maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving internet use that leads to academic, professional and social consequences. Symptoms of problematic internet use include mood alterations, excessive use, withdrawal, and compulsive use. The efficiency of Gmail Notifier seems to be problematic because its leads to withdrawal from other activities and for those who receive many emails a day, the use can become excessive and even somewhat compulsive. For example, my boyfriend finds Gmail Notifier very advantageous because he is the president of his fraternity and therefore receives an average of 30 emails each day. This device helps notify him the moment he receives an email and helps avoid a messages to pile up. That being said, however, there are many downsides. For one thing, the constant alerts end up becoming an excessive distracter and therefore other priorities such as his work (and talking to me), end up being compromised. In some ways, using the notifier can even be viewed as compulsive because he tends to feel guilt if he sees a message and does not go to read it immediately.
I think that internet affordances, a factor described by Caplan that is linked to problematic internet use, applies to Gmail Notifier as well, because of its easy-to-use features. However, I feel that in this case, psychosocial health is not an important factor as it was in Caplan’s study. Instead, it seems as though the level of work and responsibility is linked to increased problematic internet use. The more demanding a person’s schedule is, the more likely it seems that they will use this tool, which seems to be more harmful than good.
Although these affordances of Gmail Notifier are valued among its users, they can also lead to Problematic Internet Use (PIU). According to Caplan, PIU is characterized by maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving internet use that leads to academic, professional and social consequences. Symptoms of problematic internet use include mood alterations, excessive use, withdrawal, and compulsive use. The efficiency of Gmail Notifier seems to be problematic because its leads to withdrawal from other activities and for those who receive many emails a day, the use can become excessive and even somewhat compulsive. For example, my boyfriend finds Gmail Notifier very advantageous because he is the president of his fraternity and therefore receives an average of 30 emails each day. This device helps notify him the moment he receives an email and helps avoid a messages to pile up. That being said, however, there are many downsides. For one thing, the constant alerts end up becoming an excessive distracter and therefore other priorities such as his work (and talking to me), end up being compromised. In some ways, using the notifier can even be viewed as compulsive because he tends to feel guilt if he sees a message and does not go to read it immediately.
I think that internet affordances, a factor described by Caplan that is linked to problematic internet use, applies to Gmail Notifier as well, because of its easy-to-use features. However, I feel that in this case, psychosocial health is not an important factor as it was in Caplan’s study. Instead, it seems as though the level of work and responsibility is linked to increased problematic internet use. The more demanding a person’s schedule is, the more likely it seems that they will use this tool, which seems to be more harmful than good.
#9 Living Your Wildest Fantasy
If only Pavlov knew what he is missing. He wouldn’t have to have bothered with those silly dogs if he had only had the opportunity to witness the extremely comparable behavior of (mostly) boys and men of all ages around the world. No, this post is NOT about pornography…I mean fantasy sports. I often watch my boyfriend throughout various seasons settle in front of his computer and habitually return to espn.com to check on the progress of his roster. As soon as he first sees the red banner across the top of the page, he practically begins to salivate in anticipation of his reward: points for his team. No bell or Alpo required! Now, I am being slightly unfair to my better half. His “habit” is limited to a few times a week. But his case is extremely mild compared to many boys and men who spend an incredible amount of time and energy on their rosters. Even during football season, when professional teams mostly play only Sunday and Monday, many people (not just men, I’m being unfair to the male population as well) return to their respective fantasy sites almost compulsively to make trades, sign free agents, adjust their starting rosters, and even purchase projected stats and points.
For those unfamiliar with the phenomenon, fantasy sports offer a network for fans of football, baseball, basketball, etc to join in “leagues” against other participants and build rosters of professional players from different teams. For example, I am in a girls-only league along with my boyfriend's sister and step sister. Users gain points based on the performance of starting players in their selected rosters each game. Fantasy sports can lead to PIU for several reasons. Most obviously applied is Wallace’s concept of a locus of control. Sports fans are notorious for screaming at coaches and managers whom they believe have made a bad coaching call. While the fantasy teams are not real rosters (hence the name), fanatics have a say in who plays when. The only factors the users cannot control is player peformances and injuries. Also (pointing back to Pavlov), operant conditioning plays a large role by rewarding users with points when players on their team perform well.
While fantasy sport participants are often guilty of compulsive use, I do not believe Caplan’s model applies. Most often these compulsions are not born out of social dysfunction, but a constant desire to “check up on” one’s team and its progress and to quickly remedy any problems it may have. Fantasy sports do have unique properties in that it is one of few Internet phenomena that causes PIU that is heavily asynchronous (online shopping being another example). It also has special affordances in that it allows users almost complete control. While fantasy sports PIU is not as much cause for concern as are addictions to things like pornography or online gambling, it is certainly present in the online world.
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