Caplan defines Problematic Internet Use (PIU) as maladaptive cognitions and behaviors involving internet use that result in negative academic, professional, and social consequences. One specific PIU that I have witnessed is the obsession with stalking away messages. While it is true that some people craft their away message deliberately to attract the attention of others, even these attention-seekers can underestimate the extent to which they are being stalker by people they barely know.
I have friends who stay logged on to AIM twenty four hours a day, seven days a week just so that they can stalk the away messages of distant crushes or people who they have limited face to face interaction with. Although online familiarity does increase with intersection frequency, or how often you encounter someone in an online space, away message stalkers do not always intended to establish actual relationships online. Many of them have just developed the habit of checking away messages periodically, perhaps to find out what a certain individual is doing for the weekend, or even their phone number. This is problematic because these away message stalkers are not using AIM as a launch pad to start a relationship and ease the initial tension, but rather as a social tracking device for no apparent reason other than to satisfy their curiosity. Away message stalkers may not even realize that their behavior contributes to the perception of the internet as a time sink. Wallace cites that as we integrate the internet into part of daily routine, we often ignore the resulting problems such as how much time we waste while using the internet.
AIM as a psychological space is very conducive to problematic internet use. People can stay logged on constantly and have immediate access to reading away messages. They can also remain anonymous, as a buddy list is a private feature. The newest version of AIM does not even require scrolling the mouse over the screen name to read the message. Instead, the away message appears right below the screen name. This provides easy access to the away message stalkers who are often exhibit compulsive use of AIM. Also, AIM allows you to place “alerts” on select individuals so that you are aware when they sign on, when they put up an away message, and when they take it down. This feature especially paves the way for problematic internet use; however, ultimately the individual is responsible for his/her behavior, as represented in Caplan’s theory.
Caplan’s model states that individuals with psychosocial problems hold negative perceptions about their social competence. This first assertion holds true for some away message stalkers who have low confidence as a result of their psychosocial difficulties. Next, Caplan claims that these individuals prefer online interaction as opposed to face to face interaction because it is less threatening and they feel more efficacious. This holds true for many away message stalkers who spend their time tracking the activity of people online as opposed to encountering them face to face. Next, Caplan states that the preference for online interaction leads to excessive, compulsive use of the internet—exactly the type of behavior exhibited by many away message stalkers. Caplan’s model targets personality traits that cause problematic internet use instead of completely blaming the online space. While the online space may allow such problematic behaviors to flourish, Caplan acknowledges the hidden psychological issues that propel such behaviors.
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