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Research article | DOI: https://doi.org/10.31579/2642-973X/061
*Corresponding Author: Boylan, Rose-Marie, BSc. M.A. Masters in Leadership Studies, Canada.
Citation: V. Stepanenko, V. Barbals (2023), Internet Addiction, J. Brain and Neurological Disorders, 6(4): DOI: 10.31579/2642-973X/061
Copyright: © 2023, V. Stepanenko. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of The Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Received: 01 May 2023 | Accepted: 10 May 2023 | Published: 17 May 2023
Keywords: addiction; personality disorder; internet addiction
Personality disorder is a personality type or behavioral tendency characterized by significant discomfort and deviations from the norms accepted in a given culture. This is a severe violation of the characterological constitution and behavioral tendencies of an individual, usually involving several spheres of personality and almost always accompanied by personal and social disintegration.
Personality disorder usually occurs in late childhood or adolescence and continues to manifest itself in the period of maturity. Therefore, the diagnosis of personality disorder is hardly adequate until the age of 16-17. Nevertheless, it is important to diagnose what these or other personality changes are associated with in adolescents; one or another accentuation of personality can be detected already in adolescence, as well as the degree of its severity and make a forecast regarding its development.
In the last 10 years, manifestations of personality disorder (RL), including illegal behavior, are often directly or indirectly related to the use of the Internet.
The purpose of the study was to study the interrelationships of RL and Internet use in the commission of offenses, as a clarification of the mechanisms of illegal activity and the search for ways to improve the forensic psychophysiological assessment and prevention of illegal activity in this disorder
23 subexpert (men) with RL 20-40 years in 2022-2023 were studied at the Research Center of Psychotherapy (personal observations). 12 cases were emotionally labile (unstable) RL 1st group; 7 – hysterical 2nd group; and 4 – other RL (dissocial, mixed, avoidant) 3rd group.
The research methods include: the study of anamnesis, clinical and psychopathological and experimental psychological characteristics of the subexperts, the system "syndrome-personality situation".
A significant predominance of subexperts with emotional - labile RL (p<0>
In a targeted interview, it was revealed that the Internet was a way of a certain social adaptation in RL. In social networks, hiding behind masks, it is possible to form a different social identity, which was significant with RL. No less significant were the relief of feelings of loneliness with physical non-representation, the absence of non-verbal communication, as well as an increase in self-esteem, a certain social recognition (p<0>
Along with the positive role of the Internet in the studied subexperts, its negative impact on value systems, emotional-volitional self-regulation of behavior in personality disharmony was obvious, which in a certain situation became the basis for committing offenses. In 78,5% of all cases for at least a year there was a "constant online presence syndrome", narrowing the perception of reality and orientation in it also acted as a condition for facilitating the commission of offenses. At the same time, it seemed premature to state addiction from social networks, since there was still the possibility of satisfactory social adaptation in a real environment. Offenses in the examined subexperts on the basis of the role of the Internet in their commission represented a modification of behavior to criminal, when the Internet acted as a medium and instrument of offense: sexual acts against minors –51.7% of all offenses; involvement in a drug distribution scheme -22.1%; fraud -11.2%; begging -8.4%. In 2 cases (4.2%) with RL, a bacteterrorism was anonymously reported and in 1 there was revenge using the Internet (acquisition of technical means and their use) 2.1% .50.0% of the subexperts were interested in computer games; 43.4% in porn sites. It can be assumed that such interests, while constantly being online, contributed to the strengthening of disharmony of personality and the negative transformation of real interpersonal relationships with frequent minimization and psychological erasure of the "allowed, not allowed" feature in resolving conflicts, realizing sexual needs, reducing the inferiority complex. In 11.2% of the subexperts with RL, the fascination with digital technologies played a role in the emergence of cyberchondria. Against this background, sexual torts with self-justifying activity occurred.
The samples of life and relationships seen on the Internet were considered unattainable by most of the subexperts with RL (the "deprived" complex), which could also play a role in a negative attitude towards others. That is, the "Internet" networks psychologically facilitated the sale of drugs and the commission of property offenses for the purpose of enrichment, reducing emotional tension, "pressure" complexes. The majority of the examined subexperts retained infantilism, being one of the conditions for committing an offense against personally unknown "culprits" of unsatisfactory life or against society as a whole.
Scenes of violence on the Internet lead to the cumulative effect of negative information and loss of emotional sensitivity, which, according to experimental psychological research, in itself facilitated actions with hidden or explicit aggression or their attempts. This also applied to virtual forms of communication.
In the considered cases of offenses with RL, the syndrome of dependence on surfactants and/or alcohol had a secondary (background) significance in violations of self-regulation of behavior. There were no direct causal links between the use of psychoactive substances and offenses.
Given the complex genesis of RL and criminal behavior in this disorder associated with the Internet, its further study requires a systematic approach, including neuro– and pathopsychological.
The forensic psychiatric analysis of criminal behavior in RL should focus on the analysis of the symptomatic structure of the disorder, its connection with organic and psychotraumatic harms, the peculiarities of the situation, that is, with biopsychosocial factors.
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