T G, T B U: I U, O R R P: Rhechanova@ateneo - Edu
T G, T B U: I U, O R R P: Rhechanova@ateneo - Edu
T G, T B U: I U, O R R P: Rhechanova@ateneo - Edu
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: INTERNET USE, OUTCOMES AND THE
ROLE OF REGULATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
ABSTRACT
This study expands the Uses and Gratification Theory by examining Internet use and its
outcomes among Filipino Internet users. It also tests the Social Cognitive Theory by
examining the role of both self and external regulation on Internet use outcomes. The study
was done in two phases. In the first phase, interviews were conducted to elicit how the
Internet is used as well as perceptions of healthy versus problematic Internet use. In the
second phase, surveys were administered to 387 respondents from all over the Philippines.
Results revealed that purposes or activities using the Internet can be grouped into seven
factors, namely basic Internet use, entertainment, expression and interaction, e-commerce,
school-related, and technological deviance. Although the last three have been cited in other
studies, they have not been included in past taxonomies. Positive outcomes of Internet use are
greater productivity and personal enhancement. Negative outcomes can be described in terms
of social harm and Internet addiction. Results link specific usage with outcomes. The use of
Internet to express oneself and interact predicted both personal enhancement and problematic
Internet use. Basic Internet use and entertainment predicted problematic Internet use.
External regulation predict personal harm and social harm but not productivity and addiction.
Self-regulation is associated with greater productivity and personal enhancement and is
negatively related to social harm and addiction. Self-regulated was also a strongest predictor
of both positive outcomes suggesting that beyond putting in controls for Internet use,
developing users ability to self-regulate are more important in enabling the productive use of
the Internet.
1. INTRODUCTION
Internet usage crosses both national and cultural boundaries. However, the extent to which
Internet usage varies between cultures remains unclear. Differences in Internet usage patterns
have been noted such as the Internet being used more for content oriented material in Japan
(i.e., information and entertainment) versus more communicative functions in Korea (Bae
Young, 2004). Wang (2001) highlights the importance of considering socio-cultural
explanations in relation to Internet addiction, and contends that these problematic behaviours
are influenced by family, culture, and society. Choi and Ross (2006) suggest that young
people who have been raised in collectivist, hierarchical, family-focused societies are able to
act and socialize independently for the first time through the Internet. They contend that it is
possible that the opening up of this “new world” may put youth living in collectivist societies
at higher risk for the development of Internet addiction.
This study applies the Uses and Gratification (U&G) Theory (Palmgreen et al., 1985)
as a frame in developing a taxonomy of Internet use as well as outcomes of Internet use in a
collectivist and developing society such as the Philippines. Further, it seeks to contribute to
theory by extending the U&G theory by examining the role of regulation in predicting
outcomes of Internet use.
pathological gambling, an impulse control disorder, since many problematic Internet users
demonstrated similar symptoms of addiction: preoccupation with the behavior, loss of control
over the behavior, and functional impairment. The diagnostic criteria suggested by both
Young (1998) has been critiqued by other researchers who state that the transposing of
existing criteria for a solitary activity such as gambling directly to Internet use appears
arbitrary and is not based on empirical evidence (Grohol, 1999). The debate becomes even
more complex because behavioral addictions do not involve the physiological ingestion of a
substance that chemically alters the body. Due to the controversy surrounding the term
‘‘addiction,’’ it was excluded from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-IV) and replaced with the terms ‘‘dependence’’ and ‘‘Impulse Control Disorder.’’
Thus, researches have preferred to use the term ‘problematic Internet use’ referring to
excessive use or addictive tendencies toward the Internet (Czincz and Hechanova, 2009).
3. METHODOLOGY
This study utilized mixed methods through a sequential exploratory strategy, involving two
phases. In the first phase, qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews
to elicit the usage and outcomes of Internet use. In the second phase, a quantitative survey
was constructed and administered to identify the taxonomies and establish the relationship
between usage, outcomes and self-regulation.
3.1 Phase 1
3.1.1 Sample
The first phase of the project was qualitative in nature. In this phase, researchers conducted
20 interviews (approximately 1 in each of the following five age groups: 10 to 19, 20 to 29,
30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 and up) in each of the following four areas: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao
and the Greater Manila Area (GMA). Trained researchers in each of these areas were asked to
locate respondents representing different socioeconomic status and age groups.
3.1.2 Instrument
The interview questions revolved around four themes: internet use, perceived benefits and
risk, health vs unhealthy Internet use and risk factors. For Internet use, questions asked were:
“How often do you use the Internet?”, “What do you use the Internet for?”, “Where do you
use Internet?” and “Why do you use the Internet?”.
To obtain information on perceived benefits and risks of Internet use, respondents
were asked “What would you consider the benefits of using the Internet?” and “What would
you consider the negative effects of Internet use?”
To obtain perceptions of healthy vs. unhealthy, two questions were asked: “What
would you consider healthy Internet use?” and ““What would you consider problematic
Internet use?”
To elicit risk factors in Internet use, the following questions were posed: “Do you
know of someone whose Internet use you would consider problematic? What factors led them
to such problematic use?”
3.2.2 Measures
Internet Use was measured by asking participants to rate a list of 31 uses developed from the
results of Phase One. Internet users were asked to describe how often they used the Internet
for each purpose using the following scale: 1- never, 2 - once a month or less, 3 - every few
weeks, 4 - one to two days a week, 5 - three to five days a week, 6 - once a day and 7 -
several times a day (see Annex A).
Outcomes of Internet Use were measured using 15 items describing how Internet has
affects users (see Annex B). The items, which were developed from the results of the scoping
study, included improved performance in school, increased opportunities to learn, etc. The
items utilized a 5-point scale with 5 being “strongly agree” and 1 “strongly disagree.”
Social Harm pertained to the detrimental effects of Internet use. It was measured
using items elicited from the interviews that described being harmed. In addition to these
items, interviewees also mentioned problematic Internet use as a possible outcome of
excessive use. It was measured using Young’s (1998) Internet-related addiction scale (IAS).
In the 20-item scale where a rating of 1 means “not at all” and 5 means “always,” Young
4. RESULTS
4.1 Descriptive Statistics
Table 1 reveals that the top three uses of Internet was for Basic communication (e-mail, chat,
Skype), entertainment (watching movies and videos, playing and listening to the radio) and
expression & participation (blogging, reading other’s blog and posting comments on others
sites, etc).
In terms of the impact of Internet use, more respondents reported more positive
impact of Internet use including productivity and personal enhancement as opposed to
experiencing social harm or problematic use).
Scores for regulation show higher incidence of self (M=3.27) as opposed to external
regulation (M=2.38).
interaction is associated with both positive and negative outcomes. Blogging, posting on
other people’s sites, and other social network-related activities appear to be instrumental
improve one’s relationships and being able to express oneself. However, there also appears to
be an addictive element to this type of activity – people may also feel a compulsion to
constantly check updates, tweets, instagrams, etc of those in their social network.
Basic communication (email, chatting, search) and using the Internet for news and
information predict productivity. However, basic communication is also associated with
addiction. E-commerce is negatively correlated with productivity. Entertainment is negatively
correlated with productivity and positively correlated with problematic Internet use
MEAN SD
Years using Internet 2.61 1.08
Hours on the Internet in a week* 2.35 1.77
Internet allowed me to express my thoughts and feelings (blogs, forums .212 .792 -.062 .001
Internet provided me with recreation/amusement .146 .768 -.239 .101
Internet improved my communication skills .207 .760 -.237 .088
Intern enhanced my family relationships .074 .678 -.110 .223
Internet provided me with opportunities to learn .039 .564 .043 .393
I’ve gotten into trouble because people have posted information or photos about you .127 -.208 .828 -.021
I’ve gotten deceived or scammed by others on the Internet .205 -.290 .773 -.062
I’ve gotten distracted from personal responsibilities because of Internet use .400 -.195 .728 .004
I’ve experience being bullied or threatened by someone over the Internet .089 -.493 .658 .167
I’ve spent more money than you can afford on Internet use .170 -.391 .646 .119
I spend less time with family because of Internet use .375 -.150 .627 .076
I spend less time with friends because of Internet use .193 -.575 .575 .209
The Internet has saved me money .044 -.051 -.026 .860
The Internet has saved me a lot of time -.110 .093 .012 .828
The Internet has Improved my performance in school/work .004 .273 .213 .584
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.
a. Rotation converged in 7 iterations.
5. DISCUSSION
The results of this study revealed a seven-component taxonomy of Internet usage among
Filipino Internet users. Some of the components are similar to what have been found in
studies in the West. For example, using the Internet for entertainment was also identified
by other researchers (Papacharissi and Rubin, 2000; Leung, 2001; Ko et al, 2005; Diddi
and LaRose, 2006; Stafford and Stafford, 2001). Communication and search appears to
be similar to Papacharissi and Rubin’s (2000) interpersonal utility. Expression and
interaction may be akin to Leung’s (2001) sociability component and Flanagin and
Metzger (2001) relationship maintenance. However, there are three components that
appear to be unique to this sample: school-related, e-commerce, and technological
deviance. This is not to say that these usages are unknown as evidenced by research that
has examined gambling and pornography (i.e. Spurlock, 2004; Derevensky and Gupta,
2004) as well as technologically deviant behaviors such as hacking, spreading of viruses,
or spreading photos without someone’s permission (Petrony, 2009). However, these
behaviours have not been included in prior taxonomies. The inclusion of e-commerce is a
fairly new phenomenon hence it may not have been included in prior taxonomies.
Finally, activities such as e-groups, downloading e-books and software and copying
information online was labelled school-related. This appears to be unique to a student
sample. Because students are digital natives, downloading e-books and software has
become natural for them. Online libraries and other scholarly search sites have also
become the primary means for students to do school-related research. At the same time,
the emergence of social networking tools such as Yahoo Groups, Google Groups, and
even Facebook has allowed students to collaborate and work on joint projects virtually.
Chae, 2012). On the other hand, there was no relationship between external regulation
and addiction. Explanations for this may come from Livingstone and Helsper (2008)who
suggest that although parents think they have restricted these activities by setting rules,
children may simply not be heeding them. Secondly, it is possible that parents
overestimate the degree to which they regulate their children’s Internet use.
However, the lack of relationship between external regulation and productivity
may reflect the relatively low levels of regulation in the workplace. As reported by
Alampay and Hechanova (2010), only about half of companies have policies on Internet
use.
6. CONCLUSION
6.1 Summary
To summarize, the results reveal a seven-component taxonomy of Internet use in the
Philippines: expression and interaction, basic Internet use, recreation, news and
information, school-related activities, e-commerce, and technology deviance. In addition,
whereas past studies tended to focus on problematic outcomes of Internet, the study
highlights both positive and negative outcomes. Results show that Internet use has
benefits including greater productivity and personal enhancement. However, when
carried to the extreme, Internet use can also lead to social harm and addictive tendencies.
possible that Internet use may be different by geography and populations within the
country. Future studies may wish to explore the dynamics of Internet use in rural and
urban areas, between generational cohorts and between students and workers.
The studies did show some differences from the taxonomies of other countries
hence it might be important to verify whether the model holds applicable across other
similar cultures.
The study was also cross-sectional in nature. Future studies may also want to
examine Internet use and user behaviour using longitudinal methodologies. Particularly,
the boost of the Internet is a fairly new phenomenon, researchers might want to carry out
studies to track Internet users for a longer period of time.
Finally, the lack of influence of external regulation on predicting Internet use
outcomes deserves greater examination. Finding out current strategies and determining
which strategies may be more effective than others is important before concluding that
external regulation has no impact on Internet use.
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Following are some of the things people do online. Please indicate how often you do them by
checking the appropriate column.
The Internet has… Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree nor Disagree
a. Improved my
performance in
school/work
b. Provided me with
opportunities to
learn
c. Increased my
business/employme
nt opportunities
d. Saved me a lot of
time
e. Saved me money
f. Enhanced my
relationship with
friends
The Internet has… Strongly Disagree Neither Agree Agree Strongly Agree
Disagree nor Disagree
g. Enhanced my
professional
relationships
h. Enhanced my
family relationships
i. Enriched my
interests
j. Provided me with
recreation/amusem
ent
k. Improved my
communication
skills
l. Gave me access to
resources I would
normally not have
(photos, files, etc)
m. Allowed me to
access information
about other
cultures/societies
n. Allowed me to
express my
thoughts and
feelings (blogs,
forums)
o. Given me
opportunities to
share information
with others
The following are some possible outcome of Internet use. Please indicate how often these
apply to you by putting a check under the appropriate column.
ANNEX E : SELF-REGULATION
Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.