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After school activities, social skills and computer addiction among adolescent boys in Singapore
Author
Koe, Heong Yin
Supervisor
Ho, David Yau-Fai
Abstract
The increase in use of computers in this IT age is accelerating. While this may be beneficial for adults in their work, there is an urgent need to consider the impact of this new technology on younger users. Past research suggests that younger users are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of excessive computer use. With the changing sociocultural climate brought about by the IT age, any negative impact can have far-reaching effects if not checked in time.
This research was a preliminary study to examine the impact of the IT age on 136 Secondary One students, in an all-boys school in Singapore. The study focussed on three areas: the nature of activities engaged in after compulsory school hours, nonverbal social skills and computer addiction. Its aim was to examine interrelations among these three areas. Participants were asked to record the amount of time they spent in four categories of after school activity during a 1-week mid-semestral break. The emotional subscales of the Social Skills Inventory (SSI) by Riggio (1989) were modified to measure nonverbal emotional social skills. Computer addiction was measured with a checklist adopted from the Internet Dependency Checklist by Scherer and Bost (1997, as printed in Griffiths, 1998). Data on time spent in the four categories of after school activity and on computer addiction were collected by self-report. However, peer rating was used instead of self-report for the SSI.
The study suggests that many teenage boys in Singapore in this IT age are socially isolated, and tend to be lacking in nonverbal social skills, particularly in nonverbal sensitivity. As many as 60% of them are classified as computer addicted, according to the criterion used in the present study. Data obtained suggest that voluntary use of computer for 35 to 40 hours per week or more as after school activity during school holidays is indicative of computer addiction. When differentiated by the nature of use, it is found that more than 20 hours per week of interactive computer use, and more than 25 hours per week of noninteractive computer use, are indicative of addiction.
Contrary to expectations, neither non-face-to-face activities, nor noninteractive activities, are negatively related with nonverbal social skills, but computer use is. Heavy users of computers tend to be lacking in nonverbal sensitivity and emotional control.
These findings have implications for research, and for educational policies. The author suggests that some of the effects of computer use can be diffused by the user's involvement in other activities.
This research was a preliminary study to examine the impact of the IT age on 136 Secondary One students, in an all-boys school in Singapore. The study focussed on three areas: the nature of activities engaged in after compulsory school hours, nonverbal social skills and computer addiction. Its aim was to examine interrelations among these three areas. Participants were asked to record the amount of time they spent in four categories of after school activity during a 1-week mid-semestral break. The emotional subscales of the Social Skills Inventory (SSI) by Riggio (1989) were modified to measure nonverbal emotional social skills. Computer addiction was measured with a checklist adopted from the Internet Dependency Checklist by Scherer and Bost (1997, as printed in Griffiths, 1998). Data on time spent in the four categories of after school activity and on computer addiction were collected by self-report. However, peer rating was used instead of self-report for the SSI.
The study suggests that many teenage boys in Singapore in this IT age are socially isolated, and tend to be lacking in nonverbal social skills, particularly in nonverbal sensitivity. As many as 60% of them are classified as computer addicted, according to the criterion used in the present study. Data obtained suggest that voluntary use of computer for 35 to 40 hours per week or more as after school activity during school holidays is indicative of computer addiction. When differentiated by the nature of use, it is found that more than 20 hours per week of interactive computer use, and more than 25 hours per week of noninteractive computer use, are indicative of addiction.
Contrary to expectations, neither non-face-to-face activities, nor noninteractive activities, are negatively related with nonverbal social skills, but computer use is. Heavy users of computers tend to be lacking in nonverbal sensitivity and emotional control.
These findings have implications for research, and for educational policies. The author suggests that some of the effects of computer use can be diffused by the user's involvement in other activities.
Date Issued
2002
Call Number
QA76.9.C66 Koe
Date Submitted
2002