Problematic internet use and sensation seeking: Differences between teens who live at home and in residential care

In the current study, a first attempt was made to explore the differences between normative teens and teens at risk in residential care, with regard to their patterns of internet use, problematic internet use (PIU), and the association with sensation seeking. One hundred teens in residential care and 99 teens who reside at home, took part in the study. The findings show that teens in residential care devote less time to surfing the web every day, have lower levels of PIU in the four dimensions examined (diminished impulse control, loneliness/depression, distraction, and social comfort), and are more inclined to seek sensations than teens who live at home. In addition, a negative correlation was found between sensation seeking and PIU.

In their study Bitton and Medina (2015) found that teens, unrelated to their place of residence, use the internet (about 90%), mainly accessing social websites such as Facebook and YouTube. Although most of the teens use the internet (about 90%), those who live at home devote more time to surfing the web every day (four hours) than teens in residential care. Teens living at home reported higher levels of PIU in the four dimensions examined: diminished impulse control, loneliness/ depression, distraction, and social comfort, mostly with no gender differences. teens in residential care are more inclined to seek sensations that teens who live at home, and boys are more inclined to do so than girls. in the current study it was found a negative correlation between sensation seeking and PIU.