Preventing problematic internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic: Consensus guidance

• DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2020.152180
• Publication Date: 2020-05-12T06:23:14Z
• Authors: Orsolya Király; Marc N. Potenza; Dan J. Stein; Daniel L. King; David C. Hodgins; John B. Saunders; Mark D. Griffiths; Biljana Gjoneska; Joël Billieux; Matthias Brand; Max W. Abbott; Samuel R. Chamber...; Ornella Corazza; Julius Burkauskas; Célia M.D. Sales; Christian Montag; Christine Lochner; Edna Grünblatt; Elisa Wegmann; Giovanni Martinotti; Hae Kook Lee; Hans-Jürgen Rumpf; Jesús Castro-Calvo; Afarin Rahimi-Mov...; Susumu Higuchi; Jose M. Menchon; Joseph Zohar; Luca Pellegrini; Susanne Walitza; Naomi A. Fineberg; Zsolt Demetrovics
• Keywords: Pandemic; Social distance

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many governments have introduced steps such as spatial distancing and "staying at home" curb its spread impact. The fear resulting from disease, 'lockdown' situation, high levels of uncertainty regarding future, financial insecurity raise level stress, anxiety, depression experienced by people all around world. Psychoactive substances other reinforcing behaviors (e.g., gambling, video gaming, watching pornography) are often used reduce stress anxiety and/or alleviate depressed mood. tendency use engage in an excessive manner putative coping strategies crises like pandemic is considerable. Moreover, importance information communications technology (ICT) even higher present crisis than usual. ICT has been crucial keeping parts economy going, allowing large groups work study home, enhancing social connectedness, providing greatly needed entertainment, etc. Although for vast majority adaptive should not be pathologized, subgroup vulnerable individuals risk developing problematic usage patterns. consensus guidance discusses these risks makes some practical recommendations that may help diminish them.