Merriam-Webster defines the term “compulsive” as behavior that one is not able to stop or control; consequently, the term “compulsive use of the Internet” refers mainly to problematic Internet use as an actual mental health disorder or symptom. The authors of this paper, unlike other studies, examined what exactly compulsive Internet use is among UK adults in terms of economic issues where examinees live and work. They observed separately for one year adults who work and those who are unemployed. The study focused on sociodemographic issues associated with the current economic crisis, which provides the base for possible maladaptive use of the Internet. To be more precise, the authors present a definition of compulsive Internet use with its corresponding prevalence, as well as the basic theoretical model of key drivers of compulsive Internet use. They present five hypotheses on which they based their study.

The study included employed and unemployed females and males, proportionally selected to ensure objectivity. The authors also used the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), a 14-item scale with appropriate subscales representing the critical components of maladaptive Internet use. The CIUS measured the construct of compulsive Internet use among examinees on which the authors performed the relevant statistical analysis. Based on this analysis, they present results on the relevance of demography, personality, and “workaholism” on compulsive Internet use. Most of the issues related to gender, demography, employment conditions, and social activities of participants were statistically documented and well presented in the discussion section.

The key conclusion that the authors successfully present is related to the statement that “compulsive Internet use is a problem that is not just restricted to student[s] and young sectors of the population, but that unemployment [in the adult population] is [also] a potential risk factor.” Furthermore, although excessively working and spending time online can be extremely productive, compulsive Internet use can interfere with daily life, work, and social activities.