(Un)healthy Internet Use: Designing Against Internet Addiction

Presentation and Q&A with Laura Marciano and Anne-Linda Camerini, PhD, from the Institute of Public Health at Università della Svizzera italiana

Recent revelations about Instagram have brought to light how the social media app causes harm to the mental health of certain young user groups. Existing research on internet addiction shows that users tend to display problematic user behavior with a particular application. The application triggers pathological behavior, for example neglecting everyday duties, wasting time and procrastinating, leading to significant problems with daily functioning. Yet, some people can also use the internet for a longer period without being addicted to it. What, then, is this form of ‘healthy’ internet use and how can we make sure digital products foster healthy use instead of fostering addiction?
Stemming from psychology and media communication sciences, Laura Marciano and Anne-Linda Camerini aim to promote a healthy use of the Internet by making designers and internet users more aware of both the ‘bad’ and the ‘good’ that the Internet can convey to the consumer’s psycho-physical health.

About our Speakers:

Laura Marciano, PhD, is a Post-Doc researcher investigating the link between digital media use and personality at the Faculty of Communication Sciences at USI - Università della Svizzera italiana. At the Institute of Public Health (IPH), she collaborates in the SNF project MEDIATICINO2.0, a longitudinal study on the impact of new media use on the well-being of adolescents in Canton Ticino.

Anne-Linda Camerini, PhD, is Lecturer and Researcher at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences at USI Università della Svizzera italiana. She is also affiliated with the Institute of Public Health. Her research focuses on new media in the life of youth and on health promotion and prevention.