The Downside of the Web: Compulsive Internet Use, Empathy, and Altruism

Authors

  • Sergey Mazuritsky

Keywords:

compulsive internet use, empathy, altruism, pro-social behaviour, quality of life, organizational selection

Abstract

Reliance on the internet can become problematic, and can therefore be related to deficits in pro-social behaviours and the associated cognitive and emotional processes. This research examined the relationship between compulsive internet use, empathy, and altruistic behaviours. It was hypothesized that a positive correlation would exist between measures of empathy and altruism, and a negative correlation between compulsive internet use and both of the measures of pro-social behaviour. A survey study was conducted that compared scores on the Compulsive Internet Use Scale, The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, and the Self-Report Altruism Scale. Participants were 161 York University students with a mean age of 22; 65% were female. Results support the three hypotheses, indicating the existence of a significant correlation, as predicted. Implications regarding workplace practices and quality of life are discussed.

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How to Cite

Mazuritsky, S. (2017). The Downside of the Web: Compulsive Internet Use, Empathy, and Altruism. Revue YOUR Review (York Online Undergraduate Research), 3, 67–75. Retrieved from https://yourreview.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/yourreview/article/view/40409

Issue

Volume 3 (2016)

Section

Articles

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