Harmful internet use

Harmful internet use

Part II: Impact on culture and society

STUDY

Panel for the Future of Science and Technology

EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service

Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) PE 624.269 ? January 2019

EN

Harmful internet use

Part II: Impact on culture and society

Study

January 2019

Abstract

It is increasingly recognised that the internet, in spite of all its benefits to society, can also be correlated with significant harmful effects on individuals and society. Some of these harmful aspects have been studied extensively, particularly harm to privacy, harm associated with security and cybercrime, and harm resulting from digital divides. This study covers less studied but equally important effects: harm associated with the quality of social structures and institutions. In Part II of this study, following a review of facts and statistics relating to internet use in the European Union, eight significant harmful social and cultural effects associated with internet use were identified, and a review was performed of theoretical and empirical literature concerning these aspects. The harmful effects that were reviewed are: internet addiction, harm to cognitive development, information overload, harmful effects on knowledge and belief, harm to public/private boundaries, harm to social relationships, harm to communities and harms to democracy and democratic citizenship. This review is followed by policy options for preventing and mitigating these harmful aspects.

PE 624.269

STOA - Panel for the Future of Science and Technology

The STOA project `Harmful internet use - Part II: Harmful internet use: Impact on culture and society' was carried out by the University of Twente at the request of the Panel for the future of Science and Technology and managed by the Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) within the Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services (DG EPRS) of the European Parliament.

AUTHORS Philip Brey, St?phanie Gauttier, Per-Erik Milam at the University of Twente.

Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Alexandra Kapeller for help with the literature search and Tanne Ditzel for editorial help.

STOA ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBLE Gianluca Quaglio Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) Directorate for Impact Assessment and European Added Value Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services European Parliament, Rue Wiertz 60, B-1047 Brussels E-mail: gianluca.quaglio@europarl.europa.eu

LINGUISTIC VERSION Original: EN

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER To contact STOA or to subscribe to its newsletter please write to: STOA@ep.europa.eu This document is available on the internet at:

Manuscript completed in January 2019 Brussels, ? European Union, 2019

DISCLAIMER This document is prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent an official position of the Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorised, provided the source is acknowledged and the European Parliament is given prior notice and sent a copy.

PE 624.269 ISBN 978-92-846-3429-3 doi: 10.2861/391152 QA-04-18-955-EN-N

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Harmful internet use: Impact on culture and society

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 5

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 9

2. Methodology and resources used ................................................................................................................ 11

3. Synthesis of the research work and findings.............................................................................................. 12

3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 12

3.2 Internet use in the European Union: facts and statistics .................................................................... 13 3.2.1 Approach .......................................................................................................................................... 14 3.2.2 Internet access and use are part of all populations' group daily lives ..................................... 14 3.2.3 Online activities ............................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.4 Exposure to harmful content.......................................................................................................... 18 3.2.5 Shared values to guide future policies about the internet ......................................................... 18

3.3 Internet addiction .................................................................................................................................... 19 3.3.1 Prevalence, symptoms and treatment........................................................................................... 19 3.3.2 Characteristics, drivers of and harm caused by internet addiction .......................................... 21

3.4 Harm to Cognitive Development.......................................................................................................... 22 3.4.1 How the internet affects cognitive development ........................................................................ 22 3.4.2 Assessing harm to cognitive development .................................................................................. 25

3.5 Information overload .............................................................................................................................. 26 3.5.1 Causes of information overload .................................................................................................... 27 3.5.2 Harm associated with information overload ............................................................................... 27

3.6 Harmful effects on knowledge and belief ............................................................................................ 28 3.6.1 Misinformation on the internet...................................................................................................... 29 3.6.2 Selective Exposure to Information and Opinions. ...................................................................... 31

3.7 Harm to public/private boundaries ..................................................................................................... 31 3.7.1 Potential harm .................................................................................................................................. 31 3.7.2 Empirical evidence .......................................................................................................................... 32

3.8 Harm to social relationships .................................................................................................................. 34 3.8.1 Potential harm .................................................................................................................................. 34 3.8.2 Empirical evidence .......................................................................................................................... 35

3.9 Harm to communities ............................................................................................................................. 39 3.9.1 Potential harm .................................................................................................................................. 39 3.9.2 Empirical evidence .......................................................................................................................... 40

3.10 Harm to Democracy and Democratic Citizenship ............................................................................ 42 3.10.1 Potential harm ................................................................................................................................ 42 3.10.2 Empirical evidence ........................................................................................................................ 43

3.11 Conclusion: eight types of harm.......................................................................................................... 45

4. Policy options ................................................................................................................................................. 48

4.1 Causes of harms....................................................................................................................................... 48

4.2 Resulting policy options ......................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.1 Policies that impact internet technology and services................................................................ 51 4.2.2 Policies that impact user behaviour and underlying beliefs and attitudes ............................. 52 4.2.3 Policies that impact the way in which organisations regulate and shape internet use for their employees .................................................................................................................................................. 54 4.2.4 Policies that impact the way in which families, communities and peer groups shape user behaviour and are impacted by it........................................................................................................... 55

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