Associations Between Compulsive Internet Use and the Autism Spectrum

Background: Research suggests that people in the general population with heightened autistic traits (Finkenauer et al., 2012; Romano et al, 2013; 2014) and people with ASD (MacMullin et al., 2015) are at increased risk for compulsive Internet Use (CIU). Researchers have interpreted associations between autistic traits and CIU as evidence for the social compensation hypothesis wherein individuals with social challenges use the Internet to compensate for social difficulties. However, ASD is defined not only by social difficulties, but also by restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (RIRB; APA, 2013). Prior work has not evaluated whether observed associations between autistic traits and CIU are attributable to social symptoms or RIRB or examined if CIU is elevated among college students with ASD in particular.

Objectives: Study One examined whether CIU was associated with (1) social difficulties or RIRB, and (2) different functional uses of Facebook. Study Two evaluated if (1) associations between autistic-like traits and CIU replicated among college students with ASD, and (2) whether students with ASD reported greater CIU than matched peers without ASD.

Methods: In Study One, 597 undergraduates (316 women, 281 men) took an online survey measuring CIU (Meerkerk et al., 2009), autistic-like social symptoms and RIRB (SRS-2; Constantino & Gruber, 2012), self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965), and Facebook connection strategies (Ellison et al., 2011). Study Two measured CIU and autistic traits among college students with (n=33) and without (n=33) ASD matched on age, gender, ethnicity, and self-esteem.

Results: Study One: Heightened CIU was associated with greater social symptoms (r_s(532)=.415, p<.001), greater RIRB (r_s(532)=.455, p<.001), and lower self-esteem (r_s(545)= –.330, p<.001), replicating previously documented associations between autistic-like traits and CIU. When entered into a binary logistic regression model predicting high vs. low CIU, only RIRB was associated with high CIU (R²=.196, X²(4)=76.86, p<.001). When Facebook connection strategies were entered into a binary logistic regression predicting high vs. low CIU, only information-seeking (but not initiating or maintaining contact) was associated with high CIU (R²=.062, X²(3)=23.74, p<.001).

Study Two: Among participants with ASD, associations between CIU and social symptoms (r_s(31)=.347, p=.048), and between CIU and RIRB (r_s(31)=.377, p=.031) were observed. Although students with ASD exhibited heightened social symptoms and RIRB relative to students without ASD (ps<.05), students with and without ASD did not differ in CIU (p=.102).

Conclusions: Findings suggest that non-social traits (RIRB) and functions of Internet use (i.e., information seeking on Facebook) contribute more strongly to CIU than autistic-like social challenges and social uses of Facebook (initiating and maintaining contact). Although people with heightened RIRB may be susceptible to CIU due to opportunities to explore focused interests online, only some interests can most effectively be explored through the Internet. Indeed, participants with ASD in Study Two exhibited heightened RIRB, but not elevated CIU. Findings suggest that concern about CIU among individuals with ASD should be tempered by attention to developmental level and the nature of people’s interests.