Online addictions

Internet and social media play currently a major role in addictive behaviors. Our ongoing and previous projects have analyzed the role of the internet and online communities in excessive gambling, digital gaming, drinking, and drug use. We have also investigated compulsive internet use. Investigations further extend to drug dealing on social media and the TOR network.

Online Addictions research stream brings together latest research from various research projects.

Key Research Projects:

1. Gambling in the Digital Age (The Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, 2021–2024, PI: Atte Oksanen)

2. Problem Gambling and Social Media (Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, 2017–2020, PI: Atte Oksanen)

3. Drug dealing on social media within the Nordic countries (Scandinavian research council for criminology, 2017–2018, consortium PI: Jakob Demand, PI of Finnish part: Atte Oksanen)

Selected 10 publications

 

1. Demant, J., Bakken, S., Oksanen, A., & Gunnlaugsson, H.  (2019) Drug dealing on Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram: A qualitative analysis of novel drug markets in the Nordic countries. Drug & Alcohol Review, 38(4), 377–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.12932.

2. Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., Savolainen, I. & Oksanen, A. (2020). Young People and Gambling Content in Social Media: An Experimental Insight. Drug & Alcohol Review, 39(2), 152–161. DOI: 10.1111/dar.13010.

3. Nurmi, J., Kaskela, T., Perälä, J., & Oksanen, A. (2017) Seller’s reputation and Capacity on the Illicit Drug Markets: 11-Month Study on the Finnish Version of the Silk Road. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 178, 201–207. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.018.

4. Oksanen, A., Oksa, R., Savela, N., Celuch, M., & Savolainen, I. (2021). Drinking and social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: A five-wave longitudinal study among workers in Finland. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(12), e33125. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/33125.

5. Oksanen, A., Sirola, A., Savolainen, I., Koivula, A., Kaakinen, M., Vuorinen, I., Zych, I., & Paek, H-J. (2021). Social ecological model of problem gambling: A cross-national survey study of young people in the United States, South Korea, Spain, and Finland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 3220. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063220.

6. Savolainen, I., Oksanen, A., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., Zych, I., & Paek, H.-J. (2021). The Role of Online Group Norms and Social Identity in Youth Problem Gambling. Computers in Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106828.

7. Savolainen, I., Oksanen, A., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., Miller, B. L., Zych, I., & Paek, H. J.  (2020). The association between social media use and hazardous alcohol consumption among youths: A four-country study. Alcohol & Alcoholism, 55(1), 86–95. DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agz088.

8. Savolainen, I., Kaakinen, M., Sirola, A., & Oksanen, A. (2019). Peer Group Identification as Determinant of Youth Behavior and the Role of Perceived Social Support in Problem Gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 35(1), 15–30. DOI: 10.1007/s10899-018-9813-8.

9. Sirola, A., Savela, N., Savolainen, I., Kaakinen, M., & Oksanen, A. (2021). The role of virtual communities in gambling and gaming behaviors – A systematic review. Journal of Gambling Studies, 37, 165–187, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-020-09946-1.

10. Sirola, A., Kaakinen, M., Savolainen, I., & Oksanen, A. (2019). Loneliness and online gambling-community participation of young social media users. Computers in Human Behavior, 95(June), 136–145. DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2019.01.023.

 

Doctoral Dissertations

Iina Savolainen (2020), Anu Sirola (2021)