Internet addiction and psychosocial problems among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.
Fatma Ozlem Ozturk, Sultan Ayaz-Alkaya
PMID 34861951WHAT IT FOUND
In Turkish adolescents during pandemic restrictions, 20.7% were at risk of psychosocial problems, while only 0.6% met internet addiction criteria.
Problematic internet use was linked to male sex, chronic illness, family income below expenses, and internet use for 5 years or more.
Key findings
01In the sample, 20.7% were at risk of psychosocial problems, 0.6% had internet addiction, and 4.8% had limited internet addiction symptoms.
02Problematic internet use risk was associated with male sex, mother's bachelor's degree or higher, family income below expenses, chronic illness, and internet use for 5 years or more.
03Psychosocial problem risk was associated with daily internet use of 3 hours or more, father not working, and family income below expenses, and psychosocial and internet addiction scores were positively correlated (r = 0.482).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that internet use caused psychosocial problems or internet addiction. The results came from parent-reported questionnaires, not adolescent self-report, and parents may differ in how well they know their child's internet use. The sample was limited to the selected adolescent age group and city, so it may not apply to younger or older adolescents or other settings. Only a very small number of participants were classified as internet addicted, so that category was limited. Parents' knowledge and supervision of their children could not be separated, which may affect reported scores.
Declared interests
The authors reported no specific funding and no actual or potential conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these findings as proof that internet use causes psychosocial problems or internet addiction. The study was cross-sectional, used parent-reported scales, and the authors state that causal inference cannot be made.