JMIR Ment Health. 2017 Apr 3; 4 (2): e11. doi: 10.2196 / mental.5537.
Karakse S1, Oreskovic S1.
Abstract
AGTERGROND:
Adolescents increasingly use the Internet for communication, education, entertainment, and other purposes in varying degrees. Given their vulnerable age, they may be prone to Internet addiction.
DOEL:
Our aim was to identify possible differences in the purpose of Internet use among adolescents with respect to age subgroup, country of residence, and gender and the distribution of Internet addiction across age subgroups. Another aim was to determine if there is a correlation between the purpose of Internet use and age and if this interaction influences the level of addiction to the Internet.
METODES:
The study included a simple random sample of 1078 adolescents-534 boys and 525 girls-aged 11-18 years attending elementary and grammar schools in Croatia, Finland, and Poland. Adolescents were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire and provide data on age, gender, country of residence, and purpose of Internet use (ie, school/work or entertainment). Collected data were analyzed with the chi-square test for correlations.
RESULTATE:
Adolessente het meestal die internet vir vermaak gebruik (905 / 1078, 84.00%). Meer vroulike as manlike adolessente het dit vir skool / werk gebruik (onderskeidelik 105 / 525, 20.0% vs 64 / 534, 12.0%). Internet vir die doel van skool / werk is meestal gebruik deur Poolse adolessente (71 / 296, 24.0%), gevolg deur Kroaties (78 / 486, 16.0%) en Finse (24 / 296, 8.0%) adolessente. Die vlak van internetverslawing was die hoogste onder die subgroep 15-16-jarige ouderdom en was die laagste in die subgroep 11-12-jarige ouderdom. Daar was 'n swak maar positiewe verband tussen internetverslawing en ouderdomsgroep (P = .004). Manlike adolessente het meestal bygedra tot die verband tussen die ouderdomsgroep en die vlak van verslawing aan die internet (P = .001).
GEVOLGTREKKINGS:
Adolescents aged 15-16 years, especially male adolescents, are the most prone to the development of Internet addiction, whereas adolescents aged 11-12 years show the lowest level of Internet addiction.
SLEUTELWOORDE:
Internet addiction; adolescents; stages of adolescence
PMID: 28373154
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