BACKGROUND: Problematic internet and smartphone use are significant health challenges for contemporary adolescents. However, their mutual relationship is unclear because studies investigating these phenomena are scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological risks and protective factors associated with problematic internet and smartphone use. METHOD: A representative sample of Slovak adolescents (N = 4070, Mage = 14.38, SDage = 0.77, 50.5% girls) from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children project was analyzed using network analysis separately for boys and girls. RESULTS: The results showed weak (for boys) and moderate (for girls) associations between problematic internet use and problematic smartphone use. Risk factors showed stronger associations with problematic internet use than problematic smartphone use, with the exception of fear of missing out, which was strongly associated with problematic smartphone use. The central nodes were externalizing problems for boys and internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and resilience for girls. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that while problematic internet use and problematic smartphone use are somewhat related, they differ at the psychological level. In addition, the phenomena are rather different between boys and girls.
- Klíčová slova
- HBSC, Network analysis, Problematic internet use, Problematic smartphone use, Psychology risk factors,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: This study investigates both offline and online bullying perpetration and victimization in association with problematic internet use (PIU) and problematic smartphone use (PSU), while also considering the related psychosocial difficulties. METHODS: A total of 3939 adolescents (49.4% boys, aged 13-15 years) from a representative sample of schools in Slovakia was obtained from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) project in 2018. Due to the lack of similar complex research and the expected mutual associations among the constructs, we compared exploratory network models that provided separate estimates for boys and girls. RESULTS: The constructs formed similarly clustered networks for both genders, with a few notable differences. Unlike PIU, PSU was not associated with bullying experiences in boys or girls; however, PSU and PIU were partially related in girls. Bullying experiences formed a strong cluster in both networks. Two strong bridges were identified, and they are potential candidates for intervention in both boys and girls: first, traditional bullying victimization connected the cluster of bullying experiences to psychosocial difficulties; and, second, frequently missing sleep or meals due to internet use (behavioral salience) that is connected to the bullying cluster with PIU. CONCLUSIONS: The findings offer an indication for the preventive and interventive work of practitioners who deal with adolescents, as well as complex gender comparisons for the mutual relations of problematic internet and smartphone use, bullying experiences, and the psychosocial difficulties of youth. This study provides evidence that problematic digital media can play a role in bullying experiences irrespective of whether bullying happens offline or online.
- Klíčová slova
- Bullying, adolescence, cyber bullying, problematic internet use, problematic smartphone use,
- MeSH
- chytrý telefon MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- internet MeSH
- kyberšikana * prevence a kontrola psychologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- oběti zločinu * psychologie MeSH
- šikana * psychologie MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: Both eating disorders and excessive internet use represent significant health issues for contemporary adolescents. Yet, the link between them has seldom been investigated. We aim to study this association through their common underlying psychological factors: internalising problems and externalising problems. METHODS: A representative sample of 7,083 adolescents (Mage = 13.48 years; SDage = 1.32; 50.3% girls) from Slovakia was obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) project in 2018. Study variables included the Excessive Internet Use Scale (EIU) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Eating disorders symptoms (EDS) were assessed by SCOFF and selected items from the Eating Disorder Screen for Primary Care (ESP). Data were analysed separately for boys and girls with Structural Equation Modelling. RESULTS: There was a partial correlation between EDS and EIU (r = 0.36 for boys and r = 0.29 for girls) after controlling for the internalising and externalising of problems. Internalising and externalising problems were positively associated with EDS, while EIU was only associated with externalising problems. The results were comparable for both genders. CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence that, during adolescence, EDS and EIU are related and have a tendency to occur together. Also, they are related even when controlled for their shared underlying psychological factors, namely the emotional and attentional/behavioural difficulties.
The study found that, in adolescents, eating disorders symptoms are associated with excessive internet use even when controlled for their shared psychological factors. Self-control issues were associated with both the eating disorder symptoms and excessive internet use, while emotional issues were only associated with the eating disorder symptoms. The strength of the relationship was similar for boys and girls, even though the prevalence of eating disorders symptoms was double in girls.
- Klíčová slova
- Adolescents, Eating disorders symptoms, Excessive internet use, Externalising problems, Internalising problems,
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
OBJECTIVES: Excessive internet use (EIU) has been studied predominantly within the context of individual risk factors. Less attention has been paid to social factors, especially in a fashion complex enough to include the multiple domains of adolescent socialization. This study examined the relationship between EIU and constraints within family, school, peer groups, and neighbourhoods, while controlling for emotional and behavioural difficulties. METHODS: This study was based on survey data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, which was conducted in Slovakia in 2018. The sample of representative adolescents totalled 8400 (mean age: 13.44 years; SDage = 1.33; 50.9% boys). RESULTS: Multiple-step linear regression revealed that, after controlling for sociodemographic factors and emotional and behavioural difficulties, peer problems had the least effect, while the constraints related to family and neighbourhood stood out as especially problematic. Combined variables explained 20% variance of EIU. CONCLUSIONS: Social constraints proved to be important factors in adolescent EIU. The important role of a problematic neighbourhood is a novel finding and suggests that it should be targeted in prevention.
- Klíčová slova
- Adolescents, Excessive internet use, Internet addiction, Problematic neighbourhood, Social constraints,
- MeSH
- charakteristiky bydlení * MeSH
- chování mladistvých psychologie MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- používání internetu statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- průzkumy a dotazníky MeSH
- rodinné vztahy psychologie MeSH
- školy * MeSH
- sociální izolace psychologie MeSH
- vyrovnaná skupina MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Slovenská republika MeSH
This study examined the relationship between Excessive Internet Use (EIU) in adolescents and their family environment, namely the family type, the family economic status, the effect of parental care, the level of parental control, the amount of parental monitoring, the quality of communication, and the time spent together. The study was based on data from an international survey, Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC), conducted in Slovakia. The sample representative for adolescents included 2547 participants (51% boys) aged 13-15. Multiple-step linear regression revealed that higher parental care and parental monitoring predicted lower EIU, while higher parental overprotection and lower socioeconomic status predicted higher EIU. The results suggest that both so-called optimal parenting (i.e., the balance of emotional warmth and protection) and the adolescent's autonomy lower the risk of EIU. Family factors explained about 14% of the variance, which suggests that aside from personal, cognitive and affective factors, a close social environment also plays an important role in adolescence EIU.
- Klíčová slova
- adolescent internet use, excessive internet use, family factors, internet addiction, parenting styles,
- MeSH
- chování mladistvých * MeSH
- internet * MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- rodičovství MeSH
- společenská třída MeSH
- vztahy mezi rodiči a dětmi * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Slovenská republika MeSH
BACKGROUND: This study examined the associations of Internet and computer screen time with school difficulties and the role of sleep quality and soft and energy drinks consumption. METHODS: We used data from the cross-sectional Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study collected in 2014 among Slovak adolescents (aged 11.0-15.9 years, N = 7595, 48.1% boys). We examined the inter-relations between time spent with on digital devices (time spent playing digital games or Internet use), sleeping quality (sleeping shortage, sleeping difficulties), soft/energy drinks consumption and school problems (low academic achievement, disliking school, being pressured by schoolwork and truancy), using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Results showed that the more time adolescents spent on digital devices during leisure time, the more school problems they had. This association was mediated by a higher consumption of soft or energy drinks and a lower quality of sleeping. The direct effect of time spent on digital devices on school problems and its indirect effect via sleeping quality were relatively small (-0.26 and -0.30, respectively, standardized solution), compared with the indirect effect of time spent on digital devices via soft/energy drinks consumption as well as sleeping quality (0.65, standardized solution). CONCLUSIONS: Time spent on digital devices is associated with school problems, with sleeping and soft/energy drinks consumption playing a substantial role in this association.
- MeSH
- časové faktory MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- energetické nápoje statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- internet statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- rizikové faktory MeSH
- spánek * MeSH
- stupeň vzdělání * MeSH
- sycené nápoje statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- videohry statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- zvyky * MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Slovenská republika MeSH
BACKGROUND: Evidence is lacking on the screen-based behaviour of adolescents with a chronic condition. The aim of our study was to analyse differences in screen-based behaviour of adolescents by long-term illness, asthma and learning disabilities. METHODS: We used data from the cross-sectional Health Behaviour of School-aged Children study collected in 2014 among Slovak adolescents (age 13 to 15 years old, N = 2682, 49.7 % boys). We analysed the associations between screen-based behaviour and long-term illness, asthma and learning disabilities using logistic regression models adjusted for gender. RESULTS: We found no associations between screen-based behaviour and long-term illness, except that children with asthma had a 1.60-times higher odds of excessively playing computer games than healthy children (95 % confidence interval of odds ratio (CI): 1.11-2.30). Children with learning disabilities had 1.71-times higher odds of risky use of the Internet (95 % CI: 1.19-2.45). CONCLUSION: Adolescents with a long-term illness or with a chronic condition or a learning disability do not differ from their peers in screen-based activities. Exceptions are children with asthma and children with learning disabilities, who reported more risky screen-based behaviour.
- MeSH
- bronchiální astma epidemiologie MeSH
- chronická nemoc epidemiologie MeSH
- etnicita MeSH
- internet statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- logistické modely MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- odds ratio MeSH
- počítače statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- poruchy učení epidemiologie MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- sedavý životní styl * MeSH
- televize statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- videohry statistika a číselné údaje MeSH
- zdravé chování MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Slovenská republika epidemiologie MeSH
