Characteristics of adolescents’ groups of problematic internet users and internet addicts along substance use, psychological, social and other variables. Szeged Youth Study 2022
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Abstract
The Internet has significantly changed our world, mindset, social relationships. Besides a number of positive effects, we have to consider its negative consequences, like problematic use and addiction. In this study we compared three groups (normal users; problematic internet users; internet addicts) along several risk and protective factors. In Szeged Youth Study 2022, the participants were schoolchildren from grades 7-12 (N = 2239, Mean age = 14.6 years, SD = 1.7 years; 51.8% females). In the sample, 18.8% proved problematic users (13.7% potential addicts and 5.1% real addicts). In both risk groups, females showed a surplus. The three groups significantly differ along the study variables, most significantly in the scores of psychological scales and frequencies of illicit drug use which warns us of the problematic users’ and internet addicts’ mental vulnerability. The problematic internet users were less likely to be satisfied with school and reported worse academic achievement, and the level of parental control also proved lower. Strengthening protective factors, such as offline social support or satisfaction with school, may play an important role in prevention.
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