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Objectives: Today, internet is a global system that is increasingly used by all people as one of the most important devices for access to information in the world, especially among adolescents and young adults. As the internet has increasingly become an important part of adolescent life, the risk of youth being addicted to the internet also increases. Internet addiction is also called as problematic internet use (PIU) in the literature and is defined as “the inability of the individual to control him/herself impulsively in relation to duration or aim of activity and experiencing physical, social and psychological difficulties in consequence’’. Furthermore PIU is defined in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as “a condition recommended for further study”. Prevalence of PIU among adolescents and young adults has been reported to vary between 0.9-38 % all over the World. In this study, we aimed to investigate the PIU prevalence and the effects of some sociodemographic variables in a group of high school students.
Methods: The study group consisted of students of three high schools in Afyon city center who volunteered to participate in the study. Data was collected by a socio-demographic information form and Young Internet Addiction Test (YIAT). A probability level of p<0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance.
Results: The study sample consisted of 584 students (34.8 % was male, and 65.2 % female) with a mean age of 16.12±1.04 years. In this survey, according to YIAT the prevalence of PIU was 10.1% (n=59). Its prevalence was significantly higher in males than females (χ2=12.973, p<.001). Monthly income level, smoking habits and alcohol use were found to be significantly higher in PIU group than non-PIU group. When groups were compared with respect to age, mother’s education level, father’s education level and school achievement no significant differences were found between groups (p>0.05).
Conclusions: In the present study, the rate of PIU was found to be 10.1% among students. Studies using the YIAT with non-clinical samples found rates of PIU that were higher than or similar to those found in this study. In two studies from Turkey, PIU rates were reported to be 7.6% and 11.6% respectively. According to our study results, among high school students, the likelihood of PIU is higher in males. Level of income, smoking habits and alcohol use were found to be possible risk factors that affect problematic internet use. Effective measures are needed to prevent the spread of this problem.