Internet Addiction and Loneliness Among Children and Adolescents in the Education Setting: An Empirical Pilot Study

• Halley M. Pontes ^[1] ; Mark Griffiths ^[1] ; Ivone M. Patrao ^[2]
  1. [1] Nottingham Trent University

     Nottingham Trent University

     Reino Unido

     
  2. [2] ISPA-IU Instituto Universitario Lisboa
• Localización: Aloma: revista de psicologia, ciències de l'educació i de l'esport, ISSN 1138-3194, Vol. 32, Nº 1, 2014, págs. 91-98
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Dialnet Métricas: 7 Citas
• Resumen
  • English

    Research into various behavioural addictions has shown that such behaviour can negatively impact psychological wellbeing. One behavioural addiction that has been increasingly studied empirically is that of Inter· net Addiction (IA). Despite general consensus concerning the negative effects of IA on mental health and other indices of physical and psychosocial health, little research has been done in child and adolescent populations in specific contexts. The main objectives of this study were to (i) investigate the extent of problems caused by IA in children and adolescents, (ii) determine the socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics of children and adolescents with IA, and (iii) to provide a model capable of predicting IA in the educational context among the target population. A total of 131 Portuguese school children and adolescents participated in this study. Results indicated a relatively high incidence of IA in the sample (13%). Additionally, the correlational analyses revealed associations between IA and loneliness, social loneliness, and other variables related to the educational context.

    Results demonstrated that IA could be predicted using a model encompassing three variables (i.e., weekly Internet usage, loneliness, and classroom behaviour). Overall, the present findings corroborated results from other studies and added to the behavioural addiction literature by examining a younger cohort than previous empirical studies.

  • català

    La recerca sobre diverses addiccions conductuals ha mostrat que aquesta mena de conducta pot tenir un impacte psicològicament negatiu sobre el benestar. Una addicció conductual que ha estat cada vegada més estu· diada empíricament és l�Addicció a Internet (AI). Malgrat que hi ha un consens general sobre els efectes negatius de l�AI en la salut mental i altres índexs de salut física i psicosocial, s�han dut a terme poques recerques en pobla· cions infantils i adolescents en contextos específics. Els principals objectius del present estudi han estat: (i) inves· tigar l�abast dels problemes derivats de l�AI en infants i adolescents; (ii) determinar les característiques sociode· mogràfiques i conductuals dels infants i adolescents amb AI; i (iii) proporcionar un model capaç de predir l�AI en el context educatiu en la població objectiu. Un total de 131 escolars portuguesos, infants i adolescents, han parti· cipat en el present estudi. Els resultats apunten a una incidència relativament alta de l�AI en aquesta mostra (13%).

    A més, les anàlisis correlatives han mostrat associacions entre l�AI i la solitud, la solitud social i altres variables relacionades amb el context educatiu. Els resultats han demostrat que es podria preveure l�AI tot utilitzant un model que inclogui tres variables (és a dir, utilització setmanal d�Internet, solitud i conducta a l�aula). En conjunt, els resultats d�aquest estudi corroboren els d�altres estudis i contribueixen a la bibliografia sobre les addiccions conductuals en examinar una cohort més jove que en anteriors estudis empírics.

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