Effect of Technology Addiction Training Program on Individuals’ Internet Addiction and Problematic Media Use

Abstract

Background: İnternet and media tools are widely used by adults and children.

Objective: To investigate effect of technology addiction training program applied to elementary and middle school students and parents with participation of university students, on individuals’ problematic media usage and internet addiction situations.

Methods: It was quasi-experimental study conducted in 2022-2024. Technology Addiction Training Program was applied to elementary and middle school students with university students. In the other stage of research, students’ parents were trained. “Digital Addiction Scale, Internet Addiction Scale and Problematic Media Use Measure” were administered before and after training. Quantitative data was analyzed by a paired t-test to determine whether there was a difference between before and after the training program. 

Results: Mean score of all students on digital addiction scale before technology addiction training program was 47.42±16.19, and after training 45.07±18.31. Statistically significant difference was determined between mean elementary school digital addiction scale scores and all students before and after training program (p˂0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between parents’ Internet Addiction Scale before and after training (p>0.05). 

Conclusion: Digital addiction status of students was medium level and internet addiction status of parents was low level. Children’s problematic media use was moderate. Technology education training given to students positively affects their internet addiction levels. It is recommended that school nursing plan training to simultaneously increase digital awareness of children and parents.

Keywords

• Internet addiction
• problematic media use
• digital addiction
• parent
• child
• training

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by the Ondokuz Mayıs University Scientific Research Projects Committee with the project number PYO.SBF.1908.23.009.

Ethical Statement

Ethical permission was obtained from a University Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee (2023-90), and institutional permissions were obtained from the University Faculty of Health Sciences and Samsun Provincial Directorate of National Education of the city. Informed consent was obtained from the students participating in the study and their parents.

Thanks

We would like to thank Clinical Psychologist Uğur Kaçmaz and our university students who participated in the training.

Teknoloji Bağımlılığı Eğitim Programının Bireylerin İnternet Bağımlılığı ve Problemli Medya Kullanım Durumlarına Etkisi

Abstract

Giriş: İnternet ve medya araçları yetişkinler ve çocuklar tarafından yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır.

Amaç: Üniversite öğrencilerinin katılımıyla ilkokul ve ortaokul öğrencilerine ve ebeveynlerine uygulanan teknoloji bağımlılığı eğitim programının bireylerin internet bağımlılığı ve problemli medya kullanım durumlarına etkisini araştırmaktır.

Yöntem: Araştırma 2022-2024 yılında, yarı deneysel araştırma olarak yürütülüştür. İlkokul ve ortaokul öğrencilerine üniversite öğrencilerinin katılımıyla Teknoloji Bağımlılığı Eğitim Programı uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın diğer aşamasında ise örnekleme dahil edilen öğrencilerin ebeveynlerine Teknoloji Bağımlılığı konusunda Google Classroom üzerinden çevrimiçi eğitim verilmiştir. Bireylere eğitim öncesi ve sonrası “Digital Bağımlılık Ölçeği, İnternet Bağımlılığı Ölçeği ve Problemli Medya Kullanım Ölçeği” uygulanmıştır. Eğitim öncesi ve sonrası elde edilen verilerin karşılaştırılmasında eşleştirilmiş örneklem t-testi kullanılmıştır. 

Bulgular: Öğrencilerin teknoloji bağımlılığı eğitim programı öncesi dijital bağımlılık ölçeği puan ortalaması 47.42±16.19, eğitim sonrası 45.07±18.31’dir. Tüm öğrencilerin ve ilkokul öğrencilerinin teknoloji bağımlılığı eğitim programı öncesi ve eğitim sonrası dijital bağımlılık ölçeği puan ortalaması arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark belirlenmiştir (p˂0.05). Ebeveynlerin çevrimiçi teknoloji bağımlılığı eğitim programı öncesi ve sonrası İnternet Bağımlılığı Ölçeği puan ortalamaları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark belirlenmemiştir (p>0.05).

Sonuç: Öğrencilerin dijital bağımlılık durumlarının orta düzeyde olduğu, ebeveynlerin internet bağımlılığı durumlarının düşük düzeyde olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ebeveynlerin çocuklarının problemli medya kullanım durumlarının orta düzeyde olduğunu düşündükleri saptanmıştır. Öğrencilere verilen teknoloji eğitim programının öğrencilerin internet bağımlılığı düzeylerini olumlu etkilediği belirlenmiştir. Çocukların ve velilerin dijital farkındalıklarının eş zamanlı olarak artırılması için okul hemşireliği tarafından eğitim planlanması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• İnternet bağımlılığı
• problemli medya kullanımı
• dijital bağımlılık
• ebeveyn
• çocuk
• eğitim

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