Journal of Contemporary Medicine (Mar 2021)
The Effect of Internet Addiction in Students on Quality of School Life
Abstract
Aim: Internet addiction in children is a mental disorder that negatively affects the quality of life. In this day and age, internet usage, and school life, which takes a significant amount of time for students, are specified as engaged concepts that affect each other. Therefore, this study has been addressed to investigate the effects of internet addiction on primary, middle, and high school students on school life quality. Material and Method: This research was conducted as a questionnaire study by Dr. Sami Ulus Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Neurology in the 2018-2019 academic year for Primary School, Middle, and High School students. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic information, Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), and Quality of School Life Scale (QSLS). Results: Seven hundred eighty-eight students were included in the study. Mean age was 12.94 ± 2.79 years (range 8 - 17). Internet addiction scores were 57.67 ± 20.63, and 106 (13.80%) children had internet addiction. The Quality of School Life Scale total scores were found as 112.65 ± 18.42. It was observed that school success and school life quality decreased as the internet addiction score increased. It was observed that the students' education and puzzle games compared to other websites caused lower IAS scores. The most significant differences were observed among high school students. While it was observed that IAS scores, internet addiction, family negative relationships, and exposure to violence rates were highest in high school students, QSLS scores, and course success were found below. Conclusion: There is a need to develop programs that would minimize the excessive and useless internet use of students and improve the environmental factors that regulate their relationships in the family, school, and other settings.
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