A recent study has observed that a lonely adolescent is at a higher risk of developing internet addiction. With the growing loneliness among teens, such adolescents are becoming obsessive internet users, thus spending longer periods online.
The new study examined harmful internet use by adolescents which involved a total of 1,750 Finnish students. These students were studied at three points in time- at 16, 17, and 18 years of age. According to the results, while the outcomes of moderate use were positive, the effects of compulsive use could be damaging. Compulsive use indicates gaming addiction or the constant monitoring of likes on social media and comparisons to others. Additionally, the risk of developing internet addiction was highest among 16-year-old adolescents, with the phenomenon being more common among boys. While the addiction may persist for some in their adulthood, it generally eases up as they grow older.
To Know More, You May Refer To
István Tóth‐Király, Alexandre J.S. Morin, Lauri Hietajärvi, Katariina Salmela‐Aro. Longitudinal Trajectories, Social and Individual Antecedents, and Outcomes of Problematic Internet Use Among Late Adolescents. Child Development, 2021; DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13525 [mfn] Tóth‐Király, I., Morin, A. J., Hietajärvi, L., & Salmela‐Aro, K. (2021). Longitudinal trajectories, social and individual antecedents, and outcomes of problematic internet use among late adolescents. Child Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13525 [/mfn]
