Abstract
Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) among adolescents (N = 466) and its possible association with emotional problems and quality of life. Students (Mage = 12.8 years; SD = 1.9) from five public schools in a city in the State of São Paulo participated in this study and completed four instruments: a sociodemographic questionnaire; Internet Addiction Test (IAT); Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). No significant differences were detected about the frequency and intensity of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress compared to those who did not have problems with the use of the Internet. No differences were observed between the groups in respect of quality of life either. However, those individuals who felt that their internet use impaired their daily activities presented higher average IAT scores and higher levels of stress. These findings indicated that the perception of internet use was the main variable associated with emotional symptoms.
Highlights
Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a prevalência de Uso Problemático de Internet (UPI) entre adolescentes (N = 466) e sua possível associação com problemas emocionais e qualidade de vida
The problematic internet use (PIU) adolescents had a higher frequency of students in groups A and B, with an average income of R$ 8,545.61 (SD = 7,357.58), compared to non-problematic Internet Users (R$ 6,954.42; SD = 7,044.84); but without statistically significant differences
This study evaluated the relationships between emotional symptoms and quality of life, and different patterns of internet use by adolescents, with 17% being classified in the PIU group
Summary
Resumo O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a prevalência de Uso Problemático de Internet (UPI) entre adolescentes (N = 466) e sua possível associação com problemas emocionais e qualidade de vida. Resumen Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la prevalencia del Uso Problemático de Internet (UPI) entre adolescentes (N = 466) y su posible asociación con problemas emocionales y calidad de vida. Los estudiantes (Midade = 12,8; DS = 1,9) de cinco escuelas públicas en una ciudad de la provincia de São Paulo participaron en este estudio y completaron cuatro instrumentos: un cuestionario sociodemográfico; Internet Addiction Test (IAT); Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) y Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). In Brazil, almost 70% of households have access to the Internet, and 33% of the population use it exclusively through mobile devices, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, 2018). According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2017), Brazil is ranked second in respect of the amount of time spent online outside school hours, averaging 3.1 hours a day
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