The adolescents, Internet and drug abuse

Abstract

According to results of research study, in 2016-2017, the number of Internet users among schoolchildren was 96% of boys and 97% of girls and at that 44% of boys and 60% of girls spend 3 hours or more on the Internet daily. Quite often excessive infatuation for Internet is combined with psychoactive substances abuse. The purpose of the study is to identify features of abuse of drug and other toxicomanic substances among adolescents who used the Internet continuously on daily basis. The study was carried out within the framework of all-Russian monitoring of consumption of psychoactive substances among rural adolescents-schoolchildren aged 15-17 years in 2016-2017. The multistage sampling included 18 222 rural adolescents (8 208 boys and 1 014 girls). The statistical obtained data was processed using the AnkProc software ("Risk factors"). To evaluate statistical significance of differences in indices the Pearson criterion 2 was applied. The comparative analysis of data concerning rural adolescents continuously using and not using the Internet on a daily basis established that level of experimentation and use of drug and toxicomanic substances among adolescents continuously using the Internet on a daily basis is statistically significantly higher than among adolescents continuously not using the Internet on a daily basis. The intensity of involvement of adolescents continuously using the Internet on a daily basis in use of drug and toxicomanic substances is statistically significantly higher than among adolescents continuously not using the Internet on a daily basis. No statistically significant differences were established in these groups based on the reasons for the introduction and use of drug and toxicomanic substances. In terms of awareness of dangers of use of drug and toxicomanic substances, adolescents continuously using the Internet on a daily basis are less aware as compared with adolescents continuously not using the Internet on a daily basis. Thus, despite daily long-term occupation and absorption with Internet, adolescents from this group not only experiment, but also use drug substances statistically significantly more than their peers from the group who do not use continuously the Internet on daily basis.