High Internet Use Research Articles

E-GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: A CASE OF NIGERIA

The study examined e-governance and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Nigeria. Secondary data were used for the study. The result indicated high internet use in South Africa (43% to 59%) followed by Senegal (34% to 46%) and then Nigeria (33% to 42%); it showed a positive impact on education, economy, personal relationships, politics and morality in the year 2017. The Internet’s contribution to GDP in Africa varies, ranging from a high of 59% in South Africa to a low of 25% in Tanzania. The West African region had the lowest regional index in the 2020 Survey scoring 0.2209 in 2020 as compared with the world average of 0.4939. Cape Verde (0.4221) continues to lead the region, with Nigeria (0.3491) and Ghana (0.3201) taking the top three spots. With respect to service delivery by stages (percent utilization index), Nigeria scored 9.7 and 0.5 in the implementation of stage 4 and stage 5 of the e-government indicator in 2020, while the ranking for the previous years at this two stages were not better. Nigeria’s infrastructure Index moved up from 0.0492 in 2010 to 0.0792 in 2020. Nigeria’s Human Capital Index also showed an increase from 0.59 in 2010, 0.61 in 2015 and 0.63 in 2020 with her Web Measure Index moving from 0.1303 in 2010 to 0.2241 in 2020. Currently, Nigeria’s e-government readiness index is placed at 0.5053 which shows improvement but strictly in an African context. The study recommended that government play a leading role in developing the ICT infrastructure, this is important for successful e-government implementation in a developing economy.

Examining the Feasibility of Smart Blood Pressure Home Monitoring: Advancing Remote Prenatal Care in Rural Appalachia.

Background:Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of U.S. maternal morbidity and mortality. Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring can provide early detection of hypertension (HTN) outside of routine prenatal visits. Yet little is understood about how well self-monitored BP performs during pregnancy, particularly in rural America.Objective:To examine the feasibility and patient adherence to a self-monitoring BP program and to remotely collect data on pregnant women during the third trimester at a rural health clinic.Materials and Methods:A repeated-measures prospective design was used to remotely monitor home BP readings. We examined retention and persistence of weekly BP monitoring in late-stage pregnancy, differences between weekly self-monitored and clinic BP measures, the performance of self-monitored BP in early detection of pregnancy-induced HTN, and receptivity to technology-enabled prenatal monitoring.Results:A total of 30 women enrolled. Women reported high satisfaction with prenatal care, but missed 5 out of 13 clinic visits (54%). Women contributed an average of 31.2 days of home BP monitoring. Findings showed that home systolic and diastolic BP readings slightly varied from clinic readings. Women reported high health-related internet use and e-health literacy. Participants (93%, n = 25) reported a willingness to change their behavior during pregnancy in response to personalized recommendations from a smartphone. Although preliminary, we confirmed that remote monitoring can detect elevated BP earlier than in routine clinic visits.Conclusion:Findings from this study can be used to inform a novel remote monitoring protocol to improve pregnancy care in a rural care setting.

Correlates of Help-Seeking Behaviour in Adolescents Who Experience Bullying Victimisation

A commonly suggested strategy for addressing bullying is for victims to seek help from a trusted person. Despite this recommendation, there are a group of adolescent victims who choose not to seek help. This study aimed to identify factors associated with not seeking help among adolescents who experienced bullying victimisation. A sub-sample of youth who self-reported being bullied (N = 652) was drawn from an Australian nationally representative household survey of adolescents aged 11–17 years (N = 2,967). Adolescent participants and their parents completed survey items on demographics, bullying experiences, mental health, school, and family characteristics. Overall, 45.3% of bullied adolescents did not seek help. Neither the type, frequency, nor levels of distress caused by the bullying victimisation were associated with help-seeking. Age was no longer associated with increased odds of not seeking help for bullying victimisation, after controlling for mental health, social, and interpersonal functioning. In a multivariate logistic regression model examining demographic, mental health, social, and interpersonal factors, those with poorer prosocial skills, lower perceived social support, and higher internet use had increased odds of not seeking help for bullying victimisation (OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.00, 7.93; OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.32, 5.52; and OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.11, 4.33, respectively). Identifying and supporting young people who are socially isolated and/or have poorer prosocial skills may improve help-seeking among adolescents who experience bullying victimisation. This approach has the potential to address victimisation earlier in its course thereby reducing consequent harm.

A typology of masspersonal information seeking repertoires (MISR): Global implications for political participation and subjective well-being

Masspersonal information seeking repertoires are a person-centered method of gaining insight into the relationship between Internet use, subjective well-being, and political participation. Through latent profile analysis, three person types were identified in two waves of stratified samples in 18 countries ( N = 8352). In accord with the “augmentation hypothesis,” high levels of interpersonal contact and traditional mass media usage covaried with high Internet use for the highly engaged type, that had highest political participation and life satisfaction, political knowledge, low depressive symptoms and also high anxiety. The other two types fit the “displacement hypothesis,” where Internet-based media displaces traditional media and face-to-face communication. Compared with the digitally immersed, the traditional repertoire was more knowledgeable and politically engaged, and had better well-being. Latent transition analysis showed these repertoires were stable over 6 months. Identifying different types of people with different information seeking styles clarifies mixed results on effects of online mass media use.

The Matthew Effect in Recovery from Smartphone Addiction in a 6-Month Longitudinal Study of Children and Adolescents.

The clinical course of problematic smartphone use (PSU) remains largely unknown due to a lack of longitudinal studies. We recruited 193 subjects with smartphone addiction problems for the present study. After providing informed consent, the subjects completed surveys and underwent comprehensive interviews regarding smartphone usage. A total of 56 subjects among the 193 initially recruited subjects were followed up for six months. We compared baseline characteristics between persistent addicted users and recovered users at the end of the 6-month follow-up. Persistent problematic smartphone users displayed higher baseline smartphone addiction severity and were more prone to develop mental health problems at the follow-up. However, baseline depressive or anxiety status did not significantly influence the course of PSU. PSU behaved more like an addictive disorder rather than a secondary psychiatric disorder. Harm avoidance, impulsivity, higher Internet use, and less conversation time with mothers were identified as poor prognostic factors in PSU. Lower quality of life, low perceived happiness, and goal instability also contributed to persistent PSU, while recovery increased these scores as well as measures of self-esteem. These findings suggest that the Matthew effect is found in the recovery of PSU with better premorbid psychosocial adjustment leading to a more successful recovery. Greater clinical resources are required for interventions in vulnerable populations to modify the course of this increasingly prevalent problematic behavior worldwide.

An Improved AES Key Generation in Audio Steganography

The higher Internet use also affects the level of information security in the digital world. Nowadays, many users send private messages or even secret messages through the Internet. This has an impact on the increasing number of illegal people who try to see and even change the information for personal gain. There is a solution to this problem by inserting a secret message in a file such as images, audio, or video. To increase the level of security, secret messages are encrypted first using cryptographic techniques. In this paper we propose a method for developing key generation in audio steganography techniques using the AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm. We use additional parameters to create the AES key, i.e. the user’s identity. The user’s identity is entered into the key table which is then randomly selected by the system when the user wants to get the key. There is a combination process and hash function to add complexity to the key. The performance of the proposed method is tested based on computing time and audio signal strength. The test results show that the message inserted in the audio file does not affect the file size, but rather affects the audio signal strength. Audio signals that experience additional data are at frequencies of 15 to 20 kHz and for other frequencies only experience additional noise.

The Impact of Internet Medical Information Overflow on Residents' Medical Expenditure Based on China's Observations.

Background: The rapid rise of medical expenditure is a common problem in the field of public health around the world, but the challenges for the Chinese government are even greater. How to control the rapid rise in medical expenditure and reduce individuals’ economic burden when receiving medical treatment has become one of the core issues that the Chinese government urgently needs to solve. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Internet use on individuals’ medical expenditure and further discuss the potential impact mechanism. Methods: The data used in this study were from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted by Peking University. The Heckman sample selection model was used to analyse the impact of Internet use on individuals’ medical expenditure. Results: Internet use reduced the medical expenditure of individuals by 6.19%; high frequency Internet use reduced the medical expenditure of individuals by 15.1%, while low frequency Internet use had no impact. In addition, Internet use had different impacts on individuals’ medical expenditure at different levels of hospitals. Specifically, Internet use reduced the medical expenditure of individuals who received medical treatment at general hospitals by 9.63%, and high frequency Internet use reduced the medical expenditure of individuals by 22.2%. However, Internet use had no impact on the medical expenditure of individuals who received medical treatment at primary hospitals. Conclusions: Findings from this study underscore the importance of Internet use as an important role in reducing individuals’ medical expenditure. The use of the Internet can significantly reduce the level of individuals’ medical expenditure, and high frequency Internet use has a greater effect. However, Internet use has different impacts on individuals’ medical expenditure among different levels of hospitals. The reduction effect of Internet use on individuals’ medical expenditure is mainly concentrated in general hospitals but has no effect in primary hospitals.

Coping Strategies and Factors Related to Problematic Substance Use and Behavioral Addictions Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore and identify the factors associated with problematic substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) and behavioral addictions (internet and eating disorders) over time in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) treated for cancer. Methods: AYAs newly diagnosed with cancer, 15-25 years of age, completed a questionnaire during their hospitalization (T1), assessing their consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis (The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; The Smoking Behavior Questionnaire; and The Cannabis Abuse Screening Test), their internet use (The Internet Addiction Test), their body preoccupations (The Eating Attitudes Test), as well as their coping strategies (Brief COPE) and emotional adjustment (The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Questionnaires were completed again 6 months later (T2). Results: Seventy-three AYAs were included at T1 and 21 AYAs at T2. Nearly one out of two (46.58%) AYAs had a problematic substance use or behavioral addiction after cancer diagnosis (T1). Problematic use of internet was frequently reported (23.29%), as well as harmful alcohol consumption or addiction (16.44%) and cannabis dependence (12.33%). The main factor related to problematic substance use was being older, while the main factor related to behavioral addiction was having a higher anxiety score. Substance use as a coping strategy was used more frequently by AYAs with problematic substance use and emotional support as a coping strategy was used more frequently by AYAs with a behavioral addiction. Conclusions: High rates of problematic substance use and behavioral addiction were reported in our sample. AYAs surveyed had high problematic use of cannabis and high internet use. Attention to substance use and addictive behaviors is recommended to ensure optimal care.

Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use Among Young Adults

The popularity of the internet, due to its multifunctional nature, makes most individuals develop an uncontrollable obsessional pattern of usage, signifying negligence in other areas of life. With greater time spent on the internet, these individuals are devoid of quality time spent on real-time socializing, which might cause loneliness. Hence, the present study is aimed at exploring the relationship between loneliness and problematic internet use among young adults. The UCLA three-item questionnaire and Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire short form-6 were administered among students aged between 18-25 years (n=212). A statistically significant relationship was found between loneliness and problematic internet use. Differences in loneliness between various religions were obtained. The analysis revealed a significant relation between alcohol users and high loneliness as well as tobacco users and high problematic internet use. The study tried to understand how the digital age of internet has an impact on the loneliness experienced by young adults.

Prevalence and factors associated with the use of internet, and its psychopathological effects among intermediate students in Hyderabad city, India

Background: Excessive use of the internet has become one of the leading challenges of the modern society and causes both physical and mental impairment. There are various researches done worldwide to know the prevalence of internet addiction, factors influencing it and it impact on the lives of adolescent population. Keeping this in mind this study is planned to estimate the use of internet and its impact among intermediate students in Hyderabad city. To know the prevalence of internet use, depression, stress and anxiety among the students; and psychopathological effect of internet use among them.Methods: Multi-centric, cross-sectional study was conducted among intermediate college students. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to assess the internet use and psychopathological effect like behavioural problems, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress using appropriate scales. It was a self-reported questionnaire.Results: Abnormal internet use was found in 55.9% of students. It was significantly found among those students living alone or sharing room with friends, who had phones before the age of 16 years. It was found more among males and those earning, but not significantly.Conclusions: It can be seen that higher internet use causes sleep problems, behavioural issues, physical health problems, depression, anxiety and stress. But it is also seen that there are factors which have a great influence on the internet use, which can be easily controlled or modified.

Cyber-bullying and cyber-victimization among undergraduate student teachers through the lens of the General Aggression Model

Cyber-bullying (CB) is a prevailing phenomenon among University students, but scarcely investigated, thus leaving its correlates largely unexplored. Recently, integrated theoretical models were proposed for the explanation of the phenomenon, investigating complex interactions between personal and contextual factors. The present study was purported to investigate the association between several individual and contextual variables (attachment, Big Five personality traits, Internet use frequency, problematic Internet use, οnline disinhibition, loneliness, psychopathology) and CB/Cyber-victimization (CV) among 175 Greek University undergraduates, based on the General Aggression Model. Results showed that participants who used the Internet more frequently scored higher in CB. Significant positive correlations were observed between both CB and CV with Neuroticism, loneliness, anxiety, hostility, online disinhibition, and Problematic Internet Use, and positive with Agreeableness. Furthermore, CB was negatively correlated with Conscientiousness and CV negatively with depression. CB was predicted by low Agreeableness, frequent Internet use and higher levels of negative outcomes when using the Internet, while CV was predicted by low Agreeableness, high Extraversion, high loneliness and high compulsive Internet use. Overall, findings of this study indicate that CB and CV may involve students who make problematic Internet use, have specific personality traits and face various social difficulties and psychopathological symptoms.

The Effect of High Internet Use on Health of Adolescents

The Effect of High Internet Use on Health of Adolescents

Uso problemático de internet en adolescentes españoles y su relación con autoestima e impulsividad

Dado el gran auge del uso de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) por parte del colectivo juvenil resulta de interés el análisis de los patrones disfuncionales y de su potencialidad adictiva. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en explorar las relaciones entre el uso problemático de internet y factores de riesgo como la impulsividad, así como analizar las diferencias en conflictos intra e interpersonales asociados en función del género y la edad. Han participado 240 adolescentes y jóvenes (124 mujeres y 116 hombres) con edades comprendidas entre los 15 y 22 años (X= 18.075; DT= 2.36), estudiantes del Principado de Asturias (España). En relación con la posible existencia de usos problemáticos de internet resulta atribuible al 11.25% de los adolescentes frente a un 88.75% que muestran un uso controlado. Respecto a las diferencias en función del género y de la edad no han resultado significativas. Se ha hallado que la baja autoestima y la impulsividad cognitiva y no planeada predicen con mayor probabilidad el uso desadaptativo de internet. Presentar mayor propensión a tomar decisiones rápidas, así como mostrar más interés en las tomas de decisiones presentes que futuras, aumentan las probabilidades de puntuar más alto en conflictos interpersonales asociados al uso problemático de internet. Se discuten las implicaciones de tales hallazgos.Palabras clave: uso problemático, Internet, autoestima, impulsividad, adolescentes.

Use of information sources regarding medicine side effects among the general population: a cross-sectional survey.

To determine the use and perceived value of different information sources that patients may use to support identification of medicine side effects; to explore associations between coping styles and use of information sources. Side effects from medicines can have considerable negative impact on peoples' daily lives. As a result of an ageing UK population and attendant multi-morbidity, an increasing number of medicines are being prescribed for patients, leading to increased risk of unintended side effects. A cross-sectional survey of patients who use medicine, recruited from community pharmacies. The survey sought views on attributes of various information sources, their predicted and actual use, incorporating a shortened Side Effects Coping Questionnaire (SECope) scale and the abbreviated Miller Behavioural Style Scale (MBSS). Of 935 questionnaires distributed, 230 (25.0%) were returned, 61.3% from females; 44.7% were retired and 84.6% used at least one medicine regularly. 69.6% had experienced a side effect, resulting in 57.5% of these stopping the medicine. Patient information leaflets (PILs) and GPs were both predicted and actually most widely used sources, despite GPs being judged as relatively less accessible and PILs less trustworthy, particularly by regular medicine users. Pharmacists, considered both easy to access and trustworthy, were used by few in practice, while the internet was considered easy to access, but less trustworthy and was also little used. SECope sub-scales for non-adherence and information seeking showed positive associations with stopping a medicine and seeking information from a health professional. More high monitors than low monitors stopped a medicine themselves, but there were no differences in use of information sources. Information seeking following a side effect is a common strategy, potentially predicted by the SECope, but not the MBSS. Limited GP accessibility could contribute to high internet use. Further research could determine how the trustworthiness of PILs can be improved.

Relationship between internet use and gingivitis among preparatory-year students in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University: A cross-sectional study

IntroductionStudies linked (1) Gingivitis is caused by plaque accumulation due to improper brushing. Internet (2, 3) internet to particular diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes addiction may be linked to gingivitis due to lack of time needed for proper oral health. There is inadequacy of studies investigating the association between internet (4) practices use and gingivitis. This is needed to develop preventive programs. We hypothesize that high internet use would result in gingival health problems. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the association of internet use and gingivitis among preparatory year students in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. Material and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in 2017 including preparatory year students in University of Dammam (N = 998). A random sample was stratified by gender and academic track. The exposure was internet use measured by a standardized internet addiction test (IAT) and categorized into low internet use and frequent internet use. The outcome was gingivitis diagnosed using gingival bleeding score of the World Health Organization (WHO) with 20 examiners calibrated against a gold standard (Kappa > 0.6). Disposable mirrors and probes were used under daylight. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24. Data was expressed as frequencies/percent and mean/standard deviation. Association was assessed using T test and P value of ≤0.05 was set as significant. ResultsTotal number of participants was 998 with response rate 94.5%. The mean age of students was 19.7 (SD = 2.59) years old. Male students were 258 (24%) and female students were 740 (76%). Low internet use was 481 (50.9%) and frequent internet use was 463 (49.1%). Mean gingivitis with bleeding was 8.56 (SD = 15.22). There was no association between internet use and gingivitis (P = 0.68).

Lietuvos vaikų naudojimosi internetu 2010 ir 2018 metais ypatumų palyginimas

The accessibility of the internet and the availability of online services in Lithuania are steadily increasing; the demand for some services is almost twice the EU average and is growing every year. In the context of Europe, Lithuania is among the countries with high internet use, which increases the risk and threat to children through the internet. In a study conducted by the EU Kids Online II in 2010, it was found that Lithuanian children lack the skills of safe use of internet, while parents lack the knowledge and ability to ensure the safe use of internet by their children. The purpose of this article is to identify how children’s threats and the involvement of parents in ensuring the safe use of internet by their children are changing as the access to information technology and the internet grows. During a survey conducted in 2018, 1 012 children aged 9 to 17 years and one of each of their parents were interviewed. These data were compared to the data from 2010 survey, when 1 004 online users aged 9 to 16 years and one of each of their parents were interviewed. The results revealed that in 2018, children and their parents spend more time on the internet. Children spend 4–5 hours on the internet every day and it is approximately one hour longer than in 2010. Children use a variety of devices to connect to the internet and use the internet to perform various activities, especially the sharing of pictures, watching videos and playing games on the internet, and more often use social networks sites. The most popular social network is Facebook. In the current year, children are less likely to share their personal information, communicate less with strangers, but children experience more abusive behavior from others online and have more access to sexual content in 2018 than in previous years. Parents report less negative experience and technical threats, such as the use of a child’s personal information or device infection with a virus, regarding their children spending their time on the internet. The data suggests that parents nowadays seldom are in the same room with the child while he/she is on the internet, but parents talk with children on safety issues, encourage them and are interested in their activities on the internet more often than in previous years.

Sleep Quality and Internet Addiction Level among University Students

Background: Sleep is an essential need of humankind; it is necessary for quality of life and health at all ages. Poor sleep quality is closely associated with lifestyle habits including Internet use. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and the level of Internet addiction among students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out on July 2017 among 511 students aged 18-25 years enrolled at KAU in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality and habits, and Young’s Internet Addiction Test was used to assess Internet addiction among students. Frequencies, chi-square, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multivariate analysis were used in data analysis. Results: A total of 511 students participated; 350 (68.5%) were women. Poor sleep quality was found in 54.4% of the participants, whereas Internet addiction was found to be mild in 42.3 %, moderate in 29.9%, and severe in 1.8%. A significant correlation was found between sleep quality and Internet addiction (p = .00). Other significant associations linked the quality of sleep to smoking and caffeine consumption. Conclusion: Sleep problems and poor sleep quality among KAU students were related to high Internet use. Further studies are needed to fully understand the factors that affect sleep behavior and Internet addiction among university students in Jeddah.

Problematic Video Gaming and Problematic Internet Use Among Polish Young Adults.

Technological advancements, on the one hand, facilitate everyday activities and, on the other hand, may lead to problematic behavior. These include problematic video gaming (PVG) and problematic Internet use. The purpose of this article is to present the specificity of these behavioral addictions in a group of Polish young adults and to determine their predictors and interrelatedness. The study involved a group of 1,493 young adults, aged from 18 to 30. The intensity of problematic Internet use was measured with the Problematic Internet Use Test (the Polish version of Internet Addiction Test developed by Kimberly Young), and intensity of PVG was measured with the Problem Video Game Playing Questionnaire. Based on the results, it can be shown that in the group of Polish young adults participating in the study, 0.3 percent of the individuals present very high problematic Internet use. On the contrary, 3.6 percent of the gamers show signs of PVG. Furthermore, analysis of structural equations showed that only the model assuming a correlation between the two types of behavioral addiction correctly fits the data set. Based on the developed model, it was established that the duration of social network usage is probably a predictor of problematic Internet use, while predictors of PVG include the amount of time dedicated to playing video games as well as engagement in action games. The present findings enable better understanding of the relationship between PVG and problematic Internet use among young adults. They also support other studies which suggest that, despite similarities between them, various types of behavioral addictions may be predicted by different factors.

Internet use behavior, risk profile and ‘problematic internet use’ among undergraduate medical students: an epidemiological study

Background: With emerging internet use, there is need to understand differences between ‘normal’ and ‘problematic internet use’. The objective of the study was to estimate internet use behaviour and risk profile, prevalence of problematic internet use and to determine association among them. Methods: A cross sectional study was undertaken among medical undergraduates. Pilot tested, structured questionnaire along with internet addiction test was administered. Results: Total of 122 students with mean age of 20.6 years (SD 0.878) participated in the study. Majority had personal computer and smart phones (88.5% and 98.4% respectively). Students were online at place of residence, classrooms and library (97.5%, 50% and 34.4% respectively). Students were online every day for instant messenger, social networking, leisure, without purpose, emails, downloads, forums, blogging, shopping, listening to radio and gaming (91.0%, 64.8%, 32.0%, 27.9%, 22.1%, 18.0% and 14.8%, 1.6%, 6.6%, 4.1% and 8.2% respectively). False information from internet, blocking of mails, pretending, and sharing password was found in 52.5%, 71.3%, 45.1% and 36.1% students respectively. Only 4.1% students had undertaken cyber safety courses. Moderate prevalence of ‘problematic internet use’ was 19.7%. Significantly higher internet use in classrooms, higher use of emails, social networking, blogging, forums, leisure, surfing without purpose, shopping, downloading and higher cyber risk was seen among those with ‘problematic internet use’ (p=0.001, 0.010, 0.009, 0.021, 0.026, 0.002, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000 and 0.005 respectively). Conclusions: Internet use has become an integral part of our lives. There is a need to estimate the baseline and develop evidence based strategies in the country.

High mobile phone ownership but low internet access and use among young adults attending an urban HIV clinic in Uganda

ABSTRACTWhilst there is increasing interest in the use of mobile phones and other technologies for improving health outcomes (mHealth), limited data exists on how young people living with HIV use these technologies to gather information and support their health. We sought to assess access and use of mobile phones and the internet among young adults living with HIV attending the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) clinic, Kampala. Data collection took place between March 2014 and January 2016 among young adults aged 18–24 years attending the IDI transition clinic in a cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire. Of the 272 young adults interviewed, 75% were female and median age was 22.3 years (IQR: 20.6–23.5). Whilst there was a trend to females being more likely to use mobile phones compared to the males, this was not statistically significant (93.7% female versus 85.9%, p = 0.057). Fifty percent of mobile phone users used their phones for HIV-related activities such as medication reminders. General access and use of the internet was low at 34% and users were more likely to be males than females (45.5% versus 30.6%, p = 0.027). A third (32.3%) of the internet users used it to search for HIV-related information. Owning a mobile phone was associated with ease of access to HIV information and preference to receive messages via text messages (p < 0.05). Having internet access was associated with very easy access to HIV information and preference to receive information via email. Despite the rise in smartphones and internet access in Uganda, in this group both access to and use of standard mobile phones are higher than internet-based methods such as email. Using newer technologies to engage with patients especially young people is a great opportunity, but the innovations need to be tailored to the needs and technology access for different patient populations.