Problematic Internet Usage in US College Students
Author Information
Author(s): Christakis Dimitri A, Moreno Megan M, Jelenchick Lauren, Myaing Mon T, Zhou Chuan
Primary Institution: Seattle Children's Research Institute
Hypothesis
Is there a significant association between problematic Internet usage and moderate to severe depression among college students?
Conclusion
The prevalence of problematic Internet usage among US college students is concerning and may require intervention.
Supporting Evidence
- 4% of students scored in the occasionally problematic or addicted range on the Internet Addiction Test.
- 12% of students had moderate to severe depression.
- Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with 13 of the 17 individual items on the Internet Addiction Test.
Takeaway
Some college students spend too much time online, which can make them feel sad or depressed.
Methodology
A pilot survey using the Internet Addiction Test and Patient Health Questionnaire among 307 college students.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to privacy settings on Facebook may have excluded certain participants.
Limitations
The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and the sample size was modest.
Participant Demographics
Participants were college students aged 18 to 20, with a mix of genders and ethnicities.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001
Confidence Interval
3.95 to 146.69
Statistical Significance
p = 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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