Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
BackgroundAs adolescents increasingly engage with digital experiences, the internet serves as a platform for social interaction, entertainment, and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, with remote learning and restricted physical interactions driving change...
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JMIR Publications
2025-02-01
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| Series: | JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting |
| Online Access: | https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2025/1/e66448 |
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| author | Sol I Kim Jae-Chan Jin Seo-Koo Yoo Doug Hyun Han |
| author_facet | Sol I Kim Jae-Chan Jin Seo-Koo Yoo Doug Hyun Han |
| author_sort | Sol I Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
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BackgroundAs adolescents increasingly engage with digital experiences, the internet serves as a platform for social interaction, entertainment, and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, with remote learning and restricted physical interactions driving changes in internet behavior. Adolescents spent more time on gaming and social media, reflecting a notable shift in use patterns.
ObjectiveWe hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic changed internet use patterns among Korean adolescents, including content types, time spent on web-based activities, and pathological use prevalence. Additionally, we anticipated that these changes would correlate with shifts in adolescents’ psychological status during the pandemic.
MethodsData from 827 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (n=144 in 2018, n=142 in 2019, n=126 in 2020, n=130 in 2021, n=143 in 2022, and n=142 in 2023) were gathered over 6 years from 43 middle schools across 16 regions and 1 hospital in South Korea. The demographic data collected included age, sex, and school year. Participants also provided information on their internet use patterns and levels of internet addiction. Additionally, psychological status, including mood, anxiety, attention, and self-esteem, was assessed.
ResultsThere were significant differences in the depression scale (Patient Health Questionnaire 9). The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 scores for 2018, 2019, and 2023 decreased compared to those in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (F5=3.07; P=.007). Regarding changes in internet use behavior, game playing among adolescents decreased after the pandemic compared to before, while watching videos increased. Additionally, the rate of problematic internet use was highest for games before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, it was highest for videos, and this trend continued until 2023 (χ23=8.16, P=.04). Furthermore, this study showed that the Young’s Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS) score was highest in the game group in 2018 compared to other groups before COVID-19 (F5=14.63; P<.001). In 2019, both the game and video groups had higher YIAS scores than other groups (F5=9.37; P<.001), and by 2022, the YIAS scores among the game, video, and Social Network Service groups did not differ significantly. The degree of influence on the severity of internet addiction was also greatest for games before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, the effect was greater for videos than for games.
ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, internet use for academic and commercial purposes, including remote classes and videoconferences, increased rapidly worldwide, leading to a significant rise in overall internet use time. The demand for and dependence on digital platforms is expected to grow even further in the coming era. Until now, concerns have primarily focused on the use of games, but it is now necessary to consider what types of internet behaviors cause problems and how to address them. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ed88acb07e546948e3d68041e089120 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2561-6722 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
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| series | JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ed88acb07e546948e3d68041e0891202025-02-11T21:30:59ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Pediatrics and Parenting2561-67222025-02-018e6644810.2196/66448Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional StudySol I Kimhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2641-8929Jae-Chan Jinhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2419-5485Seo-Koo Yoohttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2023-5416Doug Hyun Hanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8314-0767 BackgroundAs adolescents increasingly engage with digital experiences, the internet serves as a platform for social interaction, entertainment, and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, with remote learning and restricted physical interactions driving changes in internet behavior. Adolescents spent more time on gaming and social media, reflecting a notable shift in use patterns. ObjectiveWe hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic changed internet use patterns among Korean adolescents, including content types, time spent on web-based activities, and pathological use prevalence. Additionally, we anticipated that these changes would correlate with shifts in adolescents’ psychological status during the pandemic. MethodsData from 827 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (n=144 in 2018, n=142 in 2019, n=126 in 2020, n=130 in 2021, n=143 in 2022, and n=142 in 2023) were gathered over 6 years from 43 middle schools across 16 regions and 1 hospital in South Korea. The demographic data collected included age, sex, and school year. Participants also provided information on their internet use patterns and levels of internet addiction. Additionally, psychological status, including mood, anxiety, attention, and self-esteem, was assessed. ResultsThere were significant differences in the depression scale (Patient Health Questionnaire 9). The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 scores for 2018, 2019, and 2023 decreased compared to those in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (F5=3.07; P=.007). Regarding changes in internet use behavior, game playing among adolescents decreased after the pandemic compared to before, while watching videos increased. Additionally, the rate of problematic internet use was highest for games before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, it was highest for videos, and this trend continued until 2023 (χ23=8.16, P=.04). Furthermore, this study showed that the Young’s Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS) score was highest in the game group in 2018 compared to other groups before COVID-19 (F5=14.63; P<.001). In 2019, both the game and video groups had higher YIAS scores than other groups (F5=9.37; P<.001), and by 2022, the YIAS scores among the game, video, and Social Network Service groups did not differ significantly. The degree of influence on the severity of internet addiction was also greatest for games before COVID-19, but after COVID-19, the effect was greater for videos than for games. ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, internet use for academic and commercial purposes, including remote classes and videoconferences, increased rapidly worldwide, leading to a significant rise in overall internet use time. The demand for and dependence on digital platforms is expected to grow even further in the coming era. Until now, concerns have primarily focused on the use of games, but it is now necessary to consider what types of internet behaviors cause problems and how to address them.https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2025/1/e66448 |
| spellingShingle | Sol I Kim Jae-Chan Jin Seo-Koo Yoo Doug Hyun Han Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting |
| title | Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | changes in internet activities and influencing factors for problematic internet use during the covid 19 pandemic in korean adolescents repeated cross sectional study |
| url | https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2025/1/e66448 |
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