Anxiety, Addiction to Social Networks, Internet and Smartphones in Paraguayan Adolescents: A Brief Report
Article Category: Research Article
Published Online: Jun 12, 2022
Page range: 58 - 63
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjcapp-2022-0006
Keywords
© 2022 Pamela Figueredo, Iván Barrios, Marcelo O'Higgins, Diego Amarilla, José Almirón-Santacruz, Osvaldo Melgarejo, Noelia Ruiz-Díaz, João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia, Antonio Ventriglio, Julio Torales, published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Background
Several authors have pointed out that the use of smartphones might have an impact on mental health in general. Most of the evidences are focused on the incorrect or overblown use of smartphones, videogame or Internet, particularly focusing on related addiction problems among adolescents.
Objective
The present study, although preliminary, aims to report the first evidence in Paraguay regarding the association between anxiety and addiction to social networks/internet as well as the use of smartphones among adolescents.
Method
Participants (100 adolescents, aged 12- 17 years old) were assessed in a school setting with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Scale of risk of Addiction to Social Networks and Internet for adolescents (ERA-RSI). Categorical variables and associations were statistically assessed.
Results
The average smartphone use in boys rated 8.06 ±3.81 hours and in girls 9.46 ±4.4 hours. The BAI mean score was 20.71 ± 13.2. Of the participants, 27% reported moderate anxiety, and 36% severe anxiety and scores on this scale were not associated with hours of smartphone use. The ERA-RSI mean score was 1.94 ± 0.46 and anxiety was related to the symptoms-addiction, social-use, and nomophobia dimensions of the scale.
Conclusion
The misuse of smartphones in the Paraguayan pediatric population has been reported to be closely related to anxious symptoms. Our results suggest further research with an impact on possible public health policies aimed at preserving the mental health of children and adolescents exposed to internet and electronic devices.