Problematic internet use and digital game addiction as risk factors for digital eye strain in adolescents: Preliminary Findings

Merve Şambel Aykutlu, Hasan Cem Aykutlu

Keywords: problematic internet use, digital game addiction, digital eye strain, adolescent, child psychiatry, ophthalmology

Aim:

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the time that adolescents spend on digital devices, which worsens the problematic internet use (PIU), digital game addiction (DGA) and digital eye strain (DES). The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of PIU and DGA on DES and reveal associated risk factors of DES, PIU and DGA among adolescents. This is a preliminary report of an ongoing study.

Method:

This cross-sectional study examined 187 adolescents aged 11–18 who attended the child psychiatry outpatient clinic. Pre-validated questionnaires were used to measure digital eye strain (DES), problematic internet use (PIU) and digital game addiction (DGA), as well as the habitual use of digital devices.

Results:

The prevalence of DES was 50.3%. The most common screen use was 2-4 hours (50.8%), followed by more than 4 hours (39.6%) and less than 2 hours (9.6%). PIU and DGA scores were significantly positively correlated with DES score (p<0.001, r=0.489; p=0.001 r=0.245). The logistic regression analysis showed that PIU and increased screen time after the pandemic raised the risk of DES development.

Conclusions:

This study revealed that DES is a common problem among adolescents and is associated with PIU and DGA. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation by increasing the screen time of adolescents. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness about the potential harms of excessive and inappropriate use of digital devices and to promote healthy digital habits among adolescents.

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