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[The mobile: a new addiction upon adolescents]
Soumeya Halayem1, Ons Nouira, Soumaya Bourgou
1Service de Pédopsychiatrie de l'EPS RAZI, rue des Orangers, La Manouba, Tunisie.
La Tunisie Medicale
|August 17, 2010
Summary
Mobile phone use and dependence are prevalent among Tunisian high school students, with SMS and missed calls being common communication methods. The study highlights significant levels of perceived excessive use and emotional dependence on mobile phones.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Adolescent Psychology
- Digital Communication
Background:
- Mobile phone adoption is rapidly increasing globally, particularly among adolescents.
- Understanding patterns of mobile phone use and dependence is crucial for addressing potential negative impacts on youth.
- Adolescents represent a vulnerable demographic for developing behavioral dependencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the patterns of mobile phone usage among Tunisian high school students.
- To assess the prevalence and characteristics of mobile phone dependence in this population.
- To identify specific behaviors related to mobile phone use, such as SMS and missed calls.
Main Methods:
- An anonymous questionnaire survey was administered to 120 high school students in Tunisia.
- Data collection focused on the modalities of mobile phone use.
- The French version of the Igarashi scale was employed to evaluate SMS dependency.
Main Results:
- Short Message Service (SMS) and missed calls were the primary communication methods identified.
- A high percentage of adolescents (83.2%) engaged in sending over 6 missed calls daily.
- Significant proportions reported excessive use (31.7%), emotional reactions (33.4%), and exclusive relationship maintenance via mobile (18%) based on the Igarashi scale.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a notable addiction to mobile phones among Tunisian high school students.
- These findings underscore the need for interventions to mitigate problematic mobile phone use in adolescents.
- Further research is warranted to explore the long-term psychological and social implications.
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