Digital Addiction and Related Factors among College Students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Digital Well-being

Background:

• Digital addiction poses a global health concern, particularly affecting college students.
• Negative psycho-physiological impacts of digital addiction necessitate research into contributing factors.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions for student populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of digital addiction among university students.
• To identify key factors influencing digital addiction, including body shape satisfaction and time management.
• To explore the relationships between digital addiction, body shape satisfaction, time management, and psychological health.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive correlational study involving 199 university students in Seoul, South Korea.
• Utilized validated scales: Digital Addiction Scale (DAS), Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ).
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression.

Main Results:

• The average digital addiction score was 54 ± 12, indicating a significant issue.
• Digital addiction positively correlated with body shape satisfaction (r=0.156, p=0.028) and negatively with time management (r=-0.500, p<0.001).
• Key predictors in the regression model included fear of fatness, body dissatisfaction, effective organization, persistence, and past orientation in time management.

Conclusions:

• Body shape satisfaction and time management significantly influence digital addiction in college students.
• While statistically associated, these factors do not establish a direct causal link to digital addiction.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing body shape satisfaction and time management skills are recommended to reduce digital addiction prevalence.