One in three minors have problematic use of social networks, according to the study on Addictive tendencies Without substances in young people and adolescents in the province of Córdoba”, carried out by the Economic and Social Council of the UCO. The research work with scientific relevance is the result of the analysis of the information collected through 3,614 questionnaires online among childrenadolescents and adults between 10 and 22 years old “which allowed us to take an interesting picture of the use of technology, its evolution and the trends that are occurring”, according to the authors of UCO Rosario Ruiz and Valentina Lucena.
In this area of social networks, the study concludes that there are also preferences according to gender: for girls, WhatsApp, Tik-Tok and Instagram stand out, and for boys WhatsApp, Youtubefollowed by Tik-Tok and Instagram almost equally. In general, girls stand out more than boys in the use of social networks. The study looks at addiction to social networks, the most used being in this order Whatsapp, Tik-Tok and Instagram, followed closely by YouTube. In figures, 34.5% have problematic use, particularly important after 13 years.
In this sense, the researchers explained that “the objective was to show an analysis of the situation of addictive tendencies without substance among young people and adolescentsfocusing on the habits of using new technologies, how they interfere with their daily lives, as well as the monitoring or parental control that is established for this use.
Among the conclusions, they show that the mobile with data is the most used device in general among the youngest, starting at the age of nine, followed by the computer, television, tablet and console. Regarding the frequency of use, from Monday to Thursday, more than 65 percent use screens for more than two hours and 22.4% use screens for more than four hours. On the weekend, 85% of adolescents use screens for more than three hours, although 31% admit that their grades and responsibilities have deteriorated.
Regarding video games, this research shows that boys have the most problematic use, aged between 10 and 12. Based on this data, the researchers warn that prevention should be carried out before the age of 11 or 12, when they begin to play more intensively. At 13, the problematic use with psychological consequences such as “the escape from reality learned from a young age leads to serious emotional consequences in adulthood,” warns the UCO study.
