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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 230 236

7th International Conference on Intercultural Education Education, Health and ICT for a
Transcultural World, EDUHEM 2016, 15-17 June 2016, Almeria, Spain

ICTs and teenage students. Problematic usage or dependence

Raquel de la Fuente Anuncibay*
Universidad de Burgos.Facultad de Educacin. C/ Villadiego s/n 09901. Burgos (SPAIN)

Abstract

The objective of this work is to determine the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and the reasons for
their use among young people aged between 12 and 21, as well as the perception of dependency. An initial study was conducted
based on a questionnaire prepared for that purpose. It was administered to a stratified cluster sample of 2,063 students aged between
12 and 21 years old, attending 27 centers of education in Burgos (Spain), and had a confidence level of over 95.5% and an error
margin of 2.11%. Two longitudinal random follow up questionnaires were administered to samples of 96 and 88 students,
respectively. The results, of a descriptive nature, allow us to observe a high degree of penetration and use of ICTs. Although the
majority of users have a balanced relation with ICTs, the lengthy periods of time that some users spend on them may be highlighted.
The average age for the first mobile phone is at 11 years old and between 80%-100% of adolescents have one between 11 and 16
years of age. Differences were detected in the use and the perception of abuse according to gender. Although the results show no
evidence of alarming attitudes, ICTs are a valuable resource, although not free from risk. The need is noted to encourage protective
measures, which favor the self-development of individuals, orientated toward healthy lifestyles, which in turn act as moderators of
risk factors; as well as normalizing the use of such devices.
2017
2016TheTheAuthors.
Authors.Published
Publishedbyby Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
Keywords: ICTS; use and misuse; student; mobile phone; Internet.

1. Introduction

The importance of use and abuse of technologies and their consequences for children and young people is a topic
that occupies a large number of studies and research projects in the scientific community. In this field, some

* Corresponding author. Tel.: 947258075.

E-mail address: raquelfa@ubu.es

1877-0428 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2017.02.068
 Raquel de la Fuente Anuncibay / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 230 236 231

investigations have pointed out that their use is more problematic in adolescence and as adolescents advance in age
their use is more prevalent in working environments, and less so in leisure time (Beranuy, Chamarro, Graner and
Carbonell, 2009). There are numerous works that reflect the interest that this topic has aroused, relating to the use of
Internet and attitudes towards it, principally in the adolescent population and children (Aslanidou and Menexes, 2008;
Graner, Beranuy, Snchez, Chamarro and Castellana, 2007; Ruiz-Olivares et al., 2010). Some authors (Rial, Gmez
Braa and Varela, 2014) pointed out that one of the problems of these studies resides in the limitations associated with
the sample. Another set of investigations has approached the difficulties of defining the boundaries between normal
use, abuse and non-healthy use. In this regard there is an immense variety of terminology with terms that range from
addiction, unhealthy or sick use, compulsive use, pathological use, non-regulated use, and dependency, among others
(Chou and Hsiao, 2000; Caplan, 2002; Chen, Tarn and Han, 2004; Davis, 2001; Goldberg, 1996; Hansen, 2002;
Morahan-Martin and Schumacher, 2000; Shapira et al., 2003; Young, 1998). There is however little or no consensus
over this question today. Despite the controversy over its conceptualization, a third set of investigations has centered
on the development of measurement and diagnostic tools (Rial, Gmez Braa y Varela, 2014), as well as studies that
gauge relations between excessive use with other variables such as wellbeing, academic performance, parental control,
personal characteristics, etc (Oliva et al., 2012; Subrahmanyam and Lin, 2007), and the consequences and effects of
possible addiction (Weiser, 2001).
Misuse of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) is a risk factor that increases the probability of
problematic consumption. The risk is present not so much because of its addictive potential nor because of the
vulnerability of the individual, but because of abusive and continual interaction. Investigations in this field report
different effects. On this point, Santiesteban (2006), in an investigation of a sample of 2,322 children and adolescents
noted average scores for aggressiveness that increased in the groups that spent more time watching TV and
videogames, with higher scores if the contents were more aggressive. Vzquez (2006), in a study on the use of Internet
and the detection of problematic behaviors and at-risk populations, covering a sample of 800 people, concluded that
6% used Internet in problematic ways, had no control over the time that they spent in front of the screen, experienced
a reduction in academic performance and expressed anxiety and irritability when they could not connect (Vquez
2006). In their work, Prez and Martin (2007) noted contradictions in the results regarding the consequences of using
Internet. Likewise, Kaunt (1998) affirmed in his study that the Internet generated depression, weakened social relations
and affected psychological wellbeing. On the contrary, Wellman and Gulia (1999) maintained that social networks
were necessary for true social inclusion.
The problem is compounded because of a profound unawareness among the parents, who do not know how to act
and are at times unaware of how to identify the early signs of abuse, school failure, isolation, and aggressiveness, the
real consequences of which they ignore.

2. Objectives

The overall objective was to determine the habitual use of New Technologies (NT) among young people aged
between 12 and 21 years old and their perceptions towards ICTS. We consider this age group to be at higher risk, in
view of the opportunities for access and the interests that the new technologies awaken in these age groups. The aim
is to gain greater awareness of the reality that we are studying through the information that is collected, so as to propose
preventive strategies at the centers.

3. Method

Three longitudinal studies with different sample sizes were conducted. A first study (2010) was through a
questionnaire to a sample of 2,063 students -between 12 and 21 years old- attending 27 schools and colleges in Burgos
(Spain), using stratified cluster sampling, with a confidence level of over 95.5% and an error margin of 2.11%. Two
randomized longitudinal follow-ups, at 2 and at 5 years after the first study (2012 and 2015), were administered to
selective convenience samples, at five public education centers; they consisted of 88 students, 49 young men and 39
young women (M=14.05 SD=1.764), and, 96 students, 53 young men and 43 young women (M=14.15 ST=1.711),
respectively. Data collection at the centers was through a questionnaire specifically prepared for the study. Statistical
analyses were performed with the SPSSS-19 software package.
232 Raquel de la Fuente Anuncibay / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 230 236

4. Results

The main descriptive results are presented here. This longitudinal research has progressively investigated different
mediums, contributing information on the evolution of their use among young people. The first study representative
of the population in full-time education (2010) analyzed the use of different technologies: computer, mobile, television,
video games, music equipment, and Internet. The second study (2012) focused on the use of Internet, video games,
mobile and TV use, and the third study (2015) explored mobile and Internet use.

4.1. First study

The results of the first study indicated that the average number of hours spent on New Technologies (NT) was
36.33 hours a week. 29.1% of the sample performed no extracurricular activities.
As regards television, 86% had more than one TV at home. The number of hours spent watching TV everyday was
2 hours on working days and 2.75 days on non-working days, with no significant gender differences, although there
was a gradual increase as a function of age. The programs the interviewees watched most were series (89.39%), movies
(81.94%) and sports programs (48.57%); the first two were preferred in greater proportion by young women and the
last two by young men.
As for weekly use of the computer, the average stood at 4.4 hours per week, and we can highlight the 14.2% who
used it 9 hours a week. Its use was higher among young men (4.9) than among young woman (3.9). In all, 75.5% had
access to Internet. Their use of the computer was mostly for school work and to surf the Internet (75.1% and 73.8%,
respectively). 30.8% spent 1 to 3 hours a week checking their emails, while 36.7% spent between 1-to-3 hours a week
playing games and chatting (23.3%), an activity to which young women dedicated more time.
Different audio devices for listening to music were used more than 15 hours a week by 18% and between 5 and 10
hours by 26% and, in both cases, young women used them more than young men.
A total of 81.1% of the young people in the survey, of whom 79.7% were young men and 82.5% young women,
had a mobile phone. Its main use was to make contact with friends (87.5%), and family (83.9%), to download games
(12.6%), to listen to music, to send messages, and to take photos (22.3%).
High percentages (45.1%) were connected at all times. 43.1% turned their phones off when in class and only 6.3%
when at home.
The assessment of NT among young people presented high scores and revealed interesting and amusing resources.
A high percentage of young people (42%) felt very uneasy if unable to use their mobile or if without an Internet
connection, observing gender differences in relation to the device that was assessed. Table 1.
It was notable that the students with the poorest academic performance expressed higher levels of frustration when
unable to use their devices. A very high percentage of students expressed negative feelings associated with an absence
of these devices.

Table 1. Self-perceptions of the use of electronic games, computer, video console, Internet, chat, and TV (by gender). Scale:
0: totally disagree - 10: totally agree (2 sig. fig.)
Young Men Young women Total

Average 3.04 3.60 3.32

I spend time more time chatting
Num. Students 1,029 969 1,997
(MSN, etc.) than I should
Std. Dev. 3.62 3.81 3.72
Average 4.29 4.45 4.37
I spend more time watching the
Num. Students 1,034 980 2,015
television than I should
Std. Dev. 3.55 3.51 3.53

I spend more time on games Average 4.55 2.37 3.49

(computer, videoconsole, etc.) than
Num. Students 1,036 978 2,014
I should
Std. Dev. 3.62 3.12 3.56
 Raquel de la Fuente Anuncibay / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 230 236 233

Average 4.28 3.12 3.70

I sincerely think that I abuse
electronic games, the computer, Num. Students 1,014 969 1,983
Internet, chat forums, .
Std. Dev. 3.62 3.54 3.62
The time I spend on electronic Average 3.18 2.61 2.90
games, Internet, chatting, etc.
causes arguments with my Num. Students 1,013 965 1,978
parents
Std. Dev. 3.53 3.35 3.46

Some of my companions have Average 4.43 3.30 3.88

abuse (addiction) problems with
Num. Students 1,001 948 1,959
electronic games, computer,
Internet, chat,... Std. Dev. 3.76 3.55 3.70

4.2. Second study

A random multi-stage sample of 88 students aged between 12 and 16 years old (39 young women and 49 young
men) was prepared. A total of 13.64% engaged in no extracurricular activities, increasing in proportion as they grew
in age. The devices to which they attached most importance were the Internet and the mobile phone.
With regard to the mobile, 84% had one in the 1st year of secondary education and 100% by the 3rd year. The age
at which they had their first mobile was 11 years old (51.14%), however a total of 91% were carrying a mobile before
the age of 14. The feeling of dependence varied by school year and increased with age; 31.58% in the 1st year of
Compulsory Secondary Education (Educacin Secundaria Obligatoria - ESO); 55% in the 2nd year; 17% in the 3rd
year; and 63.64% in the 4th year. A total of 29.55% never disconnected at all and 31.82% of those interviewed only
disconnected at nighttime.
Over 40% had two computers at home, all of which (100%) with Internet access. Time spent on the Internet was
between 1 and 2 hours a day (20% young women and 16.33% young men) and from 2 to over 3 hours per day (10%
young women and 21% young men). Its main use was for social networking (82.05% young women and 89.80%
young men), surfing the Internet (79.49% young women and 87.76 young men), and doing work (84.62% young
women and 69.39% young men).
Internet sites with music were the most frequently visited by young women (82.05%) and then by young men
(71.43%). A high percentage thought that social networks improved their social life (70% young men and 53.85%
young women), while 58% had made friends through social networks.
The survey results also highlighted that 98% used chat, Messenger or other social networks to keep in touch with
friends, to meet new people (9%) and to flirt with other people (7.95%).

4.3. Third study

A random sample was prepared of 96 students aged between 13 and 16 years, enrolled on the first up to the fourth
year of secondary eduation. The sample consisted of 44 young women and 52 young men.
With regard to the mobile phone, we found figures for students with mobile phones ranging from 80% in the 1st
year of secondary education to 100% in the 4th year of secondary eduacation. The average age for a first phone lay
between 11 and 13 years.
The feeling of dependency in the case of not having a mobile phone increased from 47.6% for 1st year students to
63.6% of students in their 4th year. Continuous checking of calls was more frequent among the young men, as it was
situated between quite often (24.4%) to almost always (16.7%).
All adolescents frequently received messages on the mobile phone, so they often spent a lot of time using the
mobile phone, either checking who was writing to them online or answering; which represents one of the situations
that can generate dependency patterns. Only 23% of respondents felt that they did not abuse the mobile phone.
With regard to the computer, the results showed us that only around 1% claimed not to have a computer at home,
while 3.12% had no Internet access and from among those who did, 82.29% had a high-speed ADSL connection.
Around 50% used it half-an-hour a day and 18% used it more than 3-to-5 hours a day. Its main use was for school
234 Raquel de la Fuente Anuncibay / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 230 236

work (60.20%), chatting (33.30%) and downloading music (72%). We observed differences by gender (25% of young
women used it for school work compared to 18.3% of young men). The most frequently visited pages were music,
sport and those needed for their study. More than half of those interviewed in the sample (54%) believed that social
networks had improved their social life and only 7.3% said that they had recurrently abused Internet.

5. Conclusions and discussion

This study has presented descriptive empirical data that gives us a more precise understanding of the use that young
men and women make of NT, as well as the perception of use or abuse that these technologies have over them. This
analysis allows us to propose preventive measures that encourage healthier habits.
At present, the use of the computer, television, and mobiles, listening to music, playing video games, and using the
Internet and watching TV over the Internet, are not exclusively linked to one technology, as they can access different
activities through any of these mediums.
The results highlight the observation that young people dedicate a large part of their time to the mobile phone and
to Internet. The great majority of those interviewed do not have an unbalanced relationship with ICTs, although in
some cases the hours they spend chatting are excessive.
Analyzing the patterns of mobile and computer use across the longitudinal studies, we see an increase in their
availability at younger ages, an increase in the need to have the devices connected at all times, using them for work,
mainly downloading music and chatting, and the importance attributed to social networks.
We can say that there is a higher dedication of hours to NTs, for entertainment, among poorly performing students,
those repeating school years, and those following Social Guarantee programs. However, the increased use of NTs is
not the cause-and-effect of poorer academic performance at school, as it involves a great many variables.
We found agreement between the results of our study and other investigations. According to a study by the Pfizer
Foundation (2009) on the extent of ICT use among adolescent Spanish youth, the data revealed almost universal levels
of use. Almost all young people between 11 and 20 years (98.1%) were Internet users. The proportion was slightly
higher among young women (99%) than young men (97.1%).
Studies completed in the Autonomous Region of Galicia (Rial, Gmez, Braa and Varela, 2014) pointed out that
9 out of every 10 secondary school students from that Autonomous Region habitually made use of Internet, and similar
data were provided by the European report EU Kids Online (Garmendia, Garitaonandia, Martnez and Casado,
2011), which reported that 58% of Spanish youth used Internet daily or virtually every day.
However, we have found no alarming data on the abuse of ICTS. In this respect, studies conducted in Spain on
Internet use pointed out that 4.9% of interviewees affirmed that they had frequent problems with the network,
experiencing feelings of guilt, intense desire to stay connected, and loss of control (Gracia, Vigo, Prez, and Marco,
2002).
Rial, Gmez, Braa and Varela (2014) pointed out that approximately 2% of adolescents might be making
apparently dangerous use of the network. The study completed by Ruiz (2016) in a sample of university students from
Madrid noted that 9.4% of young people presented frequent problems in their use. However, the results obtained are
in accordance with the figures found in other studies (Bringu and Sdaba, 2009; Garmendia et al., 2011) that reported
moderate use of Internet and social networks.
Burguera (2008), in reference to a report that reviewed 173 studies on health and devices over the past 3 decades
in the United States, pointed out that average exposure to new technologies (TV, games, phones, Mp3, etc.) was 45
hours per week and associated a high correlation between exposure to devices and long-term health problems. Along
the same lines, Carbonell, Fuster, Chamarro and Oberst (2012), in a review of Spanish empirical studies on the use of
the mobile and Internet were able to link problematic use of Internet to various psychological disorders. We can
understand that some of these young people, when they have difficulties in starting or maintaining real friendships,
could easily establish other alternative forms of contact through technological devices.
Among the principal limitations of this study, we can mention the sample size of the subsequent longitudinal
studies, which means that these results cannot be generalized to the reference population, although they give us a
general descriptive panorama of patterns of use among young people and teenagers. Beyond a complete view of
reality, the intention was to contribute to their knowledge. Nevertheless, we consider that the first study does represent
 Raquel de la Fuente Anuncibay / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 230 236 235

accurate data on the population under study, with a high confidence level of over 95.5% and an error margin of
2.11%.
Everything that has been discussed above leads us to the theme of prevention (Carbonell, Graner and Quintero,
2010), promoting protective measures, understood as those that support and promote the self-development of the
individual, oriented towards healthy life styles that in turn act as moderators of the risk factors. Among these we note
a critical spirit, the promotion of proper and rational use of free time, and intelligent consumption. Misuse and poor
interaction with the device is what provokes problems, as these technological devices are not bad per se, if properly
used. Parental control, work at educational centers, and work at an institutional level through concrete measures such
as studies, campaigns and legislative regulation are some of the lines of action that can contribute to improving healthy
use of NTs among young people.

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