Association between social media use and internet addiction among nursing and health technology students: Case study at the Higher Institute of Nursing and Health Technology of Oujda (ISPITSO)

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of the Internet and social networks has become a widespread practice, seen as a means of meeting various needs necessary for adolescent development. However, excessive use can lead to serious problems such as Problematic Internet Use (PIU), which can adversely affect academic performance. To determine the association between the level of PIU among students at the Higher Institutes of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques of Oujda (HINPHTO) in Morocco and the average duration of internet use, number of social networks, and use of online games, a cross-sectional and analytical study was conducted among 558 students enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree course at the same institution. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of two parts: the first part focused on data regarding social media use, and the second included Young’s (1998) cyber addiction test. The average duration of Internet use was 5 hours and 21 minutes per day (SD=3 hours and 25 minutes). The level of internet addiction is significantly associated with the number of hours spent on the Internet, as well as the number of social networks and online games among nursing and health technology students. These results can serve as a basis for implementing preventive measures to protect nursing students from the potentially harmful effects of excessive Internet use, social networking, and online gaming.