Health Effects of Smartphones in 14-19 Age Young People

Abstract

Objective: Mobile technologies have been rising and expanding rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to determine high school students' smartphone use and related health problems (attention deficit, kyphosis, myopia) with a new approach. Materials and Methods: Using smartphones in high school students, including the ages of 14-19, and its effects on health were examined by creating two groups over the Google form survey system (Group I: Less than three hours and Group II: three hours or more). This descriptive study was conducted between November 10 and December 16, 2022. Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.84) value was calculated with the SPSS 25.0 program to observe the reliability of the questionnaire. Results: A total of 242 students participated in the survey study. The average age of the students is 15.94. The age of using a smartphone for the first time was lower in Group II compared to Group I (p=0.013). In Group II, distance vision impairment (myopia) (p=0.047), attention deficit (DI) (p=0.001) and postural impairment (kyphosis) (p=0.004) were found to be significantly higher. Conclusion: Although using smartphones for educational purposes is seen as favourable in high school students, they cannot ignore the health problems (myopia, kyphosis, lack of attention) caused by them.