Social Networks Consumption and Addiction in College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Educational Approach to Responsible Use

Abstract

Within the framework of digital sustainability, the increase in Internet consumption, and especially online social networks, offers social benefits, but is not without its drawbacks. For example, it can lead to psychological and/or psychiatric disorders in some people. Numerous researches are highlighting the similarities of these addictions with the consumption of toxic substances. University students are heavy users of the Internet and, in certain situations, addiction to online social networks can be the result of depression, harassment, and anxiety, among others, affecting their daily life, including their academic responsibilities. In recent months, an anomaly has occurred that may have contributed to intensifying this problem, namely the confinement produced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the whole world to a greater or lesser extent. In this cross-sectional study, with a descriptive and quantitative methodology, students from 14 Spanish universities were investigated in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to understand the effects of this situation on the problem described. The results show a high consumption of social networks during that time, with significant incidences of addiction. In parallel, the presence of comorbidity has been determined. In this scenario, it would be necessary to implement university educational programs to redirect these addictive behaviors, as well as preventative recommendations and actions to minimize negative impacts. This is a major problem that is growing, exacerbated by the global pandemic produced by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Situations of this gravity call for the development of preventive and educational measures for the responsible and sustainable use of ICT.

A Worldwide Journey through Distance Education—From the Post Office to Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Realities, and Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Additionally, about 60 percent of students said they would like to learn online after the pandemic. In turn, 70 percent of India's agricultural students declared readiness for remote learning during the pandemic [160]. They preferred to use smartphones for online learning and attended the recorded classes with quizzes at the end.…”

Usage of Internet by University Students of Hispanic Countries: Analysis Aimed at Digital Literacy Processes in Higher Education

“…ICTs must be studied and analyzed by university students, as a sign of their potential in academic settings but, at the same time, to create critical attitudes in them regarding their power of influence, which today leads to many significant problems: addiction, alienation, irrational consumer, cyber-bullying, etc. (Lázaro et al, 2020;Gómez-Galán et al, 2020c). Moreover, in parallel, to the growing media manipulation taking place in today's society, of complex mechanisms as recently presented by Levitskaya and Fedorov (Levitskaya, Fedorov, 2020).…”

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications

“…Our findings also suggest that we need to have a balanced perspective on monitoring ICT use while allowing users to take advantage of the technology [ 10 , 20 ]. Using social media has been regarded as a negative practice as there is evidence of addiction and excessive usage [ 41 , 42 ]. However, when it is used for staying socially engaged and connected during COVID-19, our finding showed that people had less negative feelings about the future.…”

“…Among a sample of adolescents and young adults across several countries, COVID-related worries, compulsive internet use, social media use, and gaming addiction predicted scores of escapism, depression, and loneliness [ 41 ]. A study conducted during June 2020 found that college students had excessive use of social networking sites and lack of personal control to disengage themselves from those sites [ 42 ]; this tendency was also associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and sedative without a doctor’s prescription. Another study conducted in March and April 2020 in the U.S. suggested that exposure to COVID-19 information, via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and increased alcohol use in March contributed to more frequent alcohol consumption in April, especially those working or studying from home [ 43 ].…”