Adolescent gaming and social media usage before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Interim results of a longitudinal study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Adolescent gaming and social media usage before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Interim results of a longitudinal study

AU - Paschke, Kerstin

AU - Austermann, Maria Isabella

AU - Simon-Kutscher, Kathrin

AU - Thomasius, Rainer

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Hogrefe AG.

PY - 2021/2

Y1 - 2021/2

N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about a potential increase of addictive behaviors. Adolescents are considered particularly vulnerable to a problematic usage of digital applications. For the fi rst systematic investigation of screen time and problematic usage patterns over the course of the pandemic, a pre-pandemic survey on adolescent social media (SM) and gaming use was extended to a longitudinal study. Here we present the results of the fi rst two measurements points (pre-pandemic/under lockdown). Methods: A representative sample of 1,221 adolescents (10 17 years) participated in an online survey in 09/2019, 824 of them in 04/2020. Prevalence rates were measured at baseline with standardized scales covering ICD-11 criteria for problematic usage patterns. These were statistically compared and related to pre- and under-lockdown screen time. Results: Pre-pandemic prevalence rates for pathological SM/gaming were about 3 % each, for at-risk usage 8 10 % including more boys than girls. Usage frequencies and screen times signifi cantly increased under the lockdown. The predictive value of usage patterns for screen time decreased from before to during the lockdown. Changes in screen time could not be predicted by the usage pattern. Discussion: The stability of the observed rates and effects should be further examined over the course of the pandemic. This will lead to relevant implications for prevention measures and the allocation of intervention resources.

AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about a potential increase of addictive behaviors. Adolescents are considered particularly vulnerable to a problematic usage of digital applications. For the fi rst systematic investigation of screen time and problematic usage patterns over the course of the pandemic, a pre-pandemic survey on adolescent social media (SM) and gaming use was extended to a longitudinal study. Here we present the results of the fi rst two measurements points (pre-pandemic/under lockdown). Methods: A representative sample of 1,221 adolescents (10 17 years) participated in an online survey in 09/2019, 824 of them in 04/2020. Prevalence rates were measured at baseline with standardized scales covering ICD-11 criteria for problematic usage patterns. These were statistically compared and related to pre- and under-lockdown screen time. Results: Pre-pandemic prevalence rates for pathological SM/gaming were about 3 % each, for at-risk usage 8 10 % including more boys than girls. Usage frequencies and screen times signifi cantly increased under the lockdown. The predictive value of usage patterns for screen time decreased from before to during the lockdown. Changes in screen time could not be predicted by the usage pattern. Discussion: The stability of the observed rates and effects should be further examined over the course of the pandemic. This will lead to relevant implications for prevention measures and the allocation of intervention resources.

KW - adolescents

KW - COVID-19 pandemic

KW - gaming disorder

KW - screen time

KW - social media disorder

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100876591&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1024/0939-5911/a000694

DO - 10.1024/0939-5911/a000694

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85100876591

VL - 67

SP - 13

EP - 22

JO - SUCHT

JF - SUCHT

SN - 0939-5911

IS - 1

ER -