PREVALENCE OF INTERNET ADDICTION: A PILOT STUDY IN A GROUP OF ITALIAN HIGH- SCHOOL STUDENTS

Objective: The present study aimed at exploring the prevalence of Internet Addiction (IA) amongst a group of high-school students living in Southern Italy. Method: 560 hundred students of both sexes of a "Liceo Classico" who volenteered for the study were included. They completed a smaller version of a specific questionnaire for IA developed by us. Results: 500, out of the total of 560 questionnaires that were returned, were correctly completed and could be analyzed. The main findings were that almost all students used the smartphone to access Internet. About 16% of them used it for a time ranging between 90 and 120 minutes a day, and the remaining less than one hour. The most used applications were Facebook and Whatsup. Fifty percent of the students owned a videogame console, and dedicated less than two hours a day on videogames. The ensuing data were presented to the students and a debate was promoted amongst them. Conclusions: Internet and related technology are now part of the everyday life especially of adolescents. The benefits and limits of them should be underlined. On the same time, an incresead awareness on the possibility of developing an excessive use until a real addiction should be promoted amongst younger generations.