How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study
Israt Jahan,1,2 Ismail Hosen,3,4 Firoj al Mamun,3,4 Mark Mohan Kaggwa,5 Mark D Griffiths,6 Mohammed A Mamun3,4 1Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2Department of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical Univ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Psychology Research and Behavior Management |
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| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/how-has-the-covid-19-pandemic-impacted-internet-use-behaviors-and-faci-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM |
| _version_ | 1819145807275753472 |
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| author | Jahan I Hosen I al Mamun F Kaggwa MM Griffiths MD Mamun MA |
| author_facet | Jahan I Hosen I al Mamun F Kaggwa MM Griffiths MD Mamun MA |
| author_sort | Jahan I |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Israt Jahan,1,2 Ismail Hosen,3,4 Firoj al Mamun,3,4 Mark Mohan Kaggwa,5 Mark D Griffiths,6 Mohammed A Mamun3,4 1Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2Department of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 3CHINTA Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh; 4Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh; 5Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; 6Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UKCorrespondence: Mohammed A MamunCHINTA Research Bangladesh, Savar, Dhaka, 1342, BangladeshTel +88-1738592653Email mamunphi46@gmail.comBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic-related “stay-at-home” and confinement orders has led individuals to be more engaged with technology use (eg, internet use). For a minority of individuals, excessive use can become problematic and addictive. However, the investigation of problematic internet use in the COVID-19 context is only just emerging. Therefore, the present study investigated the changes in internet use behaviors and addiction rates in comparison with prior Bangladeshi studies.Methods: An online cross-sectional study was carried out among a total of 601 Bangladeshi students between October 7 and November 2, 2020. The survey included questions relating to socio-demographic, behavioral health, online use behaviors, and psychopathological variables.Results: A quarter of the participants (26%) reported having low levels of internet addiction, whereas 58.6% were classed as having moderate internet addiction and 13% severe internet addiction. A total of 4% of the sample were classed as being at risk of severe internet dependency (ie, scoring over ≥ 80 on IAT). Risk factors for internet addiction included smartphone addiction, Facebook addiction, depression, and anxiety. However, the final hierarchical regression model comprising all variables explained a total of 70.6% variance of problematic internet use.Conclusion: Based on the present findings, it is concluded that individuals are at elevated risk of problematic internet use like other psychological impacts that have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, risk-reducing measures and healthy control use strategies should be implemented for vulnerable individuals.Keywords: COVID-19 and internet addiction, problematic internet use, online use behaviors, smartphone and Facebook addiction, depression, anxiety, Bangladeshi students |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:03:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cba8c8361fd343e490ac228d94c89476 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1578 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:03:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychology Research and Behavior Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-cba8c8361fd343e490ac228d94c894762022-12-21T18:24:56ZengDove Medical PressPsychology Research and Behavior Management1179-15782021-07-01Volume 141127113867307How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi StudyJahan IHosen Ial Mamun FKaggwa MMGriffiths MDMamun MAIsrat Jahan,1,2 Ismail Hosen,3,4 Firoj al Mamun,3,4 Mark Mohan Kaggwa,5 Mark D Griffiths,6 Mohammed A Mamun3,4 1Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2Department of Public Health and Informatics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 3CHINTA Research Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh; 4Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh; 5Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; 6Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UKCorrespondence: Mohammed A MamunCHINTA Research Bangladesh, Savar, Dhaka, 1342, BangladeshTel +88-1738592653Email mamunphi46@gmail.comBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic-related “stay-at-home” and confinement orders has led individuals to be more engaged with technology use (eg, internet use). For a minority of individuals, excessive use can become problematic and addictive. However, the investigation of problematic internet use in the COVID-19 context is only just emerging. Therefore, the present study investigated the changes in internet use behaviors and addiction rates in comparison with prior Bangladeshi studies.Methods: An online cross-sectional study was carried out among a total of 601 Bangladeshi students between October 7 and November 2, 2020. The survey included questions relating to socio-demographic, behavioral health, online use behaviors, and psychopathological variables.Results: A quarter of the participants (26%) reported having low levels of internet addiction, whereas 58.6% were classed as having moderate internet addiction and 13% severe internet addiction. A total of 4% of the sample were classed as being at risk of severe internet dependency (ie, scoring over ≥ 80 on IAT). Risk factors for internet addiction included smartphone addiction, Facebook addiction, depression, and anxiety. However, the final hierarchical regression model comprising all variables explained a total of 70.6% variance of problematic internet use.Conclusion: Based on the present findings, it is concluded that individuals are at elevated risk of problematic internet use like other psychological impacts that have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, risk-reducing measures and healthy control use strategies should be implemented for vulnerable individuals.Keywords: COVID-19 and internet addiction, problematic internet use, online use behaviors, smartphone and Facebook addiction, depression, anxiety, Bangladeshi studentshttps://www.dovepress.com/how-has-the-covid-19-pandemic-impacted-internet-use-behaviors-and-faci-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBMcovid-19 and internet addictionproblematic internet useonline use behaviorssmartphone and facebook addictiondepressionanxietybangladeshi students. |
| spellingShingle | Jahan I Hosen I al Mamun F Kaggwa MM Griffiths MD Mamun MA How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study Psychology Research and Behavior Management covid-19 and internet addiction problematic internet use online use behaviors smartphone and facebook addiction depression anxiety bangladeshi students. |
| title | How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study |
| title_full | How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study |
| title_fullStr | How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study |
| title_short | How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Internet Use Behaviors and Facilitated Problematic Internet Use? A Bangladeshi Study |
| title_sort | how has the covid 19 pandemic impacted internet use behaviors and facilitated problematic internet use a bangladeshi study |
| topic | covid-19 and internet addiction problematic internet use online use behaviors smartphone and facebook addiction depression anxiety bangladeshi students. |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/how-has-the-covid-19-pandemic-impacted-internet-use-behaviors-and-faci-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-PRBM |
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