DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2706-6185/52/164-176
Benchikh Razkia
8 May 1945 University, Guelma
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0561-7453
benchikh.razkia@univ-guelma.dz
Internet Addiction Among Adolescents in Light of the COVID-19 Crisis: A Clinical Study of Some Cases
Abstract
Our study addresses the issue of Internet addiction among adolescents in light of the COVID-19 crisis — a clinical study of some cases. It aimed to reveal that adolescents’ excessive use of the Internet leads to addiction, to examine the level of addiction through the results of the applied scale, and to identify some variables responsible for it. The main motivation behind choosing this study was the scientific curiosity to explore the negative effects of the conditions imposed by the current global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus. The first hypothesis of the study stated that the level of Internet addiction among adolescents in light of the COVID-19 crisis is high. The second hypothesis stated that the level of Internet addiction among adolescents in light of the COVID-19 crisis varies according to the educational level of the parents. The approach used in this study is the clinical approach, which is appropriate and fulfills the research objectives. The sample consisted of two male cases selected intentionally. The study relied on a semi-directed clinical interview and applied the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Kimberly Young. The results showed that the level of Internet addiction among adolescents during the quarantine period due to the COVID-19 pandemic was high, and it did not differ according to the parents’ educational level.
Keywords: COVID-19, epidemic, addiction, internet, adolescents