The relation of online learning, smartphone addiction, digital addiction and sleep problems in medical students

Ahmet Emin, Didem Kafadar, Ayşen Fenercioğlu, Nurver Sipahioğlu

Keywords: smartphone, addiction, sleep, online learning, students

Background:

Smartphone addiction is a rising problem in recent years. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning and using digital materials to study and prepare for exams have been more relevant, both in medicine and other fields. While there are studies showing an increase in smartphone addiction and internet addiction among students, there aren’t many studies to investigate the role of increased online studying as opposed to traditional materials in smartphone addiction.

Research questions:

1. How prevalent is smartphone addiction, digital addiction, and sleep problems among medical students?
2. Is there a relation between smartphone addiction, digital addiction, and sleep quality?
3. Is there a correlation between study method preferences and smartphone addiction, digital addiction, and sleep quality?

Method:

A cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire with demographic data, studying and exam preparation preferences, Smartphone Addiction Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, The Digital Addiction Scale, encompassing students in medical faculty. The inclusion criteria are being a medical student within the study period and willingness to participate. Statistical analysis will be used to investigate the connection between smartphone addiction, digital addiction, study material preferences and their effect on sleep quality.

Results:

TBD

Conclusions:

TBD

Points for discussion:

Do you think there are other important assesments we could have done?

Are there better scales to use for smartphone and digital addiction?

Is digital addiction a facilitator for online studying preference?

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