INTRODUCTION:

Adolescents have significant energy, drive with abundant innovative ideas. The future productivity of any nation is fully dependent on the adolescents. Hence it is essential that healthy development of adolescents needs to be carried out in a positive manner. Twenty-first centuries is a century that separates itself from previous periods with many characteristics. In this century, also known as the information age, computer and internet have infiltrated all areas of our lives. According to the statistics, it has been determined that the first users of social media are formed by young population. That the younger generation is starting to use this new media quickly and their accessibility to new technologies has started to cause problematic usage behaviors beside the benefit they provide.

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

Social media addiction is considered as a kind of internet addiction (Kuss & Griffiths, 2012). Individuals who spend too much time on social media have a desire to be notified of anything immediately, which can cause virtual tolerance, virtual communication and virtual problem. Behaviors that force the person into these actions can be explained as social media addiction.Therefore the investigator felt the need to conduct a study to determine the level of social media app addiction among adolescents.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

A study to assess the social media app addiction among adolescents in a selected degree college in Kannur, Kerala.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

The objectives of the study are

· To determine the level of social media app addiction among adolescents as measured using a modified social media addiction scale.

· To find out the association between the level of social media app addiction and selected baseline characteristics.

HYPOTHESIS:

To achieve the stated objectives the hypothesis was tested at 0.05 levels.

H₁: There is a significant association between the levels of social media app addiction among adolescents with their selected baseline characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Research approach:

A quantitative approach was used for the present study since the purpose of the study was to determine the level of social media app addiction among adolescents.

Research Design:

A descriptive study design was used to assess the level of social media app addiction among adolescents.

Variables:

The demographic variables such as age, gender, course, living status and family monthly income.

Extraneous variables:

The extraneous variables like long term availability and accessibility of internet with low cost.

Setting of the study:

The study was conducted in one of the Self financing college in Kannur district. This college offers various under and post graduate courses in arts and science stream. There were around 1200 students perusing their degrees.

Sample and sampling technique:

The sample comprised of 100 adolescents between the age group of 18-21 years who were studying in a selected institution which come under Taliparamba Taluk, Kannur district and those who met the inclusion criteria and convenient sampling technique was used.

Inclusion criteria:

Adolescents:

· who are willing to participate in the study.

· between the age group of 18-21 years.

· who are available during the period of data collection.

Exclusion criteria:

Adolescents:

· Who are above 21 years old.

· Who are not willing to participate.

· who doesn’t use android or iphone.

Description of the tool:

Two sections of the tools were prepared by the investigator in order to elicit the data from the respondent for the purpose of meeting objectives of the study.

1. Tool I. Part-I Base Line proforma:

It consisted the following 08 items: Age, gender, religion, stream of study, parents’ education, parents’ occupation, monthly pocket money, and engaged in part time work. The respondents were requested to place a tick mark (√) against the appropriate option in the space provided. –Part-II Practice questionnaire, consisted of 07citms; years of mobile use, number of social media apps in their mobile, hours of using mobile in a day, frequent use of social media app, version of mobile phone, frequency of using social media app, and popular place to check their feeds.

2. Tool II: Likert Scale to assess the Level of Social Media App Addiction:

This tool consisted of 32 items. The scale was in the form of statements. This tool has a five-point scale with responses as strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree and strongly disagree. The adolescents were requested to read the statements and place the tick mark in the appropriate column. The total score was 160.

RESULTS:

Table 1: Range, Mean, Median and Standard Deviation of adolescents’ social media app addiction scores. n=100

Level of social media app addiction (Maximum Score 160)	Range	Mean	Median	Standard deviation
Level of social media app addiction (Maximum Score 160)	52-130	95.77	95	14.016

The data presented in the Table.1 shows that the mean, median and standard deviation of adolescents on social media app addiction scores, which is 95.77, 95 and 14.016 respectively.

Table 2: Distribution of sample according to level of social media app addiction n=100

Grading	Range	Social media app addiction
Grading	Range	Frequency	Percentage
Extremely severe addict	121 – 160	03	03
Severely addict	81 – 120	87	87
Moderately addict	41 – 80	10	10
Mild addict	01 - 40	0	0

Fig, 1: Percentage distribution of adolescents’ level of social media app addiction

Fig, 2: Distribution of samples according to their Health issues and family

Fig, 3: Distribution of samples according to hours of mobile use in a day

In order to facilitate the analysis and interpretation of the score of the level of addiction was graded in to extremely severe addict (121-160), severely addict (81-120), moderately addict (41-80) and mild addict (1-40).

Data in the Figure 01 shows that majority 87% of the students were severely addicted to social media app, extremely severe addict were 4% and moderately addict were 9%.

The bar diagram explains that more than half (51.40%) expressed that their biological routines changed, nearly half (48%) said that they had physical problems due to over use of mobile phones, and 44% pointed that their interaction with the family members reduced.

The bar diagram explains that the highest 79 per cent of samples were using less than five hours in a day, more than five but within ten hours were 16 per cent and four per cent expressed that they were using 11-15 hours in a day and only one per cent said, using 16-20 hours in a day.

Fig, 4: Distribution of samples according to the number of social media app use

The diagram shows that the majority 85% of the samples were using less than 20 social media apps, 11% of them were using around 25 apps, and less than two per cent of them were using more than 25 social media apps.

Fig, 5: Distribution of samples according to frequent use of social media app

The line graph explains that most (66%) of them were frequently using whatsapp, 27 per cent were expressed Face book, you tube and IMO were used by three per cent and none of them were using twitter or Instagram.

Fig, 6: Distribution of samples according to frequency of checking mobile app

The diagram describes that all (100 %) were checking their updates every hour, among that 20% of them were checking every now and then, 16% were checking every five minutes, 10 % were checking every ten minutes, 26% were checking every 30 minutes and 28% were checking in every hour.

Fig, 7: Distribution of samples according to popular place to check their feeds

The bar diagram explains that majority (82%) check their mobile app feeds on bed, others were six per cent, three per cent and nine per cent in dining table, classroom and public place respectively. None of them were checking their mobile app feeds in toilet.

Association between level of social media app addiction and selected baseline characteristics:

There were no association found between baseline characteristics and age, gender, religion, parents’ education, parents’ occupation, pocket money and part time work at 0.05 levels.

The association between age and social media app addiction score, the calculated value X²=4.146, tabled value df₍₃₎=7.815, p<0.05, gender and social media app addiction score, the calculated value, X²=1.85, tabled value df₍₁₎=3.84, P<0.05, religion and social media app addiction score X²=3.21, tabeled value df₍₃₎=7.815, P<0.05, type of family and social media app addition X²=0.04, tabled value df₍₂₎=5.991, P<0.05, pocket money X²=5.984, tabled value df₍₃₎=7.815, P<0.05, part time worker X²=0.0064, tabled value df₍₁₎=3.841, P<0.05 at 0.05 level of significance. All calculated values were less than the tabled value so null hypothesis was not accepted.

DISCUSSION:

A descriptive study was conducted to assess the level of social media app addiction in adolescents of selected degree college in Taliparamba tauluk.100 adolescents aged between 18-21 were selected by using convenient sampling techniques. The study revealed that 3% were extremely addicted severely addicted (87%), moderately addicted (10%) and mild addicted (0%) to social media apps. In this study, it was observed that out of 100 sample, two third of the adolescents (87%) were severely addicted to social media app. In this 9% are moderately addicted and 4% are extremely addicted to social media app. The adolescent boys were addicted more than girls.

CONCLUSIONS:

Social media addiction, which can be counted as a new addiction in literature, is considered as a problem that both psychologists and clinicians are emphasizing. The Internet addiction, which is especially affecting the adolescent individuals, can bring psychological, sociological and physiological problems on the individual (Karaca, 2007). As the conclusion of whether or not individuals are internet addicts’ cannot be random, this findings conclusion cannot be done by observation alone. An assessment can only be made on the time users spend on social media. In this study, young people who have used social media for 35 hours or more per week and possible health issues, family interactions were analyzed.

NURSING IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY:

Based on the findings of the present study measures can be taken at various levels to educate the adolescents and change the attitude among them. The implications of this study were discussed under the following headings; nursing education, administration, research, practice and general education.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The authors are grateful to the authorities of Private Self financing arts and Science College in Kannur district for the facilities of data collection.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Received on 28.02.2019 Modified on 10.04.2019

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2019; 9(3): 312-316.

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2996.2019.00067.3