Young people devoting increased time on digital platforms - Internet usage among young demographics is increasingly escalating
In a concerning development, a new study titled Schulbus has revealed that a significant number of Hamburg's teenagers are exhibiting problematic online usage behaviour. The study, which was released on Tuesday, surveyed approximately 1,700 students.
The study, while primarily focusing on student and teacher surveys on substance abuse, also sheds light on the increasing trend of problematic online behaviour among Hamburg's teenagers. According to the research, the proportion of teenagers demonstrating noticeable behaviour with regard to computer games has increased from 4% in 2009 to 7% in the latest year.
Moreover, the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS), a tool that assesses the core elements of internet addiction based on 14 criteria, shows a tripling of problematic online behaviour among Hamburg's teenagers since 2021.
The study does not specify whether this increase in problematic behaviour is limited to a certain type of online activity, age group within the teenagers, or geographical area within the city. However, it is worth noting that Hamburg's teenagers now spend an average of 5 hours per day online, an increase from 3.2 hours in 2012.
While the Schulbus study provides valuable insights into the current state of online behaviour among Hamburg's teenagers, it does not offer evidence-based insights or recent studies on the trends of increased online time or problematic behaviours among Hamburg teenagers since 2009 from these sources. For a more comprehensive understanding, further research may be required, focusing on epidemiological or psychology studies focused on youth internet use and behavioural issues in Hamburg or Germany.
The European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission may find it significant that the Schulbus study, while not explicitly discussing health-and-wellness or mental-health issues, reveals a tripling of problematic online behaviour among Hamburg's teenagers since 2021. Given the notable rise in the proportion of students spending an average of 5 hours per day online since 2012, and the increase in concerning behaviour related to computer games, necessitates further research in the field of science, particularly studying the impact of such prolonged screen time on the mental health of these teenagers.
