Influential factors in the use of technological means and consequences in Compulsory Secondary Education students

Abstract

The new technological era has generated a notable increase in the time dedicated by adolescents to using technologies. The objective of this research was to analyze the place and time spent by Compulsory Secondary Education students using the Internet, video games, mobile phones and television, taking into account the course and gender, and identifying the characteristics of the problematic behaviors associated with the use of technology according to gender. 388 students participated (51.8% boys, 48.2% girls) between 12 and 18 years old (M = 14.37), from two educational centers located in the province of Seville, who answered the Questionnaire on Problematic Use of New Technologies. The study approach was descriptive, relational and cross-sectional. The results showed that adolescents prefer to use new technologies at home. Boys spend more time daily and weekly playing vídeo games, while girls spend more time on mobile phones. First-year students use the internet and mobile phones less than third- and fourth-year students. Girls have more difficulty disconnecting from the internet and mobile phones, while boys relax more and spend more time playing video games.