Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39933170›Full record

ArticleJMIR pediatrics and parenting2025

Changes in Internet Activities and Influencing Factors for Problematic Internet Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents: Repeated Cross-Sectional Study.

Sol I Kim, Jae-Chan Jin, Seo-Koo Yoo, Doug Hyun Han

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR pediatrics and parenting, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sol I KimDepartment of Psychiatry, Woori Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2641-8929
Jae-Chan JinSchool of Social Welfare, Soongsil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2419-5485
Seo-Koo YooSchool of Social Welfare, Soongsil University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2023-5416
Doug Hyun HanDepartment of Psychiatry, Chung Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8314-0767

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs adolescents increasingly engage with digital experiences, the internet serves as a platform for social interaction, entertainment, and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, with remote learning and restricted physical interactions driving changes in internet behavior. Adolescents spent more time on gaming and social media, reflecting a notable shift in use patterns.

objectiveWe hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic changed internet use patterns among Korean adolescents, including content types, time spent on web-based activities, and pathological use prevalence. Additionally, we anticipated that these changes would correlate with shifts in adolescents' psychological status during the pandemic.

methodsData from 827 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (n=144 in 2018, n=142 in 2019, n=126 in 2020, n=130 in 2021, n=143 in 2022, and n=142 in 2023) were gathered over 6 years from 43 middle schools across 16 regions and 1 hospital in South Korea. The demographic data collected included age, sex, and school year. Participants also provided information on their internet use patterns and levels of internet addiction. Additionally, psychological status, including mood, anxiety, attention, and self-esteem, was assessed.

resultsThere were significant differences in the depression scale (Patient Health Questionnaire 9). The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 scores for 2018, 2019, and 2023 decreased compared to those in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (F

conclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, internet use for academic and commercial purposes, including remote classes and videoconferences, increased rapidly worldwide, leading to a significant rise in overall internet use time. The demand for and dependence on digital platforms is expected to grow even further in the coming era. Until now, concerns have primarily focused on the use of games, but it is now necessary to consider what types of internet behaviors cause problems and how to address them.

Indexed as

anxietycoronavirus pandemicCOVID-19depressed mooddepressiondigital platformsinternetinternet addictioninternet behaviorinternet gamesinternet useinternet use patternmobile phonepandemicshort-form videossocial mediasocial network systemvideo

Identifiers

PMID39933170
PMCPMC11862775

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.