Introduction: Recently, the exponential increase in the use of ICT (Information
Technology and Communication) has made them essential in the daily lives of
many people. Since the emergence of the Internet, smartphones, social
networks, messaging applications such as WhatsApp or online games, it has
caused a change in the way how we relate and communicate.
This exposure to the Internet can affect the behavior of people, especially in
adolescents. Furthermore, some peculiarities of these technologies, such as
immediacy, feedback, interactivity, physical distancing or anonymity, have made
them especially attractive for young people, and some vulnerable individuals
can do so a problematic use. This excessive use can have negative
consequences for health, such as depression, aggression or anguish; as well as
sharing signs and symptoms of behavioral addictions.
Objectives: The main objectives of the study are the prevalence of problematic
use in Compulsory Secondary Education students, and the effectiveness of a
mental health promotion program for students who show a problematic use of
Internet.
Methodology: The study has two phases, in a first phase the study has a
transversal descriptive observational design, and in a second phase a quasi-
experimental research design. The study population will be the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
year students of the IES Reguissol Institute of Santa Maria de Palautordera
(Barcelona). In the first phase, the sample will be formed by all the students
enrolled in these courses, and in a second phase it will be formed by all the
students whom have obtained a score indicating the existence of a problematic
use of Internet. The collection of data will be carried out through the survey of
sociodemographic data, the Problematic Internet Use Scale in adolescents and
some of ad hoc questions related to the use of the Internet and the mobile
phone. In the second phase, the students will participate in a 4-intervention
program, which will include an information session on the general features of
Internet addiction, tracking weekly usage patterns through the Quality Time
application, setting goals and guidelines to achieve them, and the presence of
two volunteer addicted already recovered. The study guarantees the basic ethical principles in the search with people, and will have its consent duly
signed, always respecting the anonymity. The data analysis will be carried out
through the statistical program SPSS (Statistical Package for the Socials
Sciences)
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