The Impact of Internet Addiction on Self-Control and Sleep Quality in Adolescents: A Comparative Analysis
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Objective: To compare self-control and sleep quality between adolescents with internet addiction and their non-addicted peers.
Methods and Materials: A causal-comparative study was conducted involving 360 high school students from Babol, Iran, during the 2023-24 academic year. Participants included 180 internet-addicted adolescents and 180 non-addicted adolescents, identified using Young's Internet Addiction Test. Data were collected using Tangney's Self-Control Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to analyze group differences.
Findings: MANOVA results revealed significant differences in self-control and sleep quality between the two groups (P<0.05). Internet-addicted adolescents exhibited significantly lower self-control scores and poorer sleep quality compared to their non-addicted peers (P<0.01). Group differences accounted for 31% of the variance in these variables.
Conclusion: Internet addiction significantly impairs self-control and sleep quality in adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions, including parental guidance, counseling, and behavioral therapies, in mitigating these adverse effects and fostering healthier developmental outcomes. Future research should expand to other regions and consider longitudinal designs to strengthen causal inferences.
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