SUBJECTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND EXCESSIVE INTERNET USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN A SCHOOL-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2956-333X/2026-6-3Keywords:
adolescence, leisure time, excessive internet use, psychological distress, digital behaviourAbstract
The present study examines the relationship between the structure of adolescents’ leisure activities, the extent of excessive internet use, and subjectively perceived psychological distress. The research is grounded in the assumption that adolescents’ digital behaviour cannot be reduced solely to time spent online but must be understood within the broader psychosocial context of their everyday lives. The study was designed as a quantitative cross-sectional survey conducted in a school setting. The research sample comprised 397 adolescents attending different types of secondary school in the Ústí nad Labem Region. Excessive internet use was measured using the Excessive Internet Use Scale (EIU), which is based on Griffiths’ biopsychosocial model of behavioural addictions. Psychological well-being was assessed through a single self-report item addressing predominant mood; this deliberately narrow conceptualisation limits the scope for clinically relevant interpretation. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical procedures and the chi-square test. No statistically significant relationship was found between excessive internet use and sex, school type, parental control, or a preference for spending leisure time alone rather than with peers. By contrast, a statistically significant association emerged between excessive internet use and subjectively perceived psychological distress, with an effect size of Cramér’s V = 0.226, corresponding to a weak-to-moderate effect. These findings support the conceptualisation of excessive internet use as a continuous phenomenon and highlight the importance of adolescents’ subjective experience when interpreting digital behaviour. The study also suggests that preventive and supportive approaches should focus less on merely controlling adolescents’ digital behaviour and more on understanding the function of online activities in their lives.
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