Internet addiction and school burnout feed each other

The findings show that, via school burnout, adolescents’ excessive internet use can ultimately lead to depression. Exposure to digital addiction is most likely to happen if the adolescent loses interest in school and feels cynicism towards school.

According to the Academy, it appears that the most critical stage for tackling digital addiction and burnout is age 13-15:

“The most effective way of supporting adolescents’ mental health and preventing excessive internet use is to promote school engagement, to build up students’ motivation to learn, and to prevent school burnout.”

Depressive symptoms and burnout in late adolescence are more common among girls than boys. Boys suffer more from excessive Internet use than girls.

The study, called ‘Mind the Gap‘, was carried out among 3,000 Helsinki adolescents aged 12-14 (from 33 schools) and 16-18 (from 18 schools) – all considered to be within the first generation of ‘digital natives’. Results are published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

The Academy explained:

“Digital transformation has two facets. On one hand, earlier research has shown that the internet provides important and pleasurable social experiences that are useful in later studies and eventually in the workplace. The pedagogical use of digital technology can also engage and inspire young people to take an interest in science and technology. On the other hand, digital addiction can also cause burnout in adolescents and even lead to depression.”