EUPI-a: Escala de Uso Problemático de Internet en adolescentes. Desarrollo y validación psicométrica

Abstract

Adolescents' use of the Internet is becoming a matter of great concern for different sectors of society. The psychological and behavioural consequences of problematic Internet use in young people demands quick and effective answers. One of the major challenges in this context is the development of empirically validated tools, which would facilitate early detection and screening for potential risk cases. This is precisely the aim of this paper. Based on a sample of 1,709 secondaryschool students from Galicia (a region in northern Spain) aged 11 to 17 (M = 13.74, SD = 1.43), the analysis carried out permitted us to present a brief and simple tool (with just 11 items). It has substantial theoretical support, since both the existing background information and the views of experts from the academic and professional spheres were taken into account in the course of its development. The scale is adapted to the Spanish cultural context and to the language of young people. It has satisfactory psychometric properties in terms of reliability of the scores (α = .82), evidence of its internal structure (tested via a Confirmatory Factorial Analysis), sensitivity (81%), and specificity (82.6%). Moreover, its use enables the gradation of adolescents on a risk or problematic Internet use continuum. In our view, all of this lends it enormous applied potential in both the educational and clinical contexts. [INE], 2014), in Spain 92% of minors aged 10 to 15 are Internet users. The Web provides access to multiple sources of information, learning, leisure and personal, academic and professional development, as well as to innovative forms of communication, relation and expression. Without questioning its benefits, we should not overlook the fact that its use also involves certain associated risks and dangers (loss of privacy, contact with strangers, isolation), in addition to disconcerting practices such as cyberbullying, grooming or sexting, which are affecting increasing numbers of adolescents, considered one of the most vulnerable groups in this new environment (Castellana, Sánchez-Carbonell, Graner, & Beranuy, 2007;Echeburúa & Corral, 2010;Yang & Tung, 2007).The use that teenagers make or are able to make of Internet is a topic of concern in Spain and elsewhere (Oliva et al., 2012;Puerta-Cortés & Carbonell, 2014;Ruiz-Olivares, Lucena, Pino, & Herruzo, 2010;Smahel et al., 2012; Tsitsika, Tzavela, Mavromati and EU consortium NET ADB, 2012; Valedor do Pobo, 2011). This general concern has been heightened in recent years by the sometimes sensationalist way in which the subject is treated in the media. This has helped to create some degree of social alarm and no little scepticism among researchers and professionals, who do not consider it appropriate to speak of Internet addiction per se (Estallo, 2001;Grohol, 1999;Matute, 2001). However, others have indeed taken this step, attempting to scientific credibility to the use of this term (Cao & Su, 2007;Young, 1998). Various studies have tried to provide evidence that the behaviour of som...

Compulsive Internet and Prevalence Substance Use among Spanish Adolescents

“…However, intensive use of these tools can sometimes have negative consequences for young people. These include isolation and loneliness [ 22 ], connectivity stress, cyberbullying and cybercontrol [ 23 ], lack of privacy caused by overexposure, addiction, etc., all of which are considered by the World Health Organization to be new public health problems. Whatever the case, teenagers’ use of the Internet is causing concern [ 24 ].…”

Rendimiento académico y cognitivo en el uso problemático de Internet

“…El uso masivo de Internet ha traído consigo la aparición de efectos negativos relacionados con su uso excesivo (Herrera, Pacheco, Palomar y Zavala, 2010;Secades-Villa et al, 2014), lo cual ha suscitado en los últimos años el incremento de numerosos estudios que han tratado de definir este complejo fenómeno, que ha sido categorizado frecuentemente con el nombre de "Uso Problemático de Internet" (UPI) (Jelenchick y Christakis, 2014;Rial, Gómez, Isorna, Araujo y Varela, 2015;Starcevic, 2010).…”

Usos y abusos de las redes sociales por estudiantado español de Educación Secundaria

“…Teniendo en cuenta los datos recogidos, ha quedado patente que las chicas advierten mayores riesgos que los chicos, tal como muestran otras encuestas (Ballesteros Guerra y Picazo Sánchez, 2019; Rial Boubeta et al, 2015). Conviene matizar que no hay consenso en la bibliografía, dado que paulatinamente parece que las diferencias son mínimas (Piqueras-Rodríguez et al, 2019;Smahel et al, 2020).…”