The Relationship Between the Internet Usage Features, Internet Use Under Parental Supervision, and Depressive Symptoms in Children

Abstract

Aims: Last ten years, internet usage has become popular among children. Despite the concerns about internet use, we know little about how children should use the digital world. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between internet use, frequency of internet use under parental supervision, and depressive symptoms in children. 
 Material and Methods: The prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 97 children 7-15 years old and their families pairs who applied to the pediatric clinics between March 2020 and June 2020. The participants completed an online questionnaire, including sociodemographic data, children's internet use, and the Children's Depression Inventory. 
 Results: The present study found no significant relationship between internet usage time and depressive symptoms in children. Nevertheless, we showed that children who used the Internet more frequently under parental supervision and used the Internet for study purposes had lower depressive symptoms (p=0.047, p