Adolescents' use of technology: A-self determinition perspective

The aim of this study is to determine whether adolescents' use of information technologies and their basic psychological needs differ by gender, duration of internet use, purposes of internet use and duration of social media use, as well as to examine if the adolescents' basic psychological needs predict the technology use. For these purposes, Information Technologies Usage Scale was developed. The study group consists of high school students studying in various types of high schools determined by convenient sampling method. Personal Information Form, Need Satisfaction Scale (NSS) and Information Technologies Usage Scale (ITUS) were used in the research. IBM SPSS 18 and LISREL 8.0 package programs were used to analyze the data obtained within the scope of the research. As a result of the study, it was discovered that the mean scores derived from the factors of NSS-Competence, ITUS-Digital Gaming, and ITUS-Use of Technological Devices and Applications differed significantly by gender. It was found out that there is a significant difference in the mean scores obtained from the factors of ITUS-Digital Gaming, ITUS-Use of Technological Devices and Applications and the total of ITUS according to the adolescents' daily internet usage time. The relations between adolescents' internet use purposes and basic psychological needs and use of information Technologies; and the relations between social networks used by adolescents, basic psychological needs and use of information technologies were determined. Adolescents' use of information technologies was found to be predicted by age and basic psychological needs. The research findings were discussed and interpreted in the light of the relevant literature and suggestions were made.