An investigation of digital addiction and empathy-sympathy levels in adolescent individuals who do and do not engage in sports

Digital parameters, modifiable digital units, and platforms result from uncontrolled and excessive use. These negative effects on an individual's daily lives, social resilience, and psychological well-being are classified as a condition. Young people and adolescents, in particular, show intense interest in digital tools such as digital games, social media, and smartphones, and this interest can sometimes reach addiction levels. This research was conducted to examine the digital addiction levels and empathy and sympathy levels of adolescents, both those who participate in sports and those who do not. The study sample consisted of 340 adolescents, 146 girls and 194 boys, attending middle and high schools in the Çukurova district of Adana. The research is a quantitative study, and participants were recruited via an online survey. Demographic characteristics were collected in the study, along with the Digital Addiction Scale for Adolescents and Young People and the Adolescent Empathy and Sympathy Scale (AMES). SPSS 26 was used for data analysis. Nonparametric tests, including Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests, were used for regression and correlation analyses. Findings revealed significant differences in empathy, sympathy, and digital addiction scores based on participants' gender, grade level, parental relationship, and sports participation (p<0.05). Female students had higher empathy and sympathy levels than male students, while male students had higher digital addiction scores. Furthermore, adolescents who participated in sports had higher cognitive empathy levels than those who did not. These findings suggest that the concepts of empathy, sympathy, and digital addiction are multidimensional and widespread, and that socio-demographic variables play a role in these distributions.