An investigation of the relationship between digital addiction and impulsivity levels in university students

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between individuals' levels of digital addiction and impulsivity. The research was conducted based on a relational survey model. The study group consisted of 438 young adult participants (307 female and 128 male) aged between 18 and 25, who were reached through an online questionnaire. Internet Addiction Scale (IAT) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) were used as data collection tools. The data obtained were analyzed using independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and the Scheffé post hoc test. According to the findings, a significant, linear, and positive relationship was found between digital addiction and impulsivity levels (r= 0.317; p < 0.001). This result indicates that individuals with higher impulsivity are more prone to digital addiction. Furthermore, digital addiction was most commonly observed among TikTok users, who scored higher on digital addiction than users of other social media platforms. This finding highlights the potentially addictive nature of TikTok's content and user interaction features. Analyses of demographic data revealed statistically significant relationships between variables such as gender, educational status, and social media usage time with both digital addiction and impulsivity levels. Individuals who spent more time on social media showed higher impulsivity levels, particularly those who used social media for 7 or more hours daily. However, no significant difference was found between receiving psychological support and levels of digital addiction. These findings suggest that digital addiction may develop not only based on usage duration but also on individuals' impulsivity levels. Individuals with higher impulsivity are more inclined to engage with digital content, which in turn is associated with increased digital addiction. Overall, the results indicate that impulsivity and social media usage habits are key factors in understanding digital addiction. Keywords: Digital addiction, impulsivity, social media use, TikTok, psychological support