Examining the predictors and effects of technology addiction in adolescents through mixed methods

The phenomenon of technology addiction affects the lives of more and more adolescents bio-psycho-socially day by day. This study was carried out to determine the technology use of adolescents, to discover the predictors and effects of technology use, to reveal the effect of technology addiction and its predictors of adolescents across Turkey, and to raise awareness of technology addiction among adolescents. In the qualitative part of the research, which was conducted with a mixed method exploratory design, interviews were conducted with 25 adolescents, seven teachers and eight parents, and in the quantitative part, a survey was conducted with 1971 students. Qualitative findings reveal that adolescents' gender, age, leisure activities, academic achievement, self-control levels, and problem-solving skills have an impact on technology addiction, and that their use of technology has negative effects on their biological, psychological, social and academic lives. In addition, quantitative findings reveal that female students have higher technology and social media addictions than males, those with higher academic achievement than those with lower age, those with higher academic achievement than those with lower age, and those with mental illness compared to those without. Family belonging, school belonging, perceived social support from family, self-control skills and problem solving types are predictors of technology and social media addiction. Additionally, in this study, a 7-session group study was conducted with 13 students with a high level of technology addiction. It was concluded that group work increased adolescents' self-control levels and that there was no change in their technology and social media addictions. Psychological counseling and guidance services, teachers and families have great roles in helping adolescents develop self-awareness, self-control, increase their social skills and acquire conscious technology use behavior. In this context, it is recommended that parents acquire digital parenting roles, that education curricula be rearranged in accordance with the needs and developmental period characteristics of adolescents, that social workers be appointed to schools, and that physical spaces be created where adolescents can carry out accessible free time activities in line with their wishes.