Netlessphobia (fear of being without the Internet) and nomophobia (fear of being without a smartphone/mobile phone) causes anxiety, discomfort, distress or nervousness during non-use of phones. Past ...studies assessing factors associated with nomophobia have not reported consistent results, and some uncertainties persist. Moreover, only a few studies have measured nomophobia among the general population, and no study has evaluated nomophobia and netlessphobia together. This cross-sectional study determined the factors strongly associated with nomophobia, with an intent toward reducing nomophobia-related negative consequences.
The study sample included 523 individuals. ‘Demographic Characteristics Form’, ‘Fırat Nomophobia Scale’ and ‘Fırat Netlessphobia Scale’ were used as data collection tools. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 23. Structural equation modelling was used for predicting factors associated with nomophobia, and the goodness-of-fit values of this model were investigated.
The variables netlessphobia, age, gender, marital status, education level, average time of daily use and average number of daily checks of smart devices were included in the estimated baseline model of the study. Among the independent variables with significant standardised regression coefficients in the model, the effect of ‘netlessphobia’ (91 %) was quite high. The effect of age variable, which was a significant contributor to netlessphobia in the model, was 15 %.
Netlessphobia and age are the factors that are strongly associated with nomophobia.
•Netlessphobia and age variables were determined as the factors affecting nomophobia.•In the study, netlessphobia had a considerably higher effect on nomophobia (91 %).•The superimposed effect of netlessphobia and age variables on nomophobia was determined as 85 %.
Purpose
The present study aimed to determine the level of Netlessphobia in the general population by developing the “Fırat Netlessphobia Scale.”
Design and Measures
Trial form consisting of 19 items, ...which was tested in terms of language and psychometric validity, was applied to a sample group of 690 people. The reliability of the scale was verified by evaluating Cronbach's α reliability coefficient and test‐retest consistency.
Results
The developed “Fırat Netlessphobia Scale” can account for 60.7% of the variance related to Netlessphobia. Cronbach's α reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.93.
Conclusions
According to the findings, the Fırat Netlessphobia Scale is a cost‐effective scale that facilitates the valid and reliable estimation of high variance and a low number of items.
Practice Implications
This practical and cost‐effective scale is widely applied owing to its small number of items and short expressions. The present study emphasizes the importance of exploring Netlessphobia and the need for future research in this area to recognize the risk groups and establish protection strategies.
Objective
We analyzed the nomophobia concept to develop the “Fırat Nomophobia Scale” to determine the level of nomophobia in individuals aged 15–65 years.
Design and Measures
A linguistically and ...psychometrically validated trial form consisting of 13 statements was applied to a sample of 678 individuals (69% women).
Results
The “Nomophobia Scale” that we developed consisted of a single dimension and eight items, explicating 55.9% of the variance concerning nomophobia.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the Fırat Nomophobia Scale is an economical scale with a low number of items and high variance. In addition, it provides valid and reliable measurements.
Practice Implications
The present study signifies the importance of research on nomophobia and determining the risk groups and protection strategies.
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, nomofobinin dijital oyun bağımlılığı üzerindeki etkisini araştırmak ve bu etkide cinsiyet değişkeninin düzenleyicilik rolünü incelemektir.
Yöntem: Çalışmanın evrenini ...Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesinde öğrenim gören ön lisans ve lisans öğrencileri oluşturmuştur. Bu öğrencilerden dijital oyun oynadığını belirten 1074 öğrenci çalışmanın örneklemini oluşturmuştur. Veri toplama aracında “Öğrenci Bilgi Formu”, “Fırat Nomofobi Ölçeği” ve “Dijital Oyun Bağımlılığı Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Değişik sosyoekonomik düzeylerden öğrencinin yer aldığı bu çalışmanın %60,7’si kadın öğrencilerden oluşmakta olup, katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 21,5 ± 2,9 (Min=17; Max=38) olarak hesaplanmıştır. Elde edilen bulgulara göre nomofobinin dijital oyun bağımlılığı üzerinde etkisinin olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu etkide cinsiyet değişkeninin moderatör etkiye sahip olduğu ve bu etkide erkek cinsiyette olmanın kadın cinsiyete göre daha büyük etkiye sebep olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca çalışmada nomofobi’nin dijital internet bağımlılığı değişkeni üzerindeki değişimin yaklaşık %16’sını açıkladığı belirlenmiştir.
Sonuç: Nomofobinin dijital oyun bağımlılığı üzerindeki etkisinde erkek cinsiyetin etkisinin kadın cinsiyete oranla daha büyük olduğu belirlenmiştir. Öğrencilerin nomofobi ve dijital oyun bağımlılık düzeylerinin düzenli olarak değerlendirilmesi, onları etkileyen faktörlerin ayrıntılı olarak belirlenmesi için önerilmektedir.
Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of nomophobia on digital game addiction and to examine the moderator role of gender variable on this effect.
Method: Associate or undergraduate level university students constituted the study population. The sample consisted of 1074 of these students who stated that they played digital games. “Student Information Form”, “Fırat Nomophobia Scale” and “Digital Game Addiction Scale” were used as data collection tools.
Results: The students with various socio-economic status consisted of 60.7% female, and the mean age was 21.5 ± 2.9 (Min=17; Max=38) years. Based on the findings, nomophobia was determined to have an effect on digital game addiction. Gender variable displayed a moderation effect, more prominent in male gender with respect to female gender. In addition, it was determined in the study that nomophobia explained approximately 16% of the change in the digital internet addiction variable.
Conclusion: The effect of male gender on the effect of nomophobia on digital game addiction is greater than the female gender. Regular evaluation of srudents' nomophobia and digital game addiction levels is recommended to determine the factors that affect them in detail.
Bu çalışma üniversite öğrencilerinin üniversite öğrencilerinin tercih ettikleri dijital oyun türlerini belirlemek amacı ile yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın evreni özel ve kamu üniversitelerinde okuyan ön ...lisans ve lisans öğrencilerinden oluşturmuştur. Örnekleme yöntemi olarak kartopu örnekleme yöntemi seçilmiş, online uygulamalar ve yüz yüze görüşmeler sonucu ulaşılan ve çalışmaya katılmayı kabul eden toplam 1390 öğrenci çalışmanın örneklemini oluşturmuştur. Veri toplama aracı olarak öğrencilerin demografik özelliklerini ve dijital oyun oynama durumlarını sorgulayan bir veri toplama formu ve öğrencilerin dijital oyun bağımlılıklarını ölçmeye yarayan “dijital oyun bağımlılığı ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Veriler SPSS 26 paket programında analiz edilmiştir. Veri analizinde sayı ortalama, yüzde gibi tanımlayıcı istatistikler kullanılmış. Değişkenlerin karşılaştırılmasında t testi, ilişkilerin aranmasında ise Cramer’s V katsayısı tercih edilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulgularına göre öğrencilerin önemli bir kısmı 1-4 ve 4-8 saat aralığında internet kullanımı gerçekleştirmektedir. Dijital oyun oynama süreleri incelendiğinde önemli bir kısmının 1-4 ve 4-8 saat aralığında dijital oyun oynamaktadır. Öğrenciler tarafından en çok tercih edilen dijital oyun türleri spor ve yarış, aksiyon ve macera türü oyunlardır. Bu oyunlar öğrencilerin en az %20’si tarafından tercih edilmektedir. Ayrıca erkek öğrencilerin kız öğrencilerden anlamlı düzeyde yüksek bağımlılığa sahip oldukları bu çalışmanın bulgularından bir diğeridir. Dijital oyun bağımlığının ve nomofobinin önlenmesi için önleyici tedbirlerin alınması, psikoeğitimin verilmesi ve kitlelere ulaşılmasının ergenler açısından faydalı olabileceği düşünülmektedir.
ABSTRACKT
This study has been carried out to determine the digital game playing characteristics of university students and related factors. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate and bachelor students who were studying at private and public universities. The snowball sampling method was chosen as the sampling method and the sample of the study was formed by a total of 1390 students, who were contacted through online applications and face-to-face interviews and who agreed to participate in the study. A data collection form examining the students' demographic characteristics and digital game playing habits and a "digital game addiction scale" for measuring the students' digital game addiction were used as a data collection tool. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 26 package program. Descriptive statistics such as number, mean and percentage were used in the data analysis. The t test was used to compare the variables and the Cramer's V coefficient was used to look for relations. According to the study findings, a substantial part of the students used the internet between 1-4 and 4-8 hours. When their digital game playing durations were examined, it was observed that a substantial part played digital games between 1-4 and 4-8 hours. The types of digital games students preferred the most were sports and racing, action and adventure games. These games were preferred by at least 20% of the students. In addition, another finding of this study is that male students have significantly higher addiction rates than female students. It is thought that taking measures to prevent digital game addiction and nomophobia, providing psychoeducation and reaching crowds could be beneficial for adolescents.
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