Social Media and Compulsive Internet Use among Children and Adolescents Before and During COVID-19 in Türkiye

COVID-19 has led to many challenges including distant education and quarantine which affected daily lives of children and their families. During this challenging time, children spend almost all their time at home, in front of computers, or smart phones. This study examines how COVID-19 are related with children’s and adolescents’ social media use. Participants were children and adolescents who had already participated in the 1st wave of a longitudinal study that started before COVID-19. A total of 265 children and adolescents (162 girls, 103 boys) from grades 3 to 11 completed a survey including demographics, social media and compulsive internet use. They were also asked about difficulties with distant education, contact with others during COVID-19, and COVID-19 related anxiety. Findings indicated that time spent online has increased during COVID-19. Moreover, COVID-19 anxiety, communicating with teachers and friends, and difficulties with distant education have been found to be positively correlated with compulsive internet use. Only for elementary schoolers, compulsive internet use significantly increased and was related to difficulties with distant education. While time spent online increased across all age groups, compulsive internet use increased only among elementary school children, indicating their greater vulnerability during distant education and limited social interaction. Findings indicate implications for parents, teachers, and schools in terms of children’s social media use during the tough times. In the context of the new technological world, it is crucial to evaluate internet use and to consider the impact of the pandemic, as these factors hold significant implications for future research.