| Abstract [eng] |
Elementary school-aged children’s participation in extra-curricular activities and internet use, Laura Būdaitė, Vilnius, Vilniaus university, 2023, p. 37 Shortly after the alarm clock rings, signaling the start of a new day, picking up the phone and checking various social media platforms has become an integral part of life. As indicated by Kappos (2007), numerous studies have increasingly identified associations between internet usage and physical and mental health problems among school-age children and adolescents. This study aims to investigate how the participation of primary school-age children in non-formal education is related to their internet usage. The study analyzes data collected within the framework of two projects using a convenient sampling method involving children from various primary education institutions in Vilnius city. The study examines data from 255 children (average age 9.4 years, SD=0.6) collected in 2019 and data from 420 children (average age 9.1 years, SD=0.4) collected in 2022. Data were collected using paper-based forms of the Children's Internet Use Time and Compulsive Internet Use Scale. The research participants completed the instruments in a paper-and-pencil format. The results indicated that children participating in non-formal education in the 2022 study, compared to those in the 2019 study, obtained higher scores on the Compulsive Internet Use Scale and spent more time online. Children not participating in non-formal education did not differ significantly in terms of compulsive internet use. Among the gender groups, boys exhibited higher scores on the Compulsive Internet Use Scale and spent more time online compared to girls. Boys also participated more frequently in sports activities, while a higher proportion of girls participated in artistic clubs. Children attending sports clubs obtained higher scores on the Compulsive Internet Use Scale compared to those attending artistic clubs. However, this difference may be explained by the fact that more boys attend sports activities, contributing to higher scores in compulsive internet use among boys. Overall, based on both the 2019 and 2022 data, the participation of primary school-age children in non-formal education was not significantly related to their internet usage (time spent online and scores on the Compulsive Internet Use Scale). According to parental reports (2019), children's participation in non-formal education was not associated with their internet usage. |
