Prevalence and Characteristics of Internet Use Among Rural Adolescent Students in Russia

摘要

The information impact of the Internet on the minds of young people is widely discussed in scientific literature. However, there are practically no sociological studies on the prevalence of Internet use among adolescents of 15-17 years, when adolescents' self-consciousness and value orientations are forming. A sample study of Internet use among rural adolescents aged 15-17 years was conducted in 2016-2017, covering 17 regions of 6 Federal districts of Russia. The total sample consisted of 18222 adolescents: 8208 boys and 10014 girls. The data set and their statistical development was carried out with the help of a computer program "risk factors". The results of the study showed that the prevalence of Internet use among boys was 96.1, and among girls 97.2 out of 100 adolescents of the appropriate age and sex, wherein 85.4% of boys and 90.0% of girls used Internet daily and 44.4% of school boys and 60.4% of school girls used Internet 3 hours or more per day. Adolescents who use the Internet every day for 3 hours or more are a "risk group", as they have not only social and psychological difficulties, but also a high risk of Internet addiction.