{
  "abstract": "ObjectiveThis study aimed at analyzing changes in the prevalence of excessive internet use and to analyze its associations with mental and cognitive health problems among adolescents.\n\nMethodWe used repeated cross-sectional data from the School Health Promotion study, a population-based nationwide classroom survey in Finland. All adolescents in grades 8-11 were invited, with a total of 602 226 responses in 2017-2023. Excessive internet use was measured with the five-item Excessive Internet Use Scale covering core behavioral addiction symptoms. Depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety were measured with validated questionnaires. Problems in cognitive functioning were assessed with one-item indicators. Analyses were done with Chi-square tests and logistic regression.\n\nResultsFrom 2017 to 2023, the prevalence of excessive internet use increased, especially among girls. The increasing trend was significantly (p<0.001) steeper among girls, with the OR for time (in years) being 1.12 in grades 8-9 and 1.14 in grades 10-11, while among boys the corresponding ORs were 1.00 and 1.04, respectively. Excessive internet use associated with short sleep, depressive, generalized anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms (ORs between 1.73-2.42 in boys; 1.92-2.26 in girls; p<0.001) and with difficulties in tasks requiring reading, writing, and mathematics, and difficulties in concentrating (ORs 1.84-2.31 in boys; 1.83-1.98 in girls; p<0.001).\n\nConclusionThe prevalence of excessive internet use showed an increasing trend, especially among girls. The associations of excessive internet use with mental health symptoms and cognitive challenges were clear.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "O. Kiviruusu"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Kosola"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Paavonen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3xtk2h2wv5eyd.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.06.26364845",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.06.26364845v1.full",
  "id": "3xtk2h2wv5eyd",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.06.26364845v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "psychiatry and clinical psychology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3312|Impact of Technology on Adolescents"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220946702",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.06.26364845v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-06",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3xtk2h2wv5eyd.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:24Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.06.26364845",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.06.26364845v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:psychiatry and clinical psychology",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Excessive Internet Use among Finnish Adolescents - Prevalence in 2017 - 2023 and Associations with Well-being",
  "title_text": "Excessive Internet Use among Finnish Adolescents - Prevalence in 2017 - 2023 and Associations with Well-being",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3xtk2h2wv5eyd",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}