Technology addiction in the modern age: Depression, anxiety, and stress among nursing students

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to examine the levels of technology addiction, depression, anxiety, and stress among nursing students in relation to certain variables.
METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study included 251 nursing students. Data were collected using the Personal Data Form, the Technology Addiction Scale (TAS), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS).
RESULTS: The average daily internet usage time of the students was 3.24±0.8 hours. The most common reason for connecting to the internet was to use social media applications (91.6%). The mean TAS score of the students was 49.07±13.96, the mean DASS score for depression was 14.17±4.99, for anxiety was 12.92±3.95, and for stress was 14.73±5.01. Male students' use of online games and websites was higher than female students (p=0.017, t=5.776). First-year students had significantly higher mean scores on the TAS (p=0.001, F=5.494) and the stress scale (p=0.001, t=8.755) compared to other grades.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, it is recommended that universities implement preventive and educational programs to enhance mental health and reduce technology addiction.

Keywords: Anxiety, depression, nursing students, stress, technology addiction