A project carried out by Prof.Dr. Füsun EKŞİ of the Faculty of Educational Sciences of Istanbul Medeniyet University, achieved successful results by aiming to increase the awareness of university students about technology addiction and safe internet use. Within the scope of the project, students were given psychoeducation on the effects of technology addiction, ways of coping and methods of protection from cyberbullying.
A total of 85 students took part in the project, which was carried out in May and June of 2022 and in which Istanbul Medipol University and Marmara University students participated. While the majority of the participants were Istanbul Medipol University students, 61 of these students were Istanbul Medipol University students and 24 were Marmara University students. 75.3% of the participants were undergraduate and 25.9% were associate degree students.
With the seven-item questionnaire used as a data collection tool, the students’ knowledge on healthy life style principles, the concept of addiction, sensitivity levels and the effects of addictions were evaluated.
In the online trainings within the scope of the project, topics such as technology addiction, ways of protection, safe internet use and cyberbullying were covered. The trainings were organized over four days in sessions lasting 60 minutes each.
The results measured through questionnaires revealed that the psychoeducation program increased the students’ knowledge level on technology addiction and safe internet use, increased their sensitivity, and achieved the general objectives.
These positive results obtained in the project are considered as an important step to increase the awareness of university students against technology addiction and to raise awareness about safe internet use. It is seen that such psychoeducation programs contribute to the healthy and conscious existence of young people in the digital world.