Emerging health and education issues related to internet technologies and addictive problems

Abstract

This timely editorial paper outlines some of the main emerging research on technological topics on health and education approaches to Internet use-related problems before and during the beginning of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Background: The aim is to provide a brief overview to facilitate a rapid comprehensive and practical approach to these new trends to promote research, interventions, education, and prevention. Methods: The rapid review includes an analysis of both health and education technologies studies on Internet use-related addiction problems included in the Special Issue “Internet and Smartphone Use-Related Addiction Health Problems: Treatment, Education and Research” to extract recent findings and a few reflections about the development of the field before and during the first wave of the COVID-19. Results: Main findings highlighted studies which tended to be empirical, with a relational type associating specific addictive problems with individual and a few contextual factors in adult populations. Psychometric studies about scales are prevalent, but predictive and mixed methods ones are starting to emerge, together with reviews about conceptualisation, measure, treatment, and prevention. Conclusions: From the arrival of Internet, our societies have converged in a global culture which has impacted health and educational domains. Internet use-related addiction problems have globally emerged and common knowledge, advances, and strategies exist to overcome challenges which are starting to be tested, and prevention interest has arisen in a pandemic situation with global health problems holistically tackled.