Students as teachers: effect of the peer education model on reducing smartphone addiction in adolescents

Abstract

The group at the highest risk of smartphone addiction is adolescents. In particular during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, factors such as conducting education online, curfew and the increase in the monotonous time spent at home have led to an increase in the use of smartphones among adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of the peer education model on reducing smartphone addiction in adolescents. The present semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group was carried out with 622 high school students in Turkey. The study was carried out between September 2021 and February 2022 in two stages. In the first stage, the peer educator education program on smartphone addiction in adolescents was implemented. In the second stage, the peer education program was implemented and monitored. While there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of the mean scores they obtained from the Smartphone Addiction Scale at the pre-test (P > 0.05), the difference between them was statistically significant at the post-test (P < 0.001). This study demonstrated that the peer education model was effective in reducing smartphone addiction in adolescents. Thus, it can be recommended that school-based peer education programs for adolescents should be prepared and implemented.