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Background: The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between chronotypes and impulsivity, attention-deficit disorder and smartphone, social media, and internet addiction in a sample of university students.
Method: The study was conducted at our university from May to July 2021. A total of 255 subjects were recruited in the study among the students from the medical faculty and the faculty of health sciences (departments of nutrition and dietetics, nursing, and physio- therapy and rehabilitation) of our university who received face-to-face education in 2020- 2021. Sociodemographic data form, the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale, Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 Short Form, Young’s Internet Addiction Scale, Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form, and Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version were administered by the study investigators through face-to-face interviews.
Results: Among the students, the intermediate type was most common (n = 157) and the evening type was least common (n = 44). The chronotypes differed in terms of the time spent daily on smartphone and internet (P = .001 and P < .001). The evening types showed significantly higher mean scores on the Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale, Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 Short Form, Young’s Internet Addiction Scale, Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form, and Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version when compared with other chro- notypes. Female and male students showed comparable scores on all scales. Chronotypes were not different between genders.
Conclusions: The results of our study showed a greater frequency of smartphone, internet, and social media addiction among the evening types than in the other chro- notypes. Greater impulsivity and attention problems as observed in the evening types may be predisposing these individuals to develop addiction to smartphone, internet, and social media.
Cite this article as: Yılbaş B, Günel Karadeniz P. The relationship between chronotype and impulsivity, attention- deficit disorder, internet, social media, and smartphone addiction. Alpha Psychiatry. 2022;23(4):203-209.