Table 2.
Comparisons of smartphone ownership, type of internet device used, type of internet service used, average duration of daily internet use, and YDQ score between the surveys.
| Survey I—2018 | Survey II—2019 | Survey III—2020 | Statistics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 734) | (N = 734) | (N = 802) | ||
| Smartphone owner | 435 (59.3%) | 432 (58.9%) | 560 (69.8%) | χ2 = 25.774, p < 0.001 |
| Type of internet device used | ||||
| Personal computer | 225 (30.7%) | 231 (31.5%) | 257 (32.0%) | χ2 = 0.346, p = 0.841 |
| Smartphone | 475 (64.7%) | 517 (70.4%) | 613 (76.4%) | χ2 = 25.453, p < 0.001 |
| Tablet | 306 (41.7%) | 311 (42.4%) | 416 (51.9%) | χ2 = 20.321, p < 0.001 |
| Portable game console | 180 (24.5%) | 224 (30.5%) | 268 (33.4%) | χ2 = 14.980, p < 0.001 |
| Stationary game console | 186 (25.3%) | 184 (25.1%) | 228 (28.4%) | χ2 = 2.793, p = 0.247 |
| Feature phone | 57 (7.8%) | 37 (5.0%) | 15 (1.9%) | χ2 = 29.274, p < 0.001 |
| Others | 65 (8.9%) | 69 (9.4%) | 114 (14.2%) | χ2 = 13.900, p < 0.001 |
| Type of internet service used | ||||
| Information and news searching | 496 (67.6%) | 311 (42.4%) | 392 (48.9%) | χ2 = 101.285, p < 0.001 |
| E-mail, chat, and internet telephone | 493 (67.2%) | 485 (66.1%) | 567 (70.7%) | χ2 = 4.166, p = 0.125 |
| Blog and internet bulletin board | 61 (8.3%) | 48 (6.5%) | 54 (6.7%) | χ2 = 2.100, p = 0.350 |
| Social networking services | 129 (17.6%) | 181 (24.7%) | 231 (28.8%) | χ2 = 27.025, p < 0.001 |
| Online game | 328 (44.7%) | 336 (45.8%) | 400 (49.9%) | χ2 = 4.666, p = 0.097 |
| Movie and music | 569 (77.5%) | 607 (82.7%) | 676 (84.3%) | χ2 = 12.580, p = 0.002 |
| Shopping and auction | 98 (13.4%) | 86 (11.7%) | 113 (14.1%) | χ2 = 1.966, p = 0.374 |
| Others | 100 (13.6%) | 127 (17.3%) | 149 (18.6%) | χ2 = 7.235, p = 0.027 |
| Average duration of daily internet use on weekdays (min) | 92.5 ± 100.3 | 104.8 ± 97.4 | 147.0 ± 115.9 | F = 57.120, p < 0.001 |
| Average duration of daily internet use on holidays (min) | 153.5 ± 170.3 | 173.3 ± 169.5 | 211.4 ± 176.6 | F = 22.529, p < 0.001 |
| Average YDQ score | 1.5 ± 1.5 | 1.5 ± 1.5 | 1.6 ± 1.6 | F = 1.273, p = 0.280 |
| PIU group (YDQ score, ≥5) | 34 (4.6%) | 32 (4.4%) | 42 (5.2%) | χ2 = 0.689, p = 0.709 |
Data are expressed as n (%) or mean ± standard deviation. YDQ: Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire; PIU: problematic internet use.