Özet:

Aim: In this study, we aimed to explore whether problematic and addictive uses of smartphones and the Internet conceptually differ from each other and gauge the predictive utility of the meaning in life dimensions (meaning of presence and search for meaning) and psychological health indicators (stress, depression, and anxiety) for such uses in university students. Methods: The cross-sectional study included a total of 483 (317 females, 166 males) participants (mean age: 21.71±1.75 years) recruited from the Afyon Kocatepe University and the Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University between December 2019 and February 2020. A sociodemographic form, the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Internet Addiction Test, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale were administered. Results: The findings suggested that smartphone and Internet addictions were highly correlated and both addictions could be predicted by the depression and stress indicators and the search for meaning dimension. Males tended to use the Internet via computers rather than smartphones. Conclusion: We found that in case of stress, depression, and loss of meaning in life students were more likely to develop Internet and smartphone addictions as they tried to reconstruct or restore their meaning systems. Therefore, the evaluation and treatment strategies should include teaching how to reconstruct meaning systems and cope with stressful life situations in an adaptive way.

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