Health Education Practice Using 'Internet Addiction Flowchart' in Junior High School Students

Abstract

  In Japanese educational settings, learning activities are conducted using tablets or laptops provided to each student. Excessive use of electronic media negatively impacts physical and mental health. Therefore, efforts have been made to examine the appropriateness of the use of electronic media. However, no previous study has been cited in which an ‘Internet addiction flowchart’ was used to raise children’s awareness of their own Internet addiction tendencies and related sleep and lifestyle activities. Consequently, the effectiveness of such an ‘Internet addiction flowchart’ has not been clarified. This study aimed to examine the impact of health education classes by using an Internet addiction flowchart on junior high school students with respect to their Internet addiction flowchart evaluation, lifestyle activities, and feeling tired. This study targeted 241 first-year junior high school students in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture. An Internet addiction flowchart was used in a lesson on ‘Rest, Sleep, and Health’. The results of the students’ Internet addiction flowchart evaluations before and after class, as well as their sleep, exercise, and use of electronic media habits, were compared with their subjective symptoms of fatigue. The results revealed that the group with improved Internet addiction flowchart evaluations went to bed earlier and slept longer. This indicates that health education classes that use Internet addiction flowcharts may improve sleep condition.