Relação entre a utilização problemática da internet e a competência emocional em adolescentes

Abstract

In the last two decades, it has been observed that the internet has become an integral part of modern life, resulting in a large number of benefits, on the other hand, a significant proportion of individuals began to show a tendency to use the internet in a compulsive and uncontrolled way, becoming dependent on it. Excessive internet use in adolescents has consistently been associated with multiple health problems, being especially related to negative emotions, and negatively affecting quality of life. It has thus become pertinent to analyze its relationship with emotional competence, which implies the knowledge and skills necessary for the understanding, expression and appropriate regulation of emotions. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between problematic use of the internet and the emotional competence of adolescents. The sample of this study consisted of adolescent participants from the north of the country. To evaluate the variables, the Emotional Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ-45) and the Internet Problematic Generalized Use Sale 2 (EUGPI2) were applied, both adapted for the Portuguese population. A sociodemographic questionnaire was also used, which integrated questions related to gender, age, number of years of schooling, mother's age, father's age, who they live with, socioeconomic status, average hours spent on the internet per day and the most performed online activities. The data collected were processed using SPSS version 28. The results obtained in this study reinforce the importance of emotional competence in the development of adolescents and highlight the complex interaction between online behavior and emotional skills. It was found that greater use of the internet is associated with a decrease in emotional competence, reflecting a reduction in the ability to deal with emotions, as well as in their expression and perception.

Date of Award	5 Jun 2025
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Ângela Maria Pareira e Sá Azevedo (Supervisor)