Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana

Relationship Between Digital Nativity and... | F1000Research "use strict";function _typeof(t){return(_typeof="function"==typeof Symbol&&"symbol"==typeof Symbol.iterator?function(t){return typeof t}:function(t){return t&&"function"==typeof Symbol&&t.constructor===Symbol&&t!==Symbol.prototype?"symbol":typeof t})(t)}!function(){var t=function(){var t,e,o=[],n=window,r=n;for(;r;){try{if(r.frames.__tcfapiLocator){t=r;break}}catch(t){}if(r===n.top)break;r=r.parent}t||(!function t(){var e=n.document,o=!!n.frames.__tcfapiLocator;if(!o)if(e.body){var r=e.createElement("iframe");r.style.cssText="display:none",r.name="__tcfapiLocator",e.body.appendChild(r)}else setTimeout(t,5);return!o}(),n.__tcfapi=function(){for(var t=arguments.length,n=new Array(t),r=0;r 3&&2===parseInt(n[1],10)&&"boolean"==typeof n[3]&&(e=n[3],"function"==typeof n[2]&&n[2]("set",!0)):"ping"===n[0]?"function"==typeof n[2]&&n[2]({gdprApplies:e,cmpLoaded:!1,cmpStatus:"stub"}):o.push(n)},n.addEventListener("message",(function(t){var e="string"==typeof t.data,o={};if(e)try{o=JSON.parse(t.data)}catch(t){}else o=t.data;var n="object"===_typeof(o)&&null!==o?o.__tcfapiCall:null;n&&window.__tcfapi(n.command,n.version,(function(o,r){var a={__tcfapiReturn:{returnValue:o,success:r,callId:n.callId}};t&&t.source&&t.source.postMessage&&t.source.postMessage(e?JSON.stringify(a):a,"*")}),n.parameter)}),!1))};"undefined"!=typeof module?module.exports=t:t()}(); dataLayer = dataLayer || []; // Standard GTM initialization - Google Consent Mode handles consent automatically (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl+ '>m_auth=hzk0Vc3qFsQYhCrIoHz68A>m_preview=env-1>m_cookies_win=x';f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MWFK8L5J'); ;window.NREUM||(NREUM={});NREUM.init={distributed_tracing:{enabled:true},privacy:{cookies_enabled:true},ajax:{deny_list:["bam.nr-data.net"]}}; ;NREUM.loader_config={accountID:"438030",trustKey:"438030",agentID:"772317073",licenseKey:"97f8f67f26",applicationID:"772317073"} ;NREUM.info={beacon:"bam.nr-data.net",errorBeacon:"bam.nr-data.net",licenseKey:"97f8f67f26",applicationID:"772317073",sa:1} ;/*! For license information please see nr-loader-spa-1.236.0.min.js.LICENSE.txt */ (()=>{"use strict";var e,t,r={5763:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{P_:()=>l,Mt:()=>g,C5:()=>s,DL:()=>v,OP:()=>T,lF:()=>D,Yu:()=>y,Dg:()=>h,CX:()=>c,GE:()=>b,sU:()=>_});var n=r(8632),i=r(9567);const o={beacon:n.ce.beacon,errorBeacon:n.ce.errorBeacon,licenseKey:void 0,applicationID:void 0,sa:void 0,queueTime:void 0,applicationTime:void 0,ttGuid:void 0,user:void 0,account:void 0,product:void 0,extra:void 0,jsAttributes:{},userAttributes:void 0,atts:void 0,transactionName:void 0,tNamePlain:void 0},a={};function s(e){if(!e)throw new Error("All info objects require an agent identifier!");if(!a[e])throw new Error("Info for ".concat(e," was never set"));return a[e]}function c(e,t){if(!e)throw new Error("All info objects require an agent identifier!");a[e]=(0,i.D)(t,o),(0,n.Qy)(e,a[e],"info")}var u=r(7056);const d=()=>{const e={blockSelector:"[data-nr-block]",maskInputOptions:{password:!0}};return{allow_bfcache:!0,privacy:{cookies_enabled:!0},ajax:{deny_list:void 0,enabled:!0,harvestTimeSeconds:10},distributed_tracing:{enabled:void 0,exclude_newrelic_header:void 0,cors_use_newrelic_header:void 0,cors_use_tracecontext_headers:void 0,allowed_origins:void 0},session:{domain:void 0,expiresMs:u.oD,inactiveMs:u.Hb},ssl:void 0,obfuscate:void 0,jserrors:{enabled:!0,harvestTimeSeconds:10},metrics:{enabled:!0},page_action:{enabled:!0,harvestTimeSeconds:30},page_view_event:{enabled:!0},page_view_timing:{enabled:!0,harvestTimeSeconds:30,long_task:!1},session_trace:{enabled:!0,harvestTimeSeconds:10},harvest:{tooManyRequestsDelay:60},session_replay:{enabled:!1,harvestTimeSeconds:60,sampleRate:.1,errorSampleRate:.1,maskTextSelector:"*",maskAllInputs:!0,get blockClass(){return"nr-block"},get ignoreClass(){return"nr-ignore"},get maskTextClass(){return"nr-mask"},get blockSelector(){return e.blockSelector},set blockSelector(t){e.blockSelector+=",".concat(t)},get maskInputOptions(){return e.maskInputOptions},set maskInputOptions(t){e.maskInputOptions={...t,password:!0}}},spa:{enabled:!0,harvestTimeSeconds:10}}},f={};function l(e){if(!e)throw new Error("All configuration objects require an agent identifier!");if(!f[e])throw new Error("Configuration for ".concat(e," was never set"));return f[e]}function h(e,t){if(!e)throw new Error("All configuration objects require an agent identifier!");f[e]=(0,i.D)(t,d()),(0,n.Qy)(e,f[e],"config")}function g(e,t){if(!e)throw new Error("All configuration objects require an agent identifier!");var r=l(e);if(r){for(var n=t.split("."),i=0;i {r.d(t,{D:()=>i});var n=r(50);function i(e,t){try{if(!e||"object"!=typeof e)return(0,n.Z)("Setting a Configurable requires an object as input");if(!t||"object"!=typeof t)return(0,n.Z)("Setting a Configurable requires a model to set its initial properties");const r=Object.create(Object.getPrototypeOf(t),Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors(t)),o=0===Object.keys(r).length?e:r;for(let a in o)if(void 0!==e[a])try{"object"==typeof e[a]&&"object"==typeof t[a]?r[a]=i(e[a],t[a]):r[a]=e[a]}catch(e){(0,n.Z)("An error occurred while setting a property of a Configurable",e)}return r}catch(e){(0,n.Z)("An error occured while setting a Configurable",e)}}},6818:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{Re:()=>i,gF:()=>o,q4:()=>n});const n="1.236.0",i="PROD",o="CDN"},385:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{FN:()=>a,IF:()=>u,Nk:()=>f,Tt:()=>s,_A:()=>o,il:()=>n,pL:()=>c,v6:()=>i,w1:()=>d});const n="undefined"!=typeof window&&!!window.document,i="undefined"!=typeof WorkerGlobalScope&&("undefined"!=typeof self&&self instanceof WorkerGlobalScope&&self.navigator instanceof WorkerNavigator||"undefined"!=typeof globalThis&&globalThis instanceof WorkerGlobalScope&&globalThis.navigator instanceof WorkerNavigator),o=n?window:"undefined"!=typeof WorkerGlobalScope&&("undefined"!=typeof self&&self instanceof WorkerGlobalScope&&self||"undefined"!=typeof globalThis&&globalThis instanceof WorkerGlobalScope&&globalThis),a=""+o?.location,s=/iPad|iPhone|iPod/.test(navigator.userAgent),c=s&&"undefined"==typeof SharedWorker,u=(()=>{const e=navigator.userAgent.match(/Firefox[/\s](\d+\.\d+)/);return Array.isArray(e)&&e.length>=2?+e[1]:0})(),d=Boolean(n&&window.document.documentMode),f=!!navigator.sendBeacon},1117:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{w:()=>o});var n=r(50);const i={agentIdentifier:"",ee:void 0};class o{constructor(e){try{if("object"!=typeof e)return(0,n.Z)("shared context requires an object as input");this.sharedContext={},Object.assign(this.sharedContext,i),Object.entries(e).forEach((e=>{let[t,r]=e;Object.keys(i).includes(t)&&(this.sharedContext[t]=r)}))}catch(e){(0,n.Z)("An error occured while setting SharedContext",e)}}}},8e3:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{L:()=>d,R:()=>c});var n=r(2177),i=r(1284),o=r(4322),a=r(3325);const s={};function c(e,t){const r={staged:!1,priority:a.p[t]||0};u(e),s[e].get(t)||s[e].set(t,r)}function u(e){e&&(s[e]||(s[e]=new Map))}function d(){let e=arguments.length>0&&void 0!==arguments[0]?arguments[0]:"",t=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]?arguments[1]:"feature";if(u(e),!e||!s[e].get(t))return a(t);s[e].get(t).staged=!0;const r=[...s[e]];function a(t){const r=e?n.ee.get(e):n.ee,a=o.X.handlers;if(r.backlog&&a){var s=r.backlog[t],c=a[t];if(c){for(var u=0;s&&u {let[t,r]=e;return r.staged}))&&(r.sort(((e,t)=>e[1].priority-t[1].priority)),r.forEach((e=>{let[t]=e;a(t)})))}function f(e,t){var r=e[1];(0,i.D)(t[r],(function(t,r){var n=e[0];if(r[0]===n){var i=r[1],o=e[3],a=e[2];i.apply(o,a)}}))}},2177:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{c:()=>f,ee:()=>u});var n=r(8632),i=r(2210),o=r(1284),a=r(5763),s="nr@context";let c=(0,n.fP)();var u;function d(){}function f(e){return(0,i.X)(e,s,l)}function l(){return new d}function h(){u.aborted=!0,u.backlog={}}c.ee?u=c.ee:(u=function e(t,r){var n={},c={},f={},g=!1;try{g=16===r.length&&(0,a.OP)(r).isolatedBacklog}catch(e){}var p={on:b,addEventListener:b,removeEventListener:y,emit:v,get:x,listeners:w,context:m,buffer:A,abort:h,aborted:!1,isBuffering:E,debugId:r,backlog:g?{}:t&&"object"==typeof t.backlog?t.backlog:{}};return p;function m(e){return e&&e instanceof d?e:e?(0,i.X)(e,s,l):l()}function v(e,r,n,i,o){if(!1!==o&&(o=!0),!u.aborted||i){t&&o&&t.emit(e,r,n);for(var a=m(n),s=w(e),d=s.length,f=0;fn,p:()=>i});var n=r(2177).ee.get("handle");function i(e,t,r,i,o){o?(o.buffer([e],i),o.emit(e,t,r)):(n.buffer([e],i),n.emit(e,t,r))}},4322:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{X:()=>o});var n=r(5546);o.on=a;var i=o.handlers={};function o(e,t,r,o){a(o||n.E,i,e,t,r)}function a(e,t,r,i,o){o||(o="feature"),e||(e=n.E);var a=t[o]=t[o]||{};(a[r]=a[r]||[]).push([e,i])}},3239:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{bP:()=>s,iz:()=>c,m$:()=>a});var n=r(385);let i=!1,o=!1;try{const e={get passive(){return i=!0,!1},get signal(){return o=!0,!1}};n._A.addEventListener("test",null,e),n._A.removeEventListener("test",null,e)}catch(e){}function a(e,t){return i||o?{capture:!!e,passive:i,signal:t}:!!e}function s(e,t){let r=arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2]&&arguments[2],n=arguments.length>3?arguments[3]:void 0;window.addEventListener(e,t,a(r,n))}function c(e,t){let r=arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2]&&arguments[2],n=arguments.length>3?arguments[3]:void 0;document.addEventListener(e,t,a(r,n))}},4402:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{Ht:()=>u,M:()=>c,Rl:()=>a,ky:()=>s});var n=r(385);const i="xxxxxxxx-xxxx-4xxx-yxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx";function o(e,t){return e?15&e[t]:16*Math.random()|0}function a(){const e=n._A?.crypto||n._A?.msCrypto;let t,r=0;return e&&e.getRandomValues&&(t=e.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(31))),i.split("").map((e=>"x"===e?o(t,++r).toString(16):"y"===e?(3&o()|8).toString(16):e)).join("")}function s(e){const t=n._A?.crypto||n._A?.msCrypto;let r,i=0;t&&t.getRandomValues&&(r=t.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(31)));const a=[];for(var s=0;s {r.d(t,{Bq:()=>n,Hb:()=>o,oD:()=>i});const n="NRBA",i=144e5,o=18e5},7894:(e,t,r)=>{function n(){return Math.round(performance.now())}r.d(t,{z:()=>n})},7243:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{e:()=>o});var n=r(385),i={};function o(e){if(e in i)return i[e];if(0===(e||"").indexOf("data:"))return{protocol:"data"};let t;var r=n._A?.location,o={};if(n.il)t=document.createElement("a"),t.href=e;else try{t=new URL(e,r.href)}catch(e){return o}o.port=t.port;var a=t.href.split("://");!o.port&&a[1]&&(o.port=a[1].split("/")[0].split("@").pop().split(":")[1]),o.port&&"0"!==o.port||(o.port="https"===a[0]?"443":"80"),o.hostname=t.hostname||r.hostname,o.pathname=t.pathname,o.protocol=a[0],"/"!==o.pathname.charAt(0)&&(o.pathname="/"+o.pathname);var s=!t.protocol||":"===t.protocol||t.protocol===r.protocol,c=t.hostname===r.hostname&&t.port===r.port;return o.sameOrigin=s&&(!t.hostname||c),"/"===o.pathname&&(i[e]=o),o}},50:(e,t,r)=>{function n(e,t){"function"==typeof console.warn&&(console.warn("New Relic: ".concat(e)),t&&console.warn(t))}r.d(t,{Z:()=>n})},2587:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{N:()=>c,T:()=>u});var n=r(2177),i=r(5546),o=r(8e3),a=r(3325);const s={stn:[a.D.sessionTrace],err:[a.D.jserrors,a.D.metrics],ins:[a.D.pageAction],spa:[a.D.spa],sr:[a.D.sessionReplay,a.D.sessionTrace]};function c(e,t){const r=n.ee.get(t);e&&"object"==typeof e&&(Object.entries(e).forEach((e=>{let[t,n]=e;void 0===u[t]&&(s[t]?s[t].forEach((e=>{n?(0,i.p)("feat-"+t,[],void 0,e,r):(0,i.p)("block-"+t,[],void 0,e,r),(0,i.p)("rumresp-"+t,[Boolean(n)],void 0,e,r)})):n&&(0,i.p)("feat-"+t,[],void 0,void 0,r),u[t]=Boolean(n))})),Object.keys(s).forEach((e=>{void 0===u[e]&&(s[e]?.forEach((t=>(0,i.p)("rumresp-"+e,[!1],void 0,t,r))),u[e]=!1)})),(0,o.L)(t,a.D.pageViewEvent))}const u={}},2210:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{X:()=>i});var n=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;function i(e,t,r){if(n.call(e,t))return e[t];var i=r();if(Object.defineProperty&&Object.keys)try{return Object.defineProperty(e,t,{value:i,writable:!0,enumerable:!1}),i}catch(e){}return e[t]=i,i}},1284:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{D:()=>n});const n=(e,t)=>Object.entries(e||{}).map((e=>{let[r,n]=e;return t(r,n)}))},4351:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{P:()=>o});var n=r(2177);const i=()=>{const e=new WeakSet;return(t,r)=>{if("object"==typeof r&&null!==r){if(e.has(r))return;e.add(r)}return r}};function o(e){try{return JSON.stringify(e,i())}catch(e){try{n.ee.emit("internal-error",[e])}catch(e){}}}},3960:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{K:()=>a,b:()=>o});var n=r(3239);function i(){return"undefined"==typeof document||"complete"===document.readyState}function o(e,t){if(i())return e();(0,n.bP)("load",e,t)}function a(e){if(i())return e();(0,n.iz)("DOMContentLoaded",e)}},8632:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{EZ:()=>u,Qy:()=>c,ce:()=>o,fP:()=>a,gG:()=>d,mF:()=>s});var n=r(7894),i=r(385);const o={beacon:"bam.nr-data.net",errorBeacon:"bam.nr-data.net"};function a(){return i._A.NREUM||(i._A.NREUM={}),void 0===i._A.newrelic&&(i._A.newrelic=i._A.NREUM),i._A.NREUM}function s(){let e=a();return e.o||(e.o={ST:i._A.setTimeout,SI:i._A.setImmediate,CT:i._A.clearTimeout,XHR:i._A.XMLHttpRequest,REQ:i._A.Request,EV:i._A.Event,PR:i._A.Promise,MO:i._A.MutationObserver,FETCH:i._A.fetch}),e}function c(e,t,r){let i=a();const o=i.initializedAgents||{},s=o[e]||{};return Object.keys(s).length||(s.initializedAt={ms:(0,n.z)(),date:new Date}),i.initializedAgents={...o,[e]:{...s,[r]:t}},i}function u(e,t){a()[e]=t}function d(){return function(){let e=a();const t=e.info||{};e.info={beacon:o.beacon,errorBeacon:o.errorBeacon,...t}}(),function(){let e=a();const t=e.init||{};e.init={...t}}(),s(),function(){let e=a();const t=e.loader_config||{};e.loader_config={...t}}(),a()}},7956:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{N:()=>i});var n=r(3239);function i(e){let t=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]&&arguments[1],r=arguments.length>2?arguments[2]:void 0,i=arguments.length>3?arguments[3]:void 0;return void(0,n.iz)("visibilitychange",(function(){if(t)return void("hidden"==document.visibilityState&&e());e(document.visibilityState)}),r,i)}},1214:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{em:()=>v,u5:()=>N,QU:()=>S,_L:()=>I,Gm:()=>L,Lg:()=>M,gy:()=>U,BV:()=>Q,Kf:()=>ee});var n=r(2177);const i="nr@original";var o=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty,a=!1;function s(e,t){return e||(e=n.ee),r.inPlace=function(e,t,n,i,o){n||(n="");var a,s,c,u="-"===n.charAt(0);for(c=0;c 2?n-2:0),o=2;o {r(A[T],e,w),r(E[T],e,w)})),r(l._A,"fetch",y),t.on(y+"end",(function(e,r){var n=this;if(r){var i=r.headers.get("content-length");null!==i&&(n.rxSize=i),t.emit(y+"done",[null,r],n)}else t.emit(y+"done",[e],n)})),t}const O={},j=["pushState","replaceState"];function S(e){const t=function(e){return(e||n.ee).get("history")}(e);return!l.il||O[t.debugId]++||(O[t.debugId]=1,s(t).inPlace(window.history,j,"-")),t}var P=r(3239);const C={},R=["appendChild","insertBefore","replaceChild"];function I(e){const t=function(e){return(e||n.ee).get("jsonp")}(e);if(!l.il||C[t.debugId])return t;C[t.debugId]=!0;var r=s(t),i=/[?&](?:callback|cb)=([^&#]+)/,o=/(.*)\.([^.]+)/,a=/^(\w+)(\.|$)(.*)$/;function c(e,t){var r=e.match(a),n=r[1],i=r[3];return i?c(i,t[n]):t[n]}return r.inPlace(Node.prototype,R,"dom-"),t.on("dom-start",(function(e){!function(e){if(!e||"string"!=typeof e.nodeName||"script"!==e.nodeName.toLowerCase())return;if("function"!=typeof e.addEventListener)return;var n=(a=e.src,s=a.match(i),s?s[1]:null);var a,s;if(!n)return;var u=function(e){var t=e.match(o);if(t&&t.length>=3)return{key:t[2],parent:c(t[1],window)};return{key:e,parent:window}}(n);if("function"!=typeof u.parent[u.key])return;var d={};function f(){t.emit("jsonp-end",[],d),e.removeEventListener("load",f,(0,P.m$)(!1)),e.removeEventListener("error",l,(0,P.m$)(!1))}function l(){t.emit("jsonp-error",[],d),t.emit("jsonp-end",[],d),e.removeEventListener("load",f,(0,P.m$)(!1)),e.removeEventListener("error",l,(0,P.m$)(!1))}r.inPlace(u.parent,[u.key],"cb-",d),e.addEventListener("load",f,(0,P.m$)(!1)),e.addEventListener("error",l,(0,P.m$)(!1)),t.emit("new-jsonp",[e.src],d)}(e[0])})),t}var k=r(5763);const H={};function L(e){const t=function(e){return(e||n.ee).get("mutation")}(e);if(!l.il||H[t.debugId])return t;H[t.debugId]=!0;var r=s(t),i=k.Yu.MO;return i&&(window.MutationObserver=function(e){return this instanceof i?new i(r(e,"fn-")):i.apply(this,arguments)},MutationObserver.prototype=i.prototype),t}const z={};function M(e){const t=function(e){return(e||n.ee).get("promise")}(e);if(z[t.debugId])return t;z[t.debugId]=!0;var r=n.c,o=s(t),a=k.Yu.PR;return a&&function(){function e(r){var n=t.context(),i=o(r,"executor-",n,null,!1);const s=Reflect.construct(a,[i],e);return t.context(s).getCtx=function(){return n},s}l._A.Promise=e,Object.defineProperty(e,"name",{value:"Promise"}),e.toString=function(){return a.toString()},Object.setPrototypeOf(e,a),["all","race"].forEach((function(r){const n=a[r];e[r]=function(e){let i=!1;[...e||[]].forEach((e=>{this.resolve(e).then(a("all"===r),a(!1))}));const o=n.apply(this,arguments);return o;function a(e){return function(){t.emit("propagate",[null,!i],o,!1,!1),i=i||!e}}}})),["resolve","reject"].forEach((function(r){const n=a[r];e[r]=function(e){const r=n.apply(this,arguments);return e!==r&&t.emit("propagate",[e,!0],r,!1,!1),r}})),e.prototype=a.prototype;const n=a.prototype.then;a.prototype.then=function(){var e=this,i=r(e);i.promise=e;for(var a=arguments.length,s=new Array(a),c=0;c e())),t};function m(e,t){i.inPlace(t,["onreadystatechange"],"fn-",E)}function b(){var e=this,t=r.context(e);e.readyState>3&&!t.resolved&&(t.resolved=!0,r.emit("xhr-resolved",[],e)),i.inPlace(e,f,"fn-",E)}if(function(e,t){for(var r in e)t[r]=e[r]}(o,p),p.prototype=o.prototype,i.inPlace(p.prototype,J,"-xhr-",E),r.on("send-xhr-start",(function(e,t){m(e,t),function(e){h.push(e),a&&(y?y.then(A):u?u(A):(w=-w,x.data=w))}(t)})),r.on("open-xhr-start",m),a){var y=c&&c.resolve();if(!u&&!c){var w=1,x=document.createTextNode(w);new a(A).observe(x,{characterData:!0})}}else t.on("fn-end",(function(e){e[0]&&e[0].type===d||A()}));function A(){for(var e=0;e {r.d(t,{t:()=>n});const n=r(3325).D.ajax},6660:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{A:()=>i,t:()=>n});const n=r(3325).D.jserrors,i="nr@seenError"},3081:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{gF:()=>o,mY:()=>i,t9:()=>n,vz:()=>s,xS:()=>a});const n=r(3325).D.metrics,i="sm",o="cm",a="storeSupportabilityMetrics",s="storeEventMetrics"},4649:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{t:()=>n});const n=r(3325).D.pageAction},7633:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{Dz:()=>i,OJ:()=>a,qw:()=>o,t9:()=>n});const n=r(3325).D.pageViewEvent,i="firstbyte",o="domcontent",a="windowload"},9251:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{t:()=>n});const n=r(3325).D.pageViewTiming},3614:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{BST_RESOURCE:()=>i,END:()=>s,FEATURE_NAME:()=>n,FN_END:()=>u,FN_START:()=>c,PUSH_STATE:()=>d,RESOURCE:()=>o,START:()=>a});const n=r(3325).D.sessionTrace,i="bstResource",o="resource",a="-start",s="-end",c="fn"+a,u="fn"+s,d="pushState"},7836:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{BODY:()=>A,CB_END:()=>E,CB_START:()=>u,END:()=>x,FEATURE_NAME:()=>i,FETCH:()=>_,FETCH_BODY:()=>v,FETCH_DONE:()=>m,FETCH_START:()=>p,FN_END:()=>c,FN_START:()=>s,INTERACTION:()=>l,INTERACTION_API:()=>d,INTERACTION_EVENTS:()=>o,JSONP_END:()=>b,JSONP_NODE:()=>g,JS_TIME:()=>T,MAX_TIMER_BUDGET:()=>a,REMAINING:()=>f,SPA_NODE:()=>h,START:()=>w,originalSetTimeout:()=>y});var n=r(5763);const i=r(3325).D.spa,o=["click","submit","keypress","keydown","keyup","change"],a=999,s="fn-start",c="fn-end",u="cb-start",d="api-ixn-",f="remaining",l="interaction",h="spaNode",g="jsonpNode",p="fetch-start",m="fetch-done",v="fetch-body-",b="jsonp-end",y=n.Yu.ST,w="-start",x="-end",A="-body",E="cb"+x,T="jsTime",_="fetch"},5938:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{W:()=>o});var n=r(5763),i=r(2177);class o{constructor(e,t,r){this.agentIdentifier=e,this.aggregator=t,this.ee=i.ee.get(e,(0,n.OP)(this.agentIdentifier).isolatedBacklog),this.featureName=r,this.blocked=!1}}},9144:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{j:()=>m});var n=r(3325),i=r(5763),o=r(5546),a=r(2177),s=r(7894),c=r(8e3),u=r(3960),d=r(385),f=r(50),l=r(3081),h=r(8632);function g(){const e=(0,h.gG)();["setErrorHandler","finished","addToTrace","inlineHit","addRelease","addPageAction","setCurrentRouteName","setPageViewName","setCustomAttribute","interaction","noticeError","setUserId"].forEach((t=>{e[t]=function(){for(var r=arguments.length,n=new Array(r),i=0;i 1?r-1:0),i=1;i {e.exposed&&e.api[t]&&o.push(e.api[t](...n))})),o.length>1?o:o[0]}(t,...n)}}))}var p=r(2587);function m(e){let t=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]?arguments[1]:{},m=arguments.length>2?arguments[2]:void 0,v=arguments.length>3?arguments[3]:void 0,{init:b,info:y,loader_config:w,runtime:x={loaderType:m},exposed:A=!0}=t;const E=(0,h.gG)();y||(b=E.init,y=E.info,w=E.loader_config),(0,i.Dg)(e,b||{}),(0,i.GE)(e,w||{}),(0,i.sU)(e,x),y.jsAttributes??={},d.v6&&(y.jsAttributes.isWorker=!0),(0,i.CX)(e,y),g();const T=function(e,t){t||(0,c.R)(e,"api");const h={};var g=a.ee.get(e),p=g.get("tracer"),m="api-",v=m+"ixn-";function b(t,r,n,o){const a=(0,i.C5)(e);return null===r?delete a.jsAttributes[t]:(0,i.CX)(e,{...a,jsAttributes:{...a.jsAttributes,[t]:r}}),x(m,n,!0,o||null===r?"session":void 0)(t,r)}function y(){}["setErrorHandler","finished","addToTrace","inlineHit","addRelease"].forEach((e=>h[e]=x(m,e,!0,"api"))),h.addPageAction=x(m,"addPageAction",!0,n.D.pageAction),h.setCurrentRouteName=x(m,"routeName",!0,n.D.spa),h.setPageViewName=function(t,r){if("string"==typeof t)return"/"!==t.charAt(0)&&(t="/"+t),(0,i.OP)(e).customTransaction=(r||"http://custom.transaction")+t,x(m,"setPageViewName",!0)()},h.setCustomAttribute=function(e,t){let r=arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2]&&arguments[2];if("string"==typeof e){if(["string","number"].includes(typeof t)||null===t)return b(e,t,"setCustomAttribute",r);(0,f.Z)("Failed to execute setCustomAttribute.\nNon-null value must be a string or number type, but a type of was provided."))}else(0,f.Z)("Failed to execute setCustomAttribute.\nName must be a string type, but a type of was provided."))},h.setUserId=function(e){if("string"==typeof e||null===e)return b("enduser.id",e,"setUserId",!0);(0,f.Z)("Failed to execute setUserId.\nNon-null value must be a string type, but a type of was provided."))},h.interaction=function(){return(new y).get()};var w=y.prototype={createTracer:function(e,t){var r={},i=this,a="function"==typeof t;return(0,o.p)(v+"tracer",[(0,s.z)(),e,r],i,n.D.spa,g),function(){if(p.emit((a?"":"no-")+"fn-start",[(0,s.z)(),i,a],r),a)try{return t.apply(this,arguments)}catch(e){throw p.emit("fn-err",[arguments,this,"string"==typeof e?new Error(e):e],r),e}finally{p.emit("fn-end",[(0,s.z)()],r)}}}};function x(e,t,r,i){return function(){return(0,o.p)(l.xS,["API/"+t+"/called"],void 0,n.D.metrics,g),i&&(0,o.p)(e+t,[(0,s.z)(),...arguments],r?null:this,i,g),r?void 0:this}}function A(){r.e(439).then(r.bind(r,7438)).then((t=>{let{setAPI:r}=t;r(e),(0,c.L)(e,"api")})).catch((()=>(0,f.Z)("Downloading runtime APIs failed...")))}return["actionText","setName","setAttribute","save","ignore","onEnd","getContext","end","get"].forEach((e=>{w[e]=x(v,e,void 0,n.D.spa)})),h.noticeError=function(e,t){"string"==typeof e&&(e=new Error(e)),(0,o.p)(l.xS,["API/noticeError/called"],void 0,n.D.metrics,g),(0,o.p)("err",[e,(0,s.z)(),!1,t],void 0,n.D.jserrors,g)},d.il?(0,u.b)((()=>A()),!0):A(),h}(e,v);return(0,h.Qy)(e,T,"api"),(0,h.Qy)(e,A,"exposed"),(0,h.EZ)("activatedFeatures",p.T),T}},3325:(e,t,r)=>{r.d(t,{D:()=>n,p:()=>i});const n={ajax:"ajax",jserrors:"jserrors",metrics:"metrics",pageAction:"page_action",pageViewEvent:"page_view_event",pageViewTiming:"page_view_timing",sessionReplay:"session_replay",sessionTrace:"session_trace",spa:"spa"},i={[n.pageViewEvent]:1,[n.pageViewTiming]:2,[n.metrics]:3,[n.jserrors]:4,[n.ajax]:5,[n.sessionTrace]:6,[n.pageAction]:7,[n.spa]:8,[n.sessionReplay]:9}}},n={};function i(e){var t=n[e];if(void 0!==t)return t.exports;var o=n[e]={exports:{}};return r[e](o,o.exports,i),o.exports}i.m=r,i.d=(e,t)=>{for(var r in t)i.o(t,r)&&!i.o(e,r)&&Object.defineProperty(e,r,{enumerable:!0,get:t[r]})},i.f={},i.e=e=>Promise.all(Object.keys(i.f).reduce(((t,r)=>(i.f[r](e,t),t)),[])),i.u=e=>(({78:"page_action-aggregate",147:"metrics-aggregate",242:"session-manager",317:"jserrors-aggregate",348:"page_view_timing-aggregate",412:"lazy-feature-loader",439:"async-api",538:"recorder",590:"session_replay-aggregate",675:"compressor",733:"session_trace-aggregate",786:"page_view_event-aggregate",873:"spa-aggregate",898:"ajax-aggregate"}[e]||e)+"."+{78:"ac76d497",147:"3dc53903",148:"1a20d5fe",242:"2a64278a",317:"49e41428",348:"bd6de33a",412:"2f55ce66",439:"30bd804e",538:"1b18459f",590:"cf0efb30",675:"ae9f91a8",733:"83105561",786:"06482edd",860:"03a8b7a5",873:"e6b09d52",898:"998ef92b"}[e]+"-1.236.0.min.js"),i.o=(e,t)=>Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(e,t),e={},t="NRBA:",i.l=(r,n,o,a)=>{if(e[r])e[r].push(n);else{var s,c;if(void 0!==o)for(var u=document.getElementsByTagName("script"),d=0;d {s.onerror=s.onload=null,clearTimeout(h);var i=e[r];if(delete e[r],s.parentNode&&s.parentNode.removeChild(s),i&&i.forEach((e=>e(n))),t)return t(n)},h=setTimeout(l.bind(null,void 0,{type:"timeout",target:s}),12e4);s.onerror=l.bind(null,s.onerror),s.onload=l.bind(null,s.onload),c&&document.head.appendChild(s)}},i.r=e=>{"undefined"!=typeof Symbol&&Symbol.toStringTag&&Object.defineProperty(e,Symbol.toStringTag,{value:"Module"}),Object.defineProperty(e,"__esModule",{value:!0})},i.j=364,i.p="https://js-agent.newrelic.com/",(()=>{var e={364:0,953:0};i.f.j=(t,r)=>{var n=i.o(e,t)?e[t]:void 0;if(0!==n)if(n)r.push(n[2]);else{var o=new Promise(((r,i)=>n=e[t]=[r,i]));r.push(n[2]=o);var a=i.p+i.u(t),s=new Error;i.l(a,(r=>{if(i.o(e,t)&&(0!==(n=e[t])&&(e[t]=void 0),n)){var o=r&&("load"===r.type?"missing":r.type),a=r&&r.target&&r.target.src;s.message="Loading chunk "+t+" failed.\n("+o+": "+a+")",s.name="ChunkLoadError",s.type=o,s.request=a,n[1](s)}}),"chunk-"+t,t)}};var t=(t,r)=>{var n,o,[a,s,c]=r,u=0;if(a.some((t=>0!==e[t]))){for(n in s)i.o(s,n)&&(i.m[n]=s[n]);if(c)c(i)}for(t&&t(r);u {i.r(o);var e=i(3325),t=i(5763);const r=Object.values(e.D);function n(e){const n={};return r.forEach((r=>{n[r]=function(e,r){return!1!==(0,t.Mt)(r,"".concat(e,".enabled"))}(r,e)})),n}var a=i(9144);var s=i(5546),c=i(385),u=i(8e3),d=i(5938),f=i(3960),l=i(50);class h extends d.W{constructor(e,t,r){let n=!(arguments.length>3&&void 0!==arguments[3])||arguments[3];super(e,t,r),this.auto=n,this.abortHandler,this.featAggregate,this.onAggregateImported,n&&(0,u.R)(e,r)}importAggregator(){let e=arguments.length>0&&void 0!==arguments[0]?arguments[0]:{};if(this.featAggregate||!this.auto)return;const r=c.il&&!0===(0,t.Mt)(this.agentIdentifier,"privacy.cookies_enabled");let n;this.onAggregateImported=new Promise((e=>{n=e}));const o=async()=>{let t;try{if(r){const{setupAgentSession:e}=await Promise.all([i.e(860),i.e(242)]).then(i.bind(i,3228));t=e(this.agentIdentifier)}}catch(e){(0,l.Z)("A problem occurred when starting up session manager. This page will not start or extend any session.",e)}try{if(!this.shouldImportAgg(this.featureName,t))return void(0,u.L)(this.agentIdentifier,this.featureName);const{lazyFeatureLoader:r}=await i.e(412).then(i.bind(i,8582)),{Aggregate:o}=await r(this.featureName,"aggregate");this.featAggregate=new o(this.agentIdentifier,this.aggregator,e),n(!0)}catch(e){(0,l.Z)("Downloading and initializing ".concat(this.featureName," failed..."),e),this.abortHandler?.(),n(!1)}};c.il?(0,f.b)((()=>o()),!0):o()}shouldImportAgg(r,n){return r!==e.D.sessionReplay||!1!==(0,t.Mt)(this.agentIdentifier,"session_trace.enabled")&&(!!n?.isNew||!!n?.state.sessionReplay)}}var g=i(7633),p=i(7894);class m extends h{static featureName=g.t9;constructor(r,n){let i=!(arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2];if(super(r,n,g.t9,i),("undefined"==typeof PerformanceNavigationTiming||c.Tt)&&"undefined"!=typeof PerformanceTiming){const n=(0,t.OP)(r);n[g.Dz]=Math.max(Date.now()-n.offset,0),(0,f.K)((()=>n[g.qw]=Math.max((0,p.z)()-n[g.Dz],0))),(0,f.b)((()=>{const t=(0,p.z)();n[g.OJ]=Math.max(t-n[g.Dz],0),(0,s.p)("timing",["load",t],void 0,e.D.pageViewTiming,this.ee)}))}this.importAggregator()}}var v=i(1117),b=i(1284);class y extends v.w{constructor(e){super(e),this.aggregatedData={}}store(e,t,r,n,i){var o=this.getBucket(e,t,r,i);return o.metrics=function(e,t){t||(t={count:0});return t.count+=1,(0,b.D)(e,(function(e,r){t[e]=w(r,t[e])})),t}(n,o.metrics),o}merge(e,t,r,n,i){var o=this.getBucket(e,t,n,i);if(o.metrics){var a=o.metrics;a.count+=r.count,(0,b.D)(r,(function(e,t){if("count"!==e){var n=a[e],i=r[e];i&&!i.c?a[e]=w(i.t,n):a[e]=function(e,t){if(!t)return e;t.c||(t=x(t.t));return t.min=Math.min(e.min,t.min),t.max=Math.max(e.max,t.max),t.t+=e.t,t.sos+=e.sos,t.c+=e.c,t}(i,a[e])}}))}else o.metrics=r}storeMetric(e,t,r,n){var i=this.getBucket(e,t,r);return i.stats=w(n,i.stats),i}getBucket(e,t,r,n){this.aggregatedData[e]||(this.aggregatedData[e]={});var i=this.aggregatedData[e][t];return i||(i=this.aggregatedData[e][t]={params:r||{}},n&&(i.custom=n)),i}get(e,t){return t?this.aggregatedData[e]&&this.aggregatedData[e][t]:this.aggregatedData[e]}take(e){for(var t={},r="",n=!1,i=0;i t.max&&(t.max=e),e 2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2];super(e,r,j.t,n),c.il&&((0,t.OP)(e).initHidden=Boolean("hidden"===document.visibilityState),(0,N.N)((()=>(0,s.p)("docHidden",[(0,p.z)()],void 0,j.t,this.ee)),!0),(0,O.bP)("pagehide",(()=>(0,s.p)("winPagehide",[(0,p.z)()],void 0,j.t,this.ee))),this.importAggregator())}}var P=i(3081);class C extends h{static featureName=P.t9;constructor(e,t){let r=!(arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2];super(e,t,P.t9,r),this.importAggregator()}}var R,I=i(2210),k=i(1214),H=i(2177),L={};try{R=localStorage.getItem("__nr_flags").split(","),console&&"function"==typeof console.log&&(L.console=!0,-1!==R.indexOf("dev")&&(L.dev=!0),-1!==R.indexOf("nr_dev")&&(L.nrDev=!0))}catch(e){}function z(e){try{L.console&&z(e)}catch(e){}}L.nrDev&&H.ee.on("internal-error",(function(e){z(e.stack)})),L.dev&&H.ee.on("fn-err",(function(e,t,r){z(r.stack)})),L.dev&&(z("NR AGENT IN DEVELOPMENT MODE"),z("flags: "+(0,b.D)(L,(function(e,t){return e})).join(", ")));var M=i(6660);class B extends h{static featureName=M.t;constructor(r,n){let i=!(arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2];super(r,n,M.t,i),this.skipNext=0;try{this.removeOnAbort=new AbortController}catch(e){}const o=this;o.ee.on("fn-start",(function(e,t,r){o.abortHandler&&(o.skipNext+=1)})),o.ee.on("fn-err",(function(t,r,n){o.abortHandler&&!n[M.A]&&((0,I.X)(n,M.A,(function(){return!0})),this.thrown=!0,(0,s.p)("err",[n,(0,p.z)()],void 0,e.D.jserrors,o.ee))})),o.ee.on("fn-end",(function(){o.abortHandler&&!this.thrown&&o.skipNext>0&&(o.skipNext-=1)})),o.ee.on("internal-error",(function(t){(0,s.p)("ierr",[t,(0,p.z)(),!0],void 0,e.D.jserrors,o.ee)})),this.origOnerror=c._A.onerror,c._A.onerror=this.onerrorHandler.bind(this),c._A.addEventListener("unhandledrejection",(t=>{const r=function(e){let t="Unhandled Promise Rejection: ";if(e instanceof Error)try{return e.message=t+e.message,e}catch(t){return e}if(void 0===e)return new Error(t);try{return new Error(t+(0,D.P)(e))}catch(e){return new Error(t)}}(t.reason);(0,s.p)("err",[r,(0,p.z)(),!1,{unhandledPromiseRejection:1}],void 0,e.D.jserrors,this.ee)}),(0,O.m$)(!1,this.removeOnAbort?.signal)),(0,k.gy)(this.ee),(0,k.BV)(this.ee),(0,k.em)(this.ee),(0,t.OP)(r).xhrWrappable&&(0,k.Kf)(this.ee),this.abortHandler=this.#e,this.importAggregator()}#e(){this.removeOnAbort?.abort(),this.abortHandler=void 0}onerrorHandler(t,r,n,i,o){"function"==typeof this.origOnerror&&this.origOnerror(...arguments);try{this.skipNext?this.skipNext-=1:(0,s.p)("err",[o||new F(t,r,n),(0,p.z)()],void 0,e.D.jserrors,this.ee)}catch(t){try{(0,s.p)("ierr",[t,(0,p.z)(),!0],void 0,e.D.jserrors,this.ee)}catch(e){}}return!1}}function F(e,t,r){this.message=e||"Uncaught error with no additional information",this.sourceURL=t,this.line=r}let U=1;const q="nr@id";function G(e){const t=typeof e;return!e||"object"!==t&&"function"!==t?-1:e===c._A?0:(0,I.X)(e,q,(function(){return U++}))}function V(e){if("string"==typeof e&&e.length)return e.length;if("object"==typeof e){if("undefined"!=typeof ArrayBuffer&&e instanceof ArrayBuffer&&e.byteLength)return e.byteLength;if("undefined"!=typeof Blob&&e instanceof Blob&&e.size)return e.size;if(!("undefined"!=typeof FormData&&e instanceof FormData))try{return(0,D.P)(e).length}catch(e){return}}}var X=i(7243);class W{constructor(e){this.agentIdentifier=e,this.generateTracePayload=this.generateTracePayload.bind(this),this.shouldGenerateTrace=this.shouldGenerateTrace.bind(this)}generateTracePayload(e){if(!this.shouldGenerateTrace(e))return null;var r=(0,t.DL)(this.agentIdentifier);if(!r)return null;var n=(r.accountID||"").toString()||null,i=(r.agentID||"").toString()||null,o=(r.trustKey||"").toString()||null;if(!n||!i)return null;var a=(0,_.M)(),s=(0,_.Ht)(),c=Date.now(),u={spanId:a,traceId:s,timestamp:c};return(e.sameOrigin||this.isAllowedOrigin(e)&&this.useTraceContextHeadersForCors())&&(u.traceContextParentHeader=this.generateTraceContextParentHeader(a,s),u.traceContextStateHeader=this.generateTraceContextStateHeader(a,c,n,i,o)),(e.sameOrigin&&!this.excludeNewrelicHeader()||!e.sameOrigin&&this.isAllowedOrigin(e)&&this.useNewrelicHeaderForCors())&&(u.newrelicHeader=this.generateTraceHeader(a,s,c,n,i,o)),u}generateTraceContextParentHeader(e,t){return"00-"+t+"-"+e+"-01"}generateTraceContextStateHeader(e,t,r,n,i){return i+"@nr=0-1-"+r+"-"+n+"-"+e+"----"+t}generateTraceHeader(e,t,r,n,i,o){if(!("function"==typeof c._A?.btoa))return null;var a={v:[0,1],d:{ty:"Browser",ac:n,ap:i,id:e,tr:t,ti:r}};return o&&n!==o&&(a.d.tk=o),btoa((0,D.P)(a))}shouldGenerateTrace(e){return this.isDtEnabled()&&this.isAllowedOrigin(e)}isAllowedOrigin(e){var r=!1,n={};if((0,t.Mt)(this.agentIdentifier,"distributed_tracing")&&(n=(0,t.P_)(this.agentIdentifier).distributed_tracing),e.sameOrigin)r=!0;else if(n.allowed_origins instanceof Array)for(var i=0;i 2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2];super(r,n,Z.t,i),(0,t.OP)(r).xhrWrappable&&(this.dt=new W(r),this.handler=(e,t,r,n)=>(0,s.p)(e,t,r,n,this.ee),(0,k.u5)(this.ee),(0,k.Kf)(this.ee),function(r,n,i,o){function a(e){var t=this;t.totalCbs=0,t.called=0,t.cbTime=0,t.end=E,t.ended=!1,t.xhrGuids={},t.lastSize=null,t.loadCaptureCalled=!1,t.params=this.params||{},t.metrics=this.metrics||{},e.addEventListener("load",(function(r){_(t,e)}),(0,O.m$)(!1)),c.IF||e.addEventListener("progress",(function(e){t.lastSize=e.loaded}),(0,O.m$)(!1))}function s(e){this.params={method:e[0]},T(this,e[1]),this.metrics={}}function u(e,n){var i=(0,t.DL)(r);i.xpid&&this.sameOrigin&&n.setRequestHeader("X-NewRelic-ID",i.xpid);var a=o.generateTracePayload(this.parsedOrigin);if(a){var s=!1;a.newrelicHeader&&(n.setRequestHeader("newrelic",a.newrelicHeader),s=!0),a.traceContextParentHeader&&(n.setRequestHeader("traceparent",a.traceContextParentHeader),a.traceContextStateHeader&&n.setRequestHeader("tracestate",a.traceContextStateHeader),s=!0),s&&(this.dt=a)}}function d(e,t){var r=this.metrics,i=e[0],o=this;if(r&&i){var a=V(i);a&&(r.txSize=a)}this.startTime=(0,p.z)(),this.listener=function(e){try{"abort"!==e.type||o.loadCaptureCalled||(o.params.aborted=!0),("load"!==e.type||o.called===o.totalCbs&&(o.onloadCalled||"function"!=typeof t.onload)&&"function"==typeof o.end)&&o.end(t)}catch(e){try{n.emit("internal-error",[e])}catch(e){}}};for(var s=0;s 1?e[1]=i:e.push(i)}else e[0]&&e[0].headers&&s(e[0].headers,n)&&(this.dt=n);function s(e,t){var r=!1;return t.newrelicHeader&&(e.set("newrelic",t.newrelicHeader),r=!0),t.traceContextParentHeader&&(e.set("traceparent",t.traceContextParentHeader),t.traceContextStateHeader&&e.set("tracestate",t.traceContextStateHeader),r=!0),r}}function x(e,t){this.params={},this.metrics={},this.startTime=(0,p.z)(),this.dt=t,e.length>=1&&(this.target=e[0]),e.length>=2&&(this.opts=e[1]);var r,n=this.opts||{},i=this.target;"string"==typeof i?r=i:"object"==typeof i&&i instanceof Y?r=i.url:c._A?.URL&&"object"==typeof i&&i instanceof URL&&(r=i.href),T(this,r);var o=(""+(i&&i instanceof Y&&i.method||n.method||"GET")).toUpperCase();this.params.method=o,this.txSize=V(n.body)||0}function A(t,r){var n;this.endTime=(0,p.z)(),this.params||(this.params={}),this.params.status=r?r.status:0,"string"==typeof this.rxSize&&this.rxSize.length>0&&(n=+this.rxSize);var o={txSize:this.txSize,rxSize:n,duration:(0,p.z)()-this.startTime};i("xhr",[this.params,o,this.startTime,this.endTime,"fetch"],this,e.D.ajax)}function E(t){var r=this.params,n=this.metrics;if(!this.ended){this.ended=!0;for(var o=0;o 2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2];super(e,t,we.t,r),this.importAggregator()}}new class{constructor(e){let t=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]?arguments[1]:(0,_.ky)(16);c._A?(this.agentIdentifier=t,this.sharedAggregator=new y({agentIdentifier:this.agentIdentifier}),this.features={},this.desiredFeatures=new Set(e.features||[]),this.desiredFeatures.add(m),Object.assign(this,(0,a.j)(this.agentIdentifier,e,e.loaderType||"agent")),this.start()):(0,l.Z)("Failed to initial the agent. Could not determine the runtime environment.")}get config(){return{info:(0,t.C5)(this.agentIdentifier),init:(0,t.P_)(this.agentIdentifier),loader_config:(0,t.DL)(this.agentIdentifier),runtime:(0,t.OP)(this.agentIdentifier)}}start(){const t="features";try{const r=n(this.agentIdentifier),i=[...this.desiredFeatures];i.sort(((t,r)=>e.p[t.featureName]-e.p[r.featureName])),i.forEach((t=>{if(r[t.featureName]||t.featureName===e.D.pageViewEvent){const n=function(t){switch(t){case e.D.ajax:return[e.D.jserrors];case e.D.sessionTrace:return[e.D.ajax,e.D.pageViewEvent];case e.D.sessionReplay:return[e.D.sessionTrace];case e.D.pageViewTiming:return[e.D.pageViewEvent];default:return[]}}(t.featureName);n.every((e=>r[e]))||(0,l.Z)("".concat(t.featureName," is enabled but one or more dependent features has been disabled (").concat((0,D.P)(n),"). This may cause unintended consequences or missing data...")),this.features[t.featureName]=new t(this.agentIdentifier,this.sharedAggregator)}})),(0,T.Qy)(this.agentIdentifier,this.features,t)}catch(e){(0,l.Z)("Failed to initialize all enabled instrument classes (agent aborted) -",e);for(const e in this.features)this.features[e].abortHandler?.();const r=(0,T.fP)();return delete r.initializedAgents[this.agentIdentifier]?.api,delete r.initializedAgents[this.agentIdentifier]?.[t],delete this.sharedAggregator,r.ee?.abort(),delete r.ee?.get(this.agentIdentifier),!1}}}({features:[J,m,S,class extends h{static featureName=oe;constructor(t,r){if(super(t,r,oe,!(arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2]),!c.il)return;const n=this.ee;let i;(0,k.QU)(n),this.eventsEE=(0,k.em)(n),this.eventsEE.on(se,(function(e,t){this.bstStart=(0,p.z)()})),this.eventsEE.on(ae,(function(t,r){(0,s.p)("bst",[t[0],r,this.bstStart,(0,p.z)()],void 0,e.D.sessionTrace,n)})),n.on(ce+ne,(function(e){this.time=(0,p.z)(),this.startPath=location.pathname+location.hash})),n.on(ce+ie,(function(t){(0,s.p)("bstHist",[location.pathname+location.hash,this.startPath,this.time],void 0,e.D.sessionTrace,n)}));try{i=new PerformanceObserver((t=>{const r=t.getEntries();(0,s.p)(te,[r],void 0,e.D.sessionTrace,n)})),i.observe({type:re,buffered:!0})}catch(e){}this.importAggregator({resourceObserver:i})}},C,xe,B,class extends h{static featureName=de;constructor(e,r){if(super(e,r,de,!(arguments.length>2&&void 0!==arguments[2])||arguments[2]),!c.il)return;if(!(0,t.OP)(e).xhrWrappable)return;try{this.removeOnAbort=new AbortController}catch(e){}let n,i=0;const o=this.ee.get("tracer"),a=(0,k._L)(this.ee),s=(0,k.Lg)(this.ee),u=(0,k.BV)(this.ee),d=(0,k.Kf)(this.ee),f=this.ee.get("events"),l=(0,k.u5)(this.ee),h=(0,k.QU)(this.ee),g=(0,k.Gm)(this.ee);function m(e,t){h.emit("newURL",[""+window.location,t])}function v(){i++,n=window.location.hash,this[ve]=(0,p.z)()}function b(){i--,window.location.hash!==n&&m(0,!0);var e=(0,p.z)();this[pe]=~~this[pe]+e-this[ve],this[ye]=e}function y(e,t){e.on(t,(function(){this[t]=(0,p.z)()}))}this.ee.on(ve,v),s.on(be,v),a.on(be,v),this.ee.on(ye,b),s.on(ge,b),a.on(ge,b),this.ee.buffer([ve,ye,"xhr-resolved"],this.featureName),f.buffer([ve],this.featureName),u.buffer(["setTimeout"+le,"clearTimeout"+fe,ve],this.featureName),d.buffer([ve,"new-xhr","send-xhr"+fe],this.featureName),l.buffer([me+fe,me+"-done",me+he+fe,me+he+le],this.featureName),h.buffer(["newURL"],this.featureName),g.buffer([ve],this.featureName),s.buffer(["propagate",be,ge,"executor-err","resolve"+fe],this.featureName),o.buffer([ve,"no-"+ve],this.featureName),a.buffer(["new-jsonp","cb-start","jsonp-error","jsonp-end"],this.featureName),y(l,me+fe),y(l,me+"-done"),y(a,"new-jsonp"),y(a,"jsonp-end"),y(a,"cb-start"),h.on("pushState-end",m),h.on("replaceState-end",m),window.addEventListener("hashchange",m,(0,O.m$)(!0,this.removeOnAbort?.signal)),window.addEventListener("load",m,(0,O.m$)(!0,this.removeOnAbort?.signal)),window.addEventListener("popstate",(function(){m(0,i>1)}),(0,O.m$)(!0,this.removeOnAbort?.signal)),this.abortHandler=this.#e,this.importAggregator()}#e(){this.removeOnAbort?.abort(),this.abortHandler=void 0}}],loaderType:"spa"})})(),window.NRBA=o})(); window.jQuery || document.write(' ') CKEDITOR_BASEPATH='https://f1000research.com/js/vendor/ckeditor/' window.reactTheme = 'research'; window.MathJax = { CommonHTML: { linebreaks: { automatic: true } }, 'HTML-CSS': { linebreaks: { automatic: true } }, SVG: { linebreaks: { automatic: true } }, AuthorInit: function() { MathJax.Hub.Register.MessageHook('End Process', function () { let timeout = false; // holder for timeout id const delay = 250; // delay after event is "complete" to run callback const reflowMath = function() { const dispFormulas = document.querySelectorAll('.disp-formula.panel'); if (!dispFormulas) { return; } for (const dispFormula of dispFormulas) { const child = dispFormula.querySelector('.MathJax_Preview').nextSibling.firstChild; const isMultiline = MathJax.Hub.getAllJax(dispFormula)[0].root.isMultiline; if (dispFormula.offsetWidth < child.offsetWidth || isMultiline) { MathJax.Hub.Queue(['Rerender', MathJax.Hub, dispFormula]); } } }; window.addEventListener('resize', function() { clearTimeout(timeout); // clear the timeout timeout = setTimeout(reflowMath, delay); // start timing for event "completion" }); }); }, }; if (window.location.hash == '#_=_'){ window.location = window.location.href.split('#')[0] } !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function() {n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)} ;if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1641728616063202'); fbq('track', "PixelInitialized", {}); (function(h,o,t,j,a,r){ h.hj=h.hj||function(){(h.hj.q=h.hj.q||[]).push(arguments)}; h._hjSettings={hjid:2318163,hjsv:6}; a=o.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; r=o.createElement('script');r.async=1; r.src=t+h._hjSettings.hjid+j+h._hjSettings.hjsv; a.appendChild(r); })(window,document,'https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-','.js?sv='); search file_upload Submit your research search menu close search Browse Gateways & Collections How to Publish Submit your Research My Submissions Article Guidelines Article Guidelines (New Versions) Open Data, Software and Code Guidelines Open Data and Accessible Source Materials Guidelines (HSS) Open Data, Software and Code Guidelines (PSE) Prepublication Checks Production Process Posters and Slides Guidelines Document Guidelines Article Processing Charges Peer Review Finding Article Reviewers About How it Works For Reviewers Our Advisors Policies Glossary FAQs For Developers Newsroom Contact My Research Submissions Content and Tracking Alerts My Details Sign In file_upload Submit your research { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "ScholarlyArticle", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139" }, "headline": "Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana", "datePublished": "2025-01-27T14:58:31", "dateModified": "2025-01-27T14:58:31", "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Akosua Tachie-Menson" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harry Barton Essel" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Ato Essuman" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Kofi Nimo Nunoo" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emmanuel Appau" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aaron Daniel Akuteye" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eunice Achiamaa Boadi" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nathaniel Tetteh Quaye" } ], "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "F1000Research", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://f1000research.com/img/AMP/F1000Research_image.png", "height": 480, "width": 60 } }, "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://f1000research.com/img/AMP/F1000Research_image.png", "height": 1200, "width": 150 }, "description": "This research explores the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction among university students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. The Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were administered to 411 undergraduate students from various academic disciplines, with 49.15% (n=202) males and 50.85% (n=209) females. College of Arts and Built Environment (21.90%, n=90), College of Engineering (15.33%, n=63), College of Science (14.35%, n=59), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (22.63%, n=93), College of Health Sciences (15.82%, n=65), and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (9.98%, n=41). Results demonstrated moderate to high levels of digital nativity based on their DNAS scores, with significant positive correlations between DNAS and IAT (r = 0.569, p < 0.001). Suggesting that students with higher scores in digital nativity may be at risk of developing addictive internet behaviours. Interestingly, academic level and college affiliation emerged as factors influencing internet addiction, with students at a higher level and those in the College of Science showing intensified vulnerabilities." } { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": "1", "item": { "@id": "https://f1000research.com/", "name": "Home" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": "2", "item": { "@id": "https://f1000research.com/browse/articles", "name": "Browse" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": "3", "item": { "@id": "https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1", "name": "Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among..." } } ] } Home Browse Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among... ALL Metrics - Views Downloads Get PDF Get XML Cite How to cite this article Tachie-Menson A, Essel HB, Essuman MA et al. Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.156283.1 ) NOTE: If applicable, it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article. Close Copy Citation Details Export Export Citation Sciwheel EndNote Ref. Manager Bibtex ProCite Sente EXPORT Select a format first Track Share ▬ ✚ Research Article Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] Akosua Tachie-Menson https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6727-4151 1 , Harry Barton Essel https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7232-3640 1 , Michael Ato Essuman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3309-9161 2 , [...] Francis Kofi Nimo Nunoo 2 , Emmanuel Appau 2 , Aaron Daniel Akuteye https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2951-509X 2 , Eunice Achiamaa Boadi 2 , Nathaniel Tetteh Quaye https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2148-4720 2 Akosua Tachie-Menson https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6727-4151 1 , Harry Barton Essel https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7232-3640 1 , [...] Michael Ato Essuman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3309-9161 2 , Francis Kofi Nimo Nunoo 2 , Emmanuel Appau 2 , Aaron Daniel Akuteye https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2951-509X 2 , Eunice Achiamaa Boadi 2 , Nathaniel Tetteh Quaye https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2148-4720 2 PUBLISHED 27 Jan 2025 Author details Author details 1 Educational Innovations in Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology College of Arts and Social Science, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana 2 Publishing Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology College of Arts and Social Science, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana Akosua Tachie-Menson Roles: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Writing – Original Draft Preparation Harry Barton Essel Roles: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Visualization Michael Ato Essuman Roles: Data Curation, Methodology, Visualization Francis Kofi Nimo Nunoo Roles: Data Curation, Investigation, Resources, Visualization Emmanuel Appau Roles: Data Curation, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation Aaron Daniel Akuteye Roles: Data Curation, Investigation, Validation, Writing – Original Draft Preparation Eunice Achiamaa Boadi Roles: Formal Analysis, Methodology, Validation Nathaniel Tetteh Quaye Roles: Investigation, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation OPEN PEER REVIEW DETAILS REVIEWER STATUS This article is included in the Addiction and Related Behaviors gateway. Abstract This research explores the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction among university students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. The Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were administered to 411 undergraduate students from various academic disciplines, with 49.15% (n=202) males and 50.85% (n=209) females. College of Arts and Built Environment (21.90%, n=90), College of Engineering (15.33%, n=63), College of Science (14.35%, n=59), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (22.63%, n=93), College of Health Sciences (15.82%, n=65), and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (9.98%, n=41). Results demonstrated moderate to high levels of digital nativity based on their DNAS scores, with significant positive correlations between DNAS and IAT (r = 0.569, p < 0.001). Suggesting that students with higher scores in digital nativity may be at risk of developing addictive internet behaviours. Interestingly, academic level and college affiliation emerged as factors influencing internet addiction, with students at a higher level and those in the College of Science showing intensified vulnerabilities. READ ALL READ LESS Keywords Digital nativity, Digital addiction, Internet addiction, University students, Ghana Corresponding Author(s) Akosua Tachie-Menson ( [email protected] ) Close Corresponding author: Akosua Tachie-Menson Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed. Grant information: The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work. Copyright: © 2025 Tachie-Menson A et al . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The author(s) is/are employees of the US Government and therefore domestic copyright protection in USA does not apply to this work. The work may be protected under the copyright laws of other jurisdictions when used in those jurisdictions. How to cite: Tachie-Menson A, Essel HB, Essuman MA et al. Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.156283.1 ) First published: 27 Jan 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.156283.1 ) Latest published: 27 Jan 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.156283.1 ) Introduction Technological advancements have improved our environment, and most people agree that understanding and applying information technology (IT) is now widely considered a vital skill. Those who engage in digital technology usage, accessibility, and advancement more are known to be “digital natives.” Prensky (2001) coined the term “digital native” as individuals born when technology was prevalent. Defining this concept solely based on age is too simplistic, as it contains factors. In his representation, he separated individuals into two groups: those who speak the digital language fluently, have little trouble adjusting to new technologies and are tech-savvy. The second group is the generation that preceded the IT boom, the “Digital Immigrants,” who have difficulty adjusting to the technology environment since they do not speak the language. Digital natives work best when networked and appreciate random access. They prefer games over work and enjoy parallel processes. Many scholars have been drawn to the idea of digital nativity, including Wang, Sigerson and Cheng (2019) , which has helped to advance our knowledge of how people are impacted by the digital era ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ). Some studies suggest that digital natives report higher usage and acceptance levels than digital immigrants ( Hoffmann, Lutz and Meckel 2014 ). However, ( Calvani et al. , 2012 ) indicate that many younger users exhibit lower levels of IT proficiency than initially assumed. Scholars doubt that age is the primary variable separating digital natives from immigrants, Bennett et al. (2008) . Individuals’ interest in IT differs, and the current generation’s access to and competence with digital technology is inconsistent, with these differences influenced by demographic factors ( Teo, 2013 ). Teo (2013) proposed a method that focuses on the differences in individuals’ digital nativity to address the inconsistencies surrounding the definition of the term. The method emphasises the critical role of individual characteristics, such as psychological traits and behavioural tendencies, in defining the essential characteristics of a digital native rather than depending solely on age. Digital nativity is not a common trait within an entire generation but rather a common characteristic that defines the individuals of that generation and varies among them ( Bagdi and Bulsara, 2023 ). Socio-demographic characters influence the use of digital technology and the time spent on a specific device ( Kwon et al. , 2013 ). This results from being in a technologically advanced environment where digital natives’ neuroplasticity has altered the structure of their brains. This is shaped by the frequent interactions with technologies, which cause younger individuals to process information differently than their older counterparts. Research confirms that digital literacy includes how the digital age impacts people’s cognitive processes, habits, and learning styles ( Bennett and Corrin, 2019 ; Margaryan, Littlejohn and Vojt, 2011 ). Wang, Sigerson and Cheng (2019) defined digital nativity based on the person growing up with technology, with factors such as age and personal attitudes towards technology. Huang, Teo and He (2019) posit that proficiency in engaging with digital technology constitutes a vital aspect of digital nativity. Digital nativity is a multidimensional construct that embraces highly skilled technology users’ psychological traits and behavioural patterns ( Hui et al., 2022 ). Teo (2013) developed the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) to measure individuals’ digital nativity. This framework divides the usual behaviours of digital natives into four categories: (1) grew up with technology, (2) Comfortable with multitasking, (3) Reliant on graphics for communication, and (4) thrives on instant gratifications and rewards. The strenuous demands of university life in the context of academic and social often expose students to digital technology and the Internet. Digital addiction has become a primary global concern across various forms, such as internet addiction, gaming addiction, and obsessive use of digital devices. It has gained significant attention due to its effects on mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being ( Kuss, Griffiths and Binder, 2013 ; Essel et al. , 2022 ). Internet addiction is characterised by futile time management, an overpowering need for online activities, and the inability to regulate usage, resulting in social issues. ( Kolaib, Alhazmi and Kulaib, 2020 ; Sharma, Hallford and Anand, 2022 ). Immoderate internet use affects individuals’ mental health, impacting the cognitive control systems in the brain. ( Dossi and Pesce, 2023 ). Stress-coping strategies, anxiety, depression, and impulsivity ( Zhang et al. , 2021 ; Xie, Cheng and Chen, 2023 ), and personality traits have been associated with internet addiction, particularly among students ( Jacob, 2020 ; Ikeda et al., 2022 ). Psychosocial consequences affect mental health and the overall well-being of the individual ( AlHeneidi and Smith, 2021 ; Memon et al. , 2021 ; Naseem et al. , 2021 ). Studies report different rates of internet addiction among student populations in Malaysia and India, highlighting the necessity for awareness initiatives and intervention strategies due to the impact on academic performance and social relationships. Neuroticism and introversion correlate with internet addiction among university students ( Pujitha et al. , 2022 ). The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in internet addiction due to more time spent on online activities like gaming. ( Li et al. , 2021 ). The impact of internet addiction is different across regions and populations, such as students, adolescents, and adults. ( Yaunin et al. , 2021 ; Zhang et al. , 2021 ; Özarıcı and Cangöl Sögüt, 2022 ). This has been a great concern among university students, highlighting its impact on academic performance, behaviour, and ( Mboya et al., 2020 ; Acharya et al., 2023 ; Salehi et al., 2023 ). The Internet Addiction Test (IAT), by Dr Kimberly Young, is a valid instrument to access Internet addiction ( Acharya et al. , 2023 ; Ariyadasa et al. , 2023 ). The IAT is a 20-item, 5-point Likert scale that has scores ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The s-IAT is a shorter version of the IAT to evaluate internet addiction efficiently. ( Fernando and Rahardjo, no date ; Baltaci, Yilmaz and Tras, 2021 ; Tateno et al. , 2023 ). In Poland ( Rosliza et al. , 2020 ), a study found an increase in internet addiction among nursing, midwifery, and medical rescue students, with prevalence rates of 10.3%, 9.9%, and 9.1%, respectively. In Malaysia, a survey showed that 7.8% of undergraduate students are internet addicts, whereas 56.5% were identified as problematic internet users ( Lukić, Ranković and Ranković, 2017 ). It is vital to recognise the continent’s various digital landscapes, where nations have made significant paces in technology adoption while others face hefty challenges ( Pick and Sarkar, 2015 ; Essel et al. , 2022 ; Adarkwah and Huang, 2023 ). While internet addiction has been extensively studied, the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction remains largely unexplored. Digital natives face challenges in disconnecting from the internet and may possess different biases towards internet addiction than digital immigrants. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating the specific role of digital nativity in influencing behaviour tendencies of internet addiction, especially within the African context ( Beard, 2005 ; Pezoa-Jares, 2012 ; Salicetia, 2015 ; Lai et al. , 2017 ; Pujitha et al. , 2022 ). The study aims to explore these research questions regarding students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST): 1. What is the level of digital proficiency exhibited by the students? 2. What is the extent of internet addiction among students? 3. Is there any correlation between digital nativity and student internet addiction? 4. Are there any differences in the relationship between digital nativity, internet addiction, and socio-demographic traits such as gender, age, and educational level? 2. Methods 2.1 Design, participants, and procedure The study employed quantitative, descriptive correlational research to peruse the relationships between digital nativity and internet addiction at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), an African institution tailored towards science and technology. The survey was created using Microsoft Forms and sent to participants via email and WhatsApp. In-person recruitment was used as a supplementary measure. The sample included 411 participants, with an almost equal representation across genders, 49.15% (n = 202) males and 50.85% (n = 209) females. The majority of the participants were aged 20 years or below, 44.28% (n = 182), 24.57% (n = 101) in the 21–25-year bracket, and 31.14% (n = 128), 26–30 years. Proportional stratified sampling was used to select participants, where the various colleges in the universities formed the strata; later, a random sampling was used to get the required proportion number of respondents for each college. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences accounted for 22.63% of the sample (n = 93), followed by Arts and Built Environment (21.90%, n = 90), Science (14.35%, n = 59), Health Sciences (15.82%, n = 65), Engineering (15.33%, n = 63), and Agriculture and Natural Resources (9.98%, n = 41). The academic level of the participants provided a balanced representation, with 26.04% in 1st year (n = 107), 25.06% in 2nd year (n = 103), 24.57% in 3rd year (n = 101), 21.65% in 4th year (n = 89), and 2.68% in 5th year (n = 11). The slightly lower percentage of fifth-year students is consistent with the typical four-year duration of undergraduate programs. Table 1 illustrates the descriptive characteristics of the participants. Table 1. Characteristics of the participants. Variables F (%) Gender Male 202(49.15) Female 209(50.85) Age 20 years and less 182(44.28) 21–25 years 101(24.57) 26–30 years above 128(31.14) Level of Education Year 1 107(26.04) Year 2 103(25.06) Year 3 101(24.57) Year 4 89(21.65) Year 5 112(2.68) College College of Arts and Built Environment 90(21.90) College of Engineering 63(15.33) College of Science 59(14.35) College of Humanities and Social Science 93(22.63) College of Health Sciences 65(15.82) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 41(9.98) 2.2 Measures 2.2.1 Digital Nativity The Digital Nativity Assessment Scale (DNAS), created by Teo, Huang and He (2022) , was used to measure the participants’ digital nativity level. To use employ the DNAS in this study, permission was sought from the original authors. The DNAS has 21 items divided into four distinct constructs: (1) grew up with technology, (2) Comfortable with multitasking, (3) Reliant on graphics for communication, and (4) thrives on instant gratifications and rewards. Teo, Kabakçı Yurdakul and Ursavaş (2016) conducted a study to investigate and validate the Turkish version of the DNAS and the presence of digital natives among pre-service teachers in Turkey. He also examined the invariance and latent mean differences of the DNAS across the Chinese mainland, Macau, and Taiwan ( Teo, Huang and He, 2022 ). The outcomes demonstrated the effectiveness and accuracy of the Scale of digital nativity for evaluation within different cultural settings. Participants rated their agreement or disagreement with items of the scale on a 5-point Likert scale from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”. The level of digital nativity among the participants was indicated by a mean score of 78.5, with a standard deviation of 14.29. The Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was α = 0.940 with coefficients for each of the four traits as α = 0.835 α = 0.870, α = 0.849, α = 0.856 for growing up with technology, comfort with multitasking, reliance on graphics for communication, and thriving on instant gratification and rewards, respectively. 2.2.2 Internet Addiction Young (1998) introduced the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to assess internet addiction among students. To use employ the IAT in this study, permission was sought from the original authors. The IAT is a 20-item, 5-point Likert scale with scores ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The short version has 12 items instead of 20 items. The IAT has a Cronbach’s α of 0.937 in our research. The abbreviated version of the IAT (s-IAT) has been proven effective in detecting internet addiction among autistic adolescents ( Tateno et al. , 2023 ) and was also used to assess problematic internet use among university students in Malaysia ( Černja, Vejmelka and Rajter, 2019 ). In a study of Croatian adolescents, the IAT was found to have a three-factor structure: cognitive internet preoccupation, neglecting work and lack of self-control, and social problems. The IAT has also been validated in the French population, showing a strong association between smartphone addiction and internet addiction ( Barrault et al. , 2019 ). In the Indian population, the IAT demonstrated a one-factor structure, with the condensed form of the IAT showing construct and convergent validity in measuring symptoms related to internet addiction ( Sharma, Hallford and Anand, 2022 ). 2.3 Data analysis plan The data was entered and evaluated using Jamovi software, version 2.4.11. The mean (X) and standard deviation (SD) of digital nativity and internet addiction are 78.5; 14.29 and 39.5; 10.80 respectively. The independent samples t-test was used to compare numerical data between gender groups. One-way ANOVA (Welch’s) tests also to determine significant differences in scores on the Digital Native Assessment Scale across various colleges (p < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in age (p = 0.428) or level of education (p = 0.862). The Tukey HSD post hoc test measured groups that reported differences in statistical significance. Multiple regression analyses were carried out between the items of DNAS as the independent variable on internet addiction (dependent variable). Pearson’s correlation coefficient analyses (r = 0.569, p < 0.001) indicated significant positive correlations between the Digital Native Assessment Scale and internet addiction. The skewness and kurtosis estimates were calculated for normality assumptions, which were acceptable for normally distributed data. 2.4 Ethical consideration This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Department of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology (Approval date: 10 January, Approval number: EIST-EC/REF No.: 101/01/2023). The study adhered to the principles of the Helsinki Declaration (1964) and its later amendments. All participants were 18 years old or older, and informed consent was obtained. Participant privacy and confidentiality were strictly maintained, and measures were in place to minimise any potential harm or discomfort, including the option to withdraw from the study at any time. 3. Results 3.1 Prevalence of Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Table 2 highlights the scores of participants on the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The mean scores and standard deviation (±) for DNAS and IAT were 78.5 (± 14.29) and 39.5 (± 10.80) respectively. The DNAS mean score was higher than that of the IAT, indicating that the participants had higher levels of digital nativity and less internet addiction. The descriptive statistics suggest that the participants were digitally native with moderately low levels of internet addiction (See Figures 1 and 2 ). The standard deviation for DNAS was higher at 14.29, which indicates more variability in the DNAS scores. The DNAS had negative skewness (-0.4399) and kurtosis (-0.0736) values, a left-skewed distribution with scores clustering at the upper end and a flatter, less peaked curve than a normal distribution. On the other hand, IAT had positive skewness (0.1797) and negative kurtosis (-1.0413), a right-skewed distribution with more clustering around the lower scores. Table 2. Participants’ score distribution of DNAS and IAT. Skewness Kurtosis Mean Median Mode SD Min Max Skewness SE Kurtosis SE Digital Native Assessment Scale 78.5 79.0 72.0 14.29 21.00 105.0 -0.4399 0.120 -0.0736 0.240 Internet Addiction 39.5 38.0 33.0 10.80 12.00 60.0 0.1797 0.120 -1.0413 0.240 Figure 1. Descriptive analysis of Internet addiction. Source: Authors' construct (2023). Figure 2. Descriptive analysis of Digital Nativity. Source: Authors' construct (2023). 3.2 Comparing differences in sociodemographic variables, DNAS, and IAT In assessing participants’ digital nativity and Internet addiction tendencies, the results showed no significant differences in DNAS scores across genders. Both males (M = 78.4, SD = 14.3) and females (M = 78.7, SD = 14.3) had a similar level of digital nativity. A student’s t-test (t (409) = 0.203, p =.839) confirmed no significant difference between the two groups. The p-value further supports this, indicating that the observed difference could have occurred due to chance, making it suitable to accept the null hypothesis that the groups have no significant difference. However, with the colleges, there was a significant difference in the DNAS scores (F (5, 167) = 9.9, p <.001), with the College of Science having the highest mean score (86.2; 11.8), while the College of Agriculture had a lower mean score (70.4; 15.6). Year 3 students had higher scores on digital addiction scales than other years (F (4, 35.8) = 0.984, p =.428). Table 3 illustrates comparison in Sociodemographic Variables and DNAS and IAT scores. Table 3. Comparing differences in sociodemographic variables and DNAS and IAT. Digital Native Assessment Scale Internet Addiction Test Variables Levels m (±SD) m (±SD) Gender Male 78.4(14.3) 39.3(38.0) Female 78.7(14.3) 39.6(37.5) t/F; p 0.203;0.839 0.23333;0.816 Age 20 years and less 79.9(15.5) 39.4(10.00) 21–25 years 79.1(13.6) 39.5(11.28) 26–30 years 79.9(14.8) 39.4(10.17) t/F; p 1.07;0.348 0.00535;0.995 Level of Education Year 1 78.1(14.4) 38.9(10.48) Year 2 77.4(14.4) 38.4(11.19) Year 3 79.3(13.8) 41.8(10.87) Year 4 79.4(14.9) 39.3(10.80) Year 5 78.2(13.1) 34.2(5.76) t/F; p 0.323;0.862 3.613;0.010 College College of Arts and Built Environment 78.4(11.1) 36.1(9.87) College of Engineering 83.2(15.0) 42.9(12.21) College of Science 86.2(11.8) 46.2(10.97) College of Humanities and Social Science 73.8(15.2) 37.2(8.78) College of Health Sciences 79.2(12.5) 39.4(10.64) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 70.4(15.6) 37.1(9.42) t/F; p 9.90;<.001 8.79;<.001 3.3 Multiple regression analysis Table 4 illustrates the regression analysis results of Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scores and Digital Nativity factors with IAT as the dependent variable and the DNAS as the independent variable. The overall model evinces a statistical significance (R = 0.578, R 2 = 0.334, F = 50.9, df1 = 4, df2 = 406, p < 0.001), indicating that the combined predictors of DNAS significantly explains 33.4% of the variance in IAT scores. The model coefficients reveal specific contributions of each construct with an intercept of 6.437 (SE = 2.481, t = 2.595, p = 0.010). Among the digital nativity factors, “growing up with technology” (b = 0.168, SE = 0.172, t = 0.979, p = 0.328) and “comfortable with multitasking” (b = 0.294, SE = 0.150, t = 1.955, p = 0.051) did not reach statistical significance but “Reliant on graphics for communication” (b = 0.647, SE = 0.154, t = 4.198, p < 0.001) and “Thrive on instant gratification and rewards” (b = 0.621, SE = 0.189, t = 3.294, p = 0.001) surfaced as significant predictors. These results suggest that individuals who rely more on graphics for communication and seek instant gratification and rewards tend to have higher Internet Addiction Test scores, contributing to the understanding of the relationship between digital nativity factors and Internet addiction. Table 4. Regression analysis of IAT and DNAS. Model Fit Measures Overall Model test Model R R 2 F df1 df2 P IAT 0.578 0.334 50.9 4 406 <.001 Model Coefficients - Internet Addiction Intercept 6.437 2.481 2.595 0.010 Grow up with technology 0.168 0.172 0.979 0.328 Comfortable with multitasking 0.294 0.150 1.955 0.051 Reliant on graphics for communication 0.647 0.154 4.198 <.001 Thrive on instant gratification and rewards 0.621 0.189 3.294 0.001 Correlation between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Digital Native Assessment Scale Internet Addiction Digital Native Assessment Scale Pearson’s r — p-value — Internet Addiction Pearson’s r — p-value <.001 — 3.4 Correlation analysis between individual traits of DNAS and Internet Addiction Tests (IATs) The correlation analysis provides insight into how Digital Nativity and its specific traits, as measured by the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS), relate towards internet addiction as the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) displayed moderate to strong positive correlations with DNAS constructs, including comfort with multitasking (r = 0.512, p < 0.001), reliance on graphics (r = 0.528, p < 0.001), desire for instant gratification (r = 0.735, p < 0.001), and comfort with technology (r = 0.486, p < 0.001). Individuals with high scores in DNAS constructs are more likely to show general internet addiction behaviours. Table 5 illustrates the correlation coefficients between the constructs of DNAS and IAT. Table 5. Correlation between the individual construct of Digital Nativity and Internet addiction. 1 2 3 4 5 1. Internet Addiction Pearson’s r — p-value — 2. Grow with technology Pearson’s r 0.432 *** — p-value <.001 — 3. Comfort with multitasking Pearson’s r 0.486 *** 0.675 *** — p-value <.001 <.001 — 4. Reliance on graphical communication Pearson’s r 0.512 *** 0.500 *** 0.643 *** — p-value <.001 <.001 <.001 — 5. Preference for instant gratification and rewards Pearson’s r 0.528 0.712 *** 0.705 *** 0.677 *** — p-value <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 — * p < .05. ** p < .01. *** p < .001. 4. Discussion In recent years, the study of digital nativity and its correlation with digital addiction has increased, offering insights into the two variables among students. The rate of digital nativity was equal to moderate to high internet users ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ). The study adds to research on the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, particularly in the context of a Ghanaian university. Consistent with Prensky’s (2001) conceptualisation, the findings of this study reveal that today’s students show moderate to high levels of digital nativity, occupied by technology from a young age. Also, aligning with previous findings shows the current generation’s vast access to digital technologies with variances based on demographics ( Teo, 2013 ). A significant positive correlation (r = 0.569, p < 0.001) between scores on the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) supports previous research suggesting that digital natives’ comfort and reliance on technology increases their exposure to developing addictive internet use behaviours ( Kuss, Griffiths and Binder, 2013 ; Kwon et al. , 2013 ). While DNAS positively predicted internet addiction overall, the correlation with specific forms of internet addiction was less pronounced ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ), making it that different types of internet addiction could likely have distinct causes and not all addictive behaviours are equally associated with that of digital nativity ( de Palo et al. , 2019 ). The regression analysis further explained that specific digital native traits like reliance on graphics for communication and desire for instant gratification significantly influenced higher IAT scores. This corroborates Teo’s (2013) multidimensional framework, which encompasses psychological and behavioural characteristics showing digital nativity beyond just age. While there was scepticism about age being the sole defining factor for digital nativity ( Bennett, Maton and Kervin, 2008 ), the present study found no significant differences in DNAS scores across age groups; academic level and college affiliation emerged as notable factors. Students at higher levels and those in scientific colleges like Engineering and the College of Science exhibited an increase in digital nativity alongside more significant internet addiction behaviours. This varies from the view that the characteristics of digital natives are uniformly distributed across a generation ( Prensky, 2001 ) Instead, it acknowledges the heterogeneity influenced by contextual factors like academic environments in digital literacy and engagement ( Margaryan, Littlejohn and Vojt, 2011 ; Teo, 2013 ). The positive correlations between DNAS constructs and IAT support the premise that digital natives’ neuroplasticity and ducking in technology correspond to cognitive and behavioural patterns, increasing the addiction risk ( Prensky, 2001 ; Bagdi and Bulsara, 2023 ; Wang, 2023 ). As prior research ( de Palo et al. , 2019 ; Bagdi and Bulsara, 2023 ) suggested that distinct types of internet addiction may be driven by different factors beyond global digital native traits. The disciplinary differences observed further show the influence of contextual factors in shaping addictive digital behaviours. 5. Conclusions and implications This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between being a digital native and experiencing tremendous internet addiction among university students in Ghana. Its findings support previous research that has linked higher levels of digital native traits with a higher probability of engaging in addictive internet usage. The study explicitly found a strong positive correlation between scores on the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), providing empirical evidence of this association within the context of an African university. The research also reveals necessary complexities and shades. While digital nativity emerged as a significant predictor of general internet addiction behaviours, its connections with specific forms of internet addiction (e.g., gaming addiction) were less pronounced, suggesting different types of addictive online behaviours driven by clear factors beyond global digital native characteristics. The study challenges the assumptions that digital nativity and internet addiction are uniformly distributed across student populations or generations. Factors such as academic discipline and level of education played a crucial role in the exposure to internet addiction. This aligns with studies recognising variations in digital literacy and technology engagement influenced by environmental and demographic factors. The findings have important implications for digital literacy initiatives, educational policies, and mental health interventions to promote healthy internet usage and mitigate addiction risk. Educators and institutions must recognise that digital native students face higher exposure to internet addiction due to their ducking in technology from a young age ( Kwon et al. , 2013 ). Developing impulse control, self-regulatory skills, and purposeful internet use should be key in training programmes. Tailored intercessions for varied forms of internet addiction are necessary based on their distinct drivers ( de Palo et al., 2019 ). The sample was limited to students from one university in Ghana (KNUST), which may limit the generalisability of the findings to broader populations of African youth. Replicating the study across diverse educational and cultural settings could improve generalisability. Author contributions Akuteye A. D.: Analysis, Methodology, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing; Essel H. B.: Supervision of Methods and Analysis, Writing – Review & Editing, Conceptualization; Nunoo F.: Literature Review, Drafting, Distribution; Tachie-Menson A. (Corresponding Author): Conceptualization, Data Curation, Writing – Review & Editing; Ato Essuman M.: Project Administration, Data Collection, Writing – Review & Editing; Appau E.: Investigation, Data Management, Writing – Review & Editing; Achiamaa Boadi E.: Validation, Writing – Review & Editing; Tetteh Quaye N.: Resources, Writing – Review & Editing. Ethical consideration This study was conducted under the Helsinki Declaration (1964) and equivalent ethical criteria, or its later amendments. The participants in this study were 18 years old and above. Participants’ informed consent was obtained, their privacy and confidentiality were strictly sustained, and all efforts were made to minimise any potential harm or discomfort, including the option to withdraw at any time. The Ethical Committee of the Department of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology approved the study (Approved on January 10, EIST-EC/REF No.: 101/01/2023 ). Institutional review board statement The EIST-EC has thoroughly reviewed your ethical considerations and has noted the precautions taken to ensure participant protection. We believe you have met all ethical research standards and that these will be upheld throughout the research. The Committee reserves the right to withdraw its approval if it is adequately informed that ethical standards are not being adhered to. Chairman, EIST-EC Informed consent statement Written informed consent was obtained from the participants to publish this paper. Data availability Underlying data Mendeley Data: Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction , 10.17632/nn3fwy4h4f.1 ( Akuteye et al. , 2024 ). This project contains the following underlying data: • Responses : The dataset of participant responses. Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license and in adherence to the STROBE guideline. Extended data Mendeley Data: Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction , https://doi.org/10.17632/nn3fwy4h4f.1 ( Akuteye et al. , 2024 ). This project contains the following extended data: • Extended Data : The questionnaire used in the study. Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license and in adherence to the STROBE guideline. References Rosliza AM, et al. : Internet Addiction among Undergraduate Students: Evidence from a Malaysian Public University. IIUM Med. J. Malays. 2020; 17 (2). Publisher Full Text Acharya S, et al. : Internet Addiction and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduate Students in Kathmandu, Nepal. J. Addict. 2023; 2023 : 1–9. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Adarkwah MA, Huang R: Technology addiction, abduction and adoption in higher education: Bird’s eye view of the ICT4AD policy in Ghana 20 years on. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2023; 54 : 1484–1504. Publisher Full Text Akuteye AD, Tachie-Menson A, Barton Essel H, et al. : Digital nativity and internet addiction data and extended data. [Dataset]. Mendeley Data. 2024; V1 . Publisher Full Text AlHeneidi HH, Smith AP: Exploring the Influence of Information Overload, Internet Addiction, and Social Network Addiction, on Students’ Well-Being and Academic Outcomes. Communications in Computer and Information Science. 2021; 1493 : 116–135. Publisher Full Text Ariyadasa G, et al. : Adaptation, Translation, and Validation of Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to Detect Internet Addiction Disorder among 15-19-Year-Old Adolescents in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation. 2023; 1 (3): 24–33. Publisher Full Text Bagdi H, Bulsara HP: Understanding the role of perceived enjoyment, self-efficacy and system accessibility: digital natives’ online learning intentions. J. Appl. Res. Higher Educ. 2023; 15 (5): 1618–1631. Publisher Full Text Baltaci UB, Yilmaz M, Tras Z: The Relationships between Internet Addiction, Social Appearance Anxiety and Coping with Stress. Int. Educ. Stud. 2021; 14 (5): 135–144. Publisher Full Text Barrault S, et al. : L’addiction aux smartphones: validation française de l’échelle Internet Addiction Test-version smartphone (IAT-smartphone) et caractéristiques psychopathologiques associées. L’Encéphale. 2019; 45 (1): 53–59. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text Beard KW: Internet Addiction: A Review of Current Assessment Techniques and Potential Assessment Questions. Cyberpsychol. Behav. 2005; 8 (1): 7–14. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text Bennett S, Corrin L: From Digital Natives to Student Experiences With Technology.2019; 356–366. Publisher Full Text Bennett S, Maton K, Kervin L: The “digital natives” debate: A critical review of the evidence. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2008; 39 (5): 775–786. Publisher Full Text Calvani A, et al. : Are young generations in secondary school digitally competent? A study on Italian teenagers. Comput. Educ. 2012; 58 (2): 797–807. Publisher Full Text Černja I, Vejmelka L, Rajter M: Internet addiction test: Croatian preliminary study. BMC Psychiatry. 2019; 19 (1): 388. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text de Palo V , et al. : Measurement Invariance of the Nine-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS9-SF) Across Albania, USA, UK, and Italy. Int. J. Ment. Heal. Addict. 2019; 17 (4): 935–946. Publisher Full Text Dossi N, Pesce RC: Neural Mechanisms of the Reward System and the Cognitive Control System in Internet Addicts. Sci. Insights. 2023; 42 (3): 867–875. Publisher Full Text Essel HB, et al. : The Impact of Mental Health Predictors of Internet Addiction among Pre-Service Teachers in Ghana. Behav. Sci. 2022; 13 (1): 20. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Fernando D, Rahardjo W: How About Family Social Support and Internet Addiction Influence Academic Achievement In Students At The X University.no date. Publisher Full Text Gupta K, et al. : Internet gaming addiction – a bibliometric review. Inf. Discov. Deliv. 2023; 52 : 62–72. Publisher Full Text Hoffmann CP, Lutz C, Meckel M: Digital Natives or Digital Immigrants? The Impact of User Characteristics on Online Trust. J. Manag. Inf. Syst. 2014; 31 (3): 138–171. Publisher Full Text Huang F, Teo T, He J: Digital nativity of university teachers in China: factor structure and measurement invariance of the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS). Interact. Learn. Environ. 2019; 29 (3): 385–399. Publisher Full Text Hui L, Teng LS, Guo F: Modeling the relationship between digital nativity and Smartphone usage in learning English as a foreign language contexts. Front. Psychol. 2022; 13 . PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Ikeda E, et al. : Predicting future internet addiction using stress-coping strategies at admission among undergraduate students: A risk-factor analysis. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 2022; 76 (4): 122–123. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text Jacob J: Internet Addiction, Locus of Control and Resilience. J. Soc. Sci. 2020; 19 (1): 27–45. Publisher Full Text Kolaib AA, Alhazmi AH, Kulaib MA: Prevalence of internet addiction and its associated factors among medical students at Taiba University, Saudi Arabia. J. Family Med. Prim. Care. 2020; 9 (9): 4797–4800. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Kuss DJ, Griffiths MD, Binder JF: Internet addiction in students: Prevalence and risk factors. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2013; 29 (3): 959–966. Publisher Full Text Kwon M, et al. : The Smartphone Addiction Scale: Development and Validation of a Short Version for Adolescents. PLoS One. 2013; 8 (12): e83558. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Lai C, et al. : Neural correlate of Internet use in patients undergoing psychological treatment for Internet addiction. J. Ment. Health. 2017; 26 (3): 276–282. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text Li YY, et al. : Internet Addiction Increases in the General Population During COVID-19: Evidence From China. Am. J. Addict. 2021; 30 (4): 389–397. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Lukić I, Ranković D, Ranković N: The presence of internet addiction among high school students. Zdravstvena zastita. 2017; 46 (4): 33–40. Publisher Full Text Margaryan A, Littlejohn A, Vojt G: Are digital natives a myth or reality? University students’ use of digital technologies. Comput. Educ. 2011; 56 (2): 429–440. Publisher Full Text Mboya IB, et al. : Internet addiction and associated factors among medical and allied health sciences students in northern Tanzania: A cross-sectional study. BMC Psychol. 2020; 8 (1): 1–8. Publisher Full Text Dr. Memon TF , et al. : Internet Use and Its Addiction Among Medical Students in Hyderabad, Pakistan. J. Islamabad Med. Dent. Coll. 2021; 10 (4): 227–232. Publisher Full Text Naseem A, et al. : Correlation of internet addiction with academic performance and general health in undergraduate physiotherapy students. Pak. BioMed. Sci. 2021; 4 (2): 224–228. Publisher Full Text Özarıcı E, Cangöl Sögüt S: The relationship between internet addiction and risky health behaviors in university students: A cross-sectional study in Turkey. Perspect. Psychiatr. Care. 2022; 58 (1): 214–220. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text Pezoa-Jares RE: Internet Addiction: A Review. J. Addict. Res. Ther. 2012. [Preprint]. Publisher Full Text Pick JB, Sarkar A: Digital Divide in Africa.2015; 275–310. Publisher Full Text Prensky M: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon. 2001; 9 (5): 1–6. Publisher Full Text Pujitha B, et al. : A Comparative study on Internet Addiction among Medical students and Engineering students. Telengana J. IMA. 2022; 02 (02): 24–29. Publisher Full Text Salehi M, et al. : Impulsivity, inhibition, and internet addiction in medical students of North of Iran. Front. Psych. 2023; 13 : 1002625. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Salicetia F: Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). Procedia. Soc. Behav. Sci. 2015; 191 : 1372–1376. Publisher Full Text Sharma MK, Hallford DJ, Anand N: Psychometric evaluation of the internet addiction test in India. Asian J. Psychiatr. 2022; 73 : 103136. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text Tateno M, et al. : Clinical Usefulness of a Short Version of the Internet Addiction Test to Screen for Probable Internet Addiction in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2023; 20 (5): 4670. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Teo T: An initial development and validation of a Digital Natives Assessment Scale (DNAS). Comput. Educ. 2013; 67 : 51–57. Publisher Full Text Teo T, Huang F, He J: Measurement invariance and latent mean differences of the digital native assessment scale across Chinese mainland, Macau, and Taiwan: an exploratory structural equation modeling approach. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2022; 1–13. Publisher Full Text Teo T, Kabakçı Yurdakul I, Ursavaş ÖF: Exploring the digital natives among pre-service teachers in Turkey: a cross-cultural validation of the Digital Native Assessment Scale. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2016; 24 (6): 1231–1244. Publisher Full Text Wang HY, Sigerson L, Cheng C: Digital Nativity and Information Technology Addiction: Age cohort versus individual difference approaches. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2019; 90 : 1–9. Publisher Full Text Wang Y: Analysis on the causes of Internet addiction among Chinese college students. J. Educ. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2023; 8 : 2514–2519. Publisher Full Text Xie X, Cheng H, Chen Z: Anxiety predicts internet addiction, which predicts depression among male college students: A cross-lagged comparison by sex. Front. Psychol. 2023; 13 : 1102066. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text Yaunin Y, et al. : The Relationship between Stress, Personality, Dopamine Transporter, and Serotonin Transporter Level with Internet Addiction in Secondary School Students in Padang. Open Access Maced. J. Med. Sci. 2021; 9 (T3): 335–339. Publisher Full Text Young KS: Internet Addiction Test (IAT) Manual. In The Center for Internet Addiction. 1998; pp. 1–10. Reference Source Zhang S, et al. : Correlation between Internet Addiction Disorder and Mental Health of Junior Middle School Students in Chengdu. Environ. Soc. Psychol. 2021; 6 (1): 642914. Publisher Full Text Comments on this article Comments (0) Version 1 VERSION 1 PUBLISHED 27 Jan 2025 ADD YOUR COMMENT Comment Author details Author details 1 Educational Innovations in Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology College of Arts and Social Science, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana 2 Publishing Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology College of Arts and Social Science, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana Akosua Tachie-Menson Roles: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Writing – Original Draft Preparation Harry Barton Essel Roles: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Methodology, Visualization Michael Ato Essuman Roles: Data Curation, Methodology, Visualization Francis Kofi Nimo Nunoo Roles: Data Curation, Investigation, Resources, Visualization Emmanuel Appau Roles: Data Curation, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation Aaron Daniel Akuteye Roles: Data Curation, Investigation, Validation, Writing – Original Draft Preparation Eunice Achiamaa Boadi Roles: Formal Analysis, Methodology, Validation Nathaniel Tetteh Quaye Roles: Investigation, Validation, Visualization, Writing – Original Draft Preparation Competing interests No competing interests were disclosed. Grant information The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work. Article Versions (1) version 1 Published: 27 Jan 2025, 14:139 https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.156283.1 Copyright © 2025 Tachie-Menson A et al . This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The author(s) is/are employees of the US Government and therefore domestic copyright protection in USA does not apply to this work. The work may be protected under the copyright laws of other jurisdictions when used in those jurisdictions. Download Export To Sciwheel Bibtex EndNote ProCite Ref. Manager (RIS) Sente metrics Views Downloads F1000Research - - PubMed Central info_outline Data from PMC are received and updated monthly. - - Citations open_in_new 0 open_in_new 0 open_in_new SEE MORE DETAILS CITE how to cite this article Tachie-Menson A, Essel HB, Essuman MA et al. Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.156283.1 ) NOTE: If applicable, it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article. COPY CITATION DETAILS track receive updates on this article Track an article to receive email alerts on any updates to this article. TRACK THIS ARTICLE Share Open Peer Review Current Reviewer Status: ? Key to Reviewer Statuses VIEW HIDE Approved The paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested Approved with reservations A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit. Not approved Fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions Version 1 VERSION 1 PUBLISHED 27 Jan 2025 Views 0 Cite How to cite this report: Seema R. Reviewer Report For: Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r389047 ) The direct URL for this report is: https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1#referee-response-389047 NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in this citation. Close Copy Citation Details Reviewer Report 13 Jun 2025 Riin Seema , Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia Not Approved VIEWS 0 https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r389047 This very interesting and important study reflects relationship between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction among University Students in Ghana. I very much appreciate the focus and idea of the study. The study directed me as a reader to many interesting ... Continue reading READ ALL This very interesting and important study reflects relationship between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction among University Students in Ghana. I very much appreciate the focus and idea of the study. The study directed me as a reader to many interesting sources. Still, I see lots of room for improvements. Firstly, I checked all the original papers used in the Introduction and Conclusion. There are many sentences (see below), were the reference/citations is not a suitable/correct reference/match for supporting the idea. In the introduction You told: “This results from being in a technologically advanced environment where digital natives’ neuroplasticity has altered the structure of their brains. This is shaped by the frequent interactions with technologies, which cause younger individuals to process information differently than their older counterparts. Research confirms that digital literacy includes how the digital age impacts people’s cognitive processes, habits, and learning styles ( Bennett and Corrin, 2019 ; Margaryan, Littlejohn and Vojt, 2011 )” It would like to read some real brain scan research, original brain study source to confirm this claim of neuroplasticity of digital natives. In addition, there is a missing citation at the end of the work: Margaryan, Littlejohn and Vojt, 2011 . You told: “Digital addiction has become a primary global concern across various forms, such as internet addiction, gaming addiction, and obsessive use of digital devices. It has gained significant attention due to its effects on mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being ( Kuss, Griffiths and Binder, 2013 ; Essel et al. , 2022 ). Actually, both cited papers are about internet addiction, but the sentence talks also about gaming addiction. It would be good, if you cite any gaming addiction studies (of university students) as well here. You told: “Internet addiction is characterised by futile time management, an overpowering need for online activities, and the inability to regulate usage, resulting in social issues. ( Kolaib, Alhazmi and Kulaib, 2020 ; Sharma, Hallford and Anand, 2022 ).” No need for a point before the brackets. The first reference discusses about relations between internet addiction and screen time. The other reference was about psychometric evaluation of the internet addiction test in India. Either paper talked about time management or social issues. Please find more precise references to support your claims. You told: “Stress-coping strategies, anxiety, depression, and impulsivity ( Zhang et al. , 2021 ; Xie, Cheng and Chen, 2023 ),...” I would like the authors to be more precise with matching their text with citations. I did not find that those two authors study stress-coping strategies, or impulsivity. Especially at the time of AI, ChatGPT and all digital technologies that can produce massive text, with only weak connections with original papers, it is important that authors be very correct at what they tell . I found that the paper that you cited next (AlHeneidi Smith, 2021) - discussed impulsivity. AlHeneidi HH, Smith AP: Exploring the Influence of Information Overload, Internet Addiction, and Social Network Addiction, on Students’ Well-Being and Academic Outcomes. Communications in Computer and Information Science. 2021; 1493 : 116–135. Publisher Full Text You told: “Neuroticism and introversion correlate with internet addiction among university students ( Pujitha et al. , 2022 ).“ It is a very interesting study, but I did not found that the study discuss neuroticism and introversion. You told: “The impact of internet addiction is different across regions and populations, such as students, adolescents, and adults. ( Yaunin et al. , 2021 ; Zhang et al. , 2021 ; Özarıcı and Cangöl Sögüt, 2022 ).” I find the sentence do not match the cited articles. The sentence is not correct, from the viewpoint of the articles. The articles do not compare different regions and populations; therefore, we cannot tell that they are different. You told: “This has been a great concern among university students, highlighting its impact on academic performance, behaviour, and ( Mboya et al., 2020 ; Acharya et al., 2023 ; Salehi et al., 2023 ).” The sentences is cut in the middle. You told: “However, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating the specific role of digital nativity in influencing behaviour tendencies of internet addiction, especially within the African context ( Beard, 2005 ; Pezoa-Jares, 2012 ; Salicetia, 2015 ; Lai et al. , 2017 ; Pujitha et al. , 2022 ). “ With this sentence, there are linked five studies, which are very interesting, but not very clearly linked with the concrete sentences. As an example, the Lai et al., 2017 study is about neural correlate of Internet use in patients undergoing psychological treatment for Internet addiction. Research questions: Please compare research questions 1 and 3. Do you think digital proficiency and digital nativity are the same constructs? 2.2 Measures “The DNAS has 21 items divided into four distinct constructs: (1) grew up with technology, (2) Comfortable with multitasking, (3) Reliant on graphics for communication, and (4) thrives on instant gratifications and rewards. Teo, Kabakçı Yurdakul and Ursavaş (2016).“ Could you please check uppercase and lowercase letters of the sub-tests? Did you translate or adapt the test for Ghana? Since the previous studies were carried out in Chinese mainland, Macau and Taiwan and Turkey? Teo T, Huang F, He J: Measurement invariance and latent mean differences of the digital native assessment scale across Chinese mainland, Macau, and Taiwan: an exploratory structural equation modeling approach. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2022; 1–13. Publisher Full Text Teo T, Kabakçı Yurdakul I, Ursavaş ÖF: Exploring the digital natives among pre-service teachers in Turkey: a cross-cultural validation of the Digital Native Assessment Scale. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2016; 24 (6): 1231–1244. Publisher Full Text 2.2.2 Internet Addiction You told: “ Young (1998) introduced the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to assess internet addiction among students. To use employ the IAT in this study, permission was sought from the original authors .” From whom - the author(s), was the permission asked? I even do not know how the permission should be asked after the author has passed away. Matthias B, Marc N P. In memory of Dr. Kimberly S. Young: The story of a pioneer. J Behav Addict. 2019 Mar 1;8(1):1-2. doi: 10.1556/2006.8.2019.14. Epub 2019 Mar 31. PMID: 30931576; PMCID: PMC7044608. You told: “The abbreviated version of the IAT (s-IAT) has been proven effective in detecting internet addiction among autistic adolescents ( Tateno et al. , 2023 ) and was also used to assess problematic internet use among university students in Malaysia ( Černja, Vejmelka and Rajter, 2019 ). In a study of Croatian adolescents, the IAT was found to have a three-factor structure: cognitive internet preoccupation, neglecting work and lack of self-control, and social problems. The IAT has also been validated in the French population, showing a strong association between smartphone addiction and internet addiction ( Barrault et al. , 2019 ). In the Indian population, the IAT demonstrated a one-factor structure, with the condensed form of the IAT showing construct and convergent validity in measuring symptoms related to internet addiction ( Sharma, Hallford and Anand, 2022 ).” About the measurement and history of the Internet Addiction could be discussed in the theoretical part. Here please discuss only the concrete scale you used, otherwise it is confusing for the reader. What was the internet addiction test you used? If you translated or adapted anything in Ghana, then please provide any measures on reliability and validity of the test, and its factor structure. You told: “The DNAS mean score was higher than that of the IAT, indicating that the participants had higher levels of digital nativity and less internet addiction.” How do you interpret the scores? The summary score of any scale depends on the number of items. If the scales have different number of items then you cannot just compare the mean scores. Table 3. Comparing differences in sociodemographic variables and DNAS and IAT. I do not understand in this table the t/F; p values. Too many values together. Your research question was about correlation, but you presented also a regression analysis. If you wish to use regression analysis, could you please state a suitable research questions as well. Sorry, I am not good at assessing the correctness of the Regression analysis. I would like to read any discussion about the Figure 2, and wish to know what the Cronbach alpha values of each subtests were. 4. Discussion You told: “In recent years, the study of digital nativity and its correlation with digital addiction has increased, offering insights into the two variables among students. The rate of digital nativity was equal to moderate to high internet users ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ). “ The cited paper is about internet addiction and gaming disorder, not digital nativity. You told: “While DNAS positively predicted internet addiction overall, the correlation with specific forms of internet addiction was less pronounced ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ),” W hy you cite this paper, if you do not discuss here about gaming addiction? “Making it that different types of internet addiction could likely have distinct causes and not all addictive behaviours are equally associated with that of digital nativity ( de Palo et al. , 2019 ). Why you cite this paper, if you do not talk about gaming disorder? It is important to use constructs and studies correctly. “The regression analysis further explained that specific digital native traits like reliance on graphics for communication and desire for instant gratification significantly influenced higher IAT scores." Regression analysis helps to predict results. While regression doesn’t "cause" anything directly, it informs decisions and strategies by quantifying relationships between factors. You told: ( In results section) "The descriptive statistics suggest that the participants were digitally native with moderately low levels of internet addiction (See Figures 1 and 2 )." 5. Conclusions and implications "This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between being a digital native and experiencing tremendous internet addiction among university students in Ghana." In the result, you told one thing, but in discussion, you told something else , here is a conflict of ideas. You told: “While DNAS positively predicted internet addiction overall, the correlation with specific forms of internet addiction was less pronounced ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ), making it that different types of internet addiction could likely have distinct causes and not all addictive behaviours are equally associated with that of digital nativity ( de Palo et al. , 2019 ).” What specific forms of internet addiction you measured here? “While digital nativity emerged as a significant predictor of general internet addiction behaviours, its connections with specific forms of internet addiction ( e.g., gaming addiction) were less pronounced , suggesting different types of addictive online behaviours driven by clear factors beyond global digital native characteristics. “ You did not measure gaming disorder in this study. In conclusion, I do not find this study in the current form to be a scientific study. It needs a careful work with literature and some more work with analysis of the empirical study. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? No Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? No Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? No If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? I cannot comment. A qualified statistician is required. Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? Partly Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? No Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. Reviewer Expertise: Scale development, adaptation and validation, digital addiction, educational counselling. I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to state that I do not consider it to be of an acceptable scientific standard, for reasons outlined above. Close READ LESS CITE CITE HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT Seema R. Reviewer Report For: Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r389047 ) The direct URL for this report is: https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1#referee-response-389047 NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article. COPY CITATION DETAILS Report a concern Respond or Comment COMMENT ON THIS REPORT Views 0 Cite How to cite this report: Akçakese A. Reviewer Report For: Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r368376 ) The direct URL for this report is: https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1#referee-response-368376 NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in this citation. Close Copy Citation Details Reviewer Report 12 Mar 2025 Andaç Akçakese , Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey Not Approved VIEWS 0 https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r368376 Thank you for the opportunity to review this study. While the topic is interesting and relevant to the field, I find that the research design, including the formulation of research questions, methodological approach, and overall study framework, does not align ... Continue reading READ ALL Thank you for the opportunity to review this study. While the topic is interesting and relevant to the field, I find that the research design, including the formulation of research questions, methodological approach, and overall study framework, does not align with the current standards of scientific research. The study lacks methodological rigor, which raises concerns about the reliability and validity of the findings. Additionally, the research questions and hypotheses are not clearly structured, making it difficult to assess whether the study effectively addresses its objectives. The analytical approach, while incorporating standard statistical methods, does not fully justify the selection of tests or account for potential limitations in data interpretation. Given these methodological shortcomings and the lack of clarity in research design, I do not believe the study meets the necessary criteria for acceptance . Therefore, my recommendation is to reject the manuscript in its current form . Abstract: The abstract effectively presents the research focus, methodology, and key findings. It clearly states the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, providing statistical evidence (r = 0.569, p < 0.001) to support its conclusions. The sample size is adequate, and participant distribution by gender and academic discipline is well-detailed. However, the abstract lacks a clear background statement explaining the significance of the study . The research question or hypothesis is implied but not explicitly stated. While the methodology is described concisely, it does not mention the data collection process or the specific statistical tests used. Additionally, the abstract does not provide recommendations or implications based on the findings, which are essential for demonstrating the study’s practical contributions. Including a sentence on potential interventions or future research directions would improve the overall impact of the abstract. Introduction and Literature Review: The introduction provides a broad overview of digital nativity and internet addiction, linking them to previous literature. It highlights the distinction between digital natives and digital immigrants and discusses the evolution of digital nativity as a concept. The literature review presents relevant studies and theoretical perspectives, contributing to a well-rounded discussion. The introduction effectively explains the importance of understanding digital nativity beyond age, considering psychological and behavioral aspects. The research questions are clearly stated, outlining the study's objectives. However, the introduction lacks a clear problem statement that explicitly defines the research gap . While it mentions that the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction is underexplored, it does not fully explain why this relationship has been overlooked in previous studies. The rationale for selecting the study population (students at KNUST) is not explicitly stated. The introduction does not provide a detailed justification for why this population is unique or why findings from this group may differ from those in other regions. Additionally, the theoretical framework is not clearly explained. The introduction references multiple studies, but it does not provide a structured discussion of the theoretical model underlying the research. The literature review is extensive, but it lacks a clear organization around hypotheses . While the introduction touches on major variables and trends, it does not clearly define the hypotheses or justify their inclusion in the study. The review would benefit from structured paragraphs that separately discuss each hypothesis, providing theoretical and empirical justification for the proposed relationships. The study's hypotheses should be clearly developed based on existing literature, explaining how previous findings support or contradict the expected relationships. Methods: The methods section provides a clear outline of the study design, participant selection, measurement instruments, data analysis, and ethical considerations. The quantitative, descriptive correlational design is appropriate for investigating the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction. The use of the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is well justified, with proper references to their reliability and validity in different contexts. The data collection process through Microsoft Forms, email, WhatsApp, and in-person recruitment is also described. The stratified random sampling method is well explained, ensuring proportional representation of students from different colleges at KNUST. The inclusion of demographic details strengthens the methodological rigor. However, several areas require improvement . The section does not provide a justification for why the sample size of 411 participants was considered sufficient. There is no mention of how the sample size was determined—whether through power analysis or another statistical method. Additionally, the section does not specify how many researchers were involved in data collection or how they ensured response accuracy and completeness. More detail on the data collection procedure, such as response rate or potential biases from self-selection, would improve transparency. The data analysis plan is well-structured, explaining the use of independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, regression analyses, and Pearson correlation. However, it does not justify why these statistical tests were chosen in relation to the study’s objectives . Including an explanation of how these analyses align with the research questions would strengthen the methodology. The use of Jamovi software is appropriate and clearly stated, but it would be beneficial to briefly explain why it was chosen over other statistical programs. Ethical considerations are well addressed, with approval from the Ethical Committee, adherence to the Helsinki Declaration, and details on participant consent and confidentiality. However, it would be useful to mention any specific measures taken to ensure the anonymity of responses, such as data encryption or removal of identifying information . Results: The results section presents a well-structured analysis of digital nativity and internet addiction among university students. The descriptive statistics provide a clear overview of the distribution of scores, including mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis, which help assess the normality of the data. The use of t-tests to compare gender differences in digital nativity and ANOVA to examine variations across different colleges is appropriate. The findings indicate no significant gender differences in digital nativity, while significant differences exist across colleges, with the College of Science students scoring the highest. The multiple regression analysis is also well-executed, showing that digital nativity factors explain 33.4% of the variance in internet addiction scores. The correlation analysis further strengthens the results by highlighting the relationship between specific digital nativity traits and internet addiction. Despite these strengths, there are some areas for improvement . The study does not report whether gender differences exist in internet addiction levels, even though previous research suggests that internet addiction may be influenced by gender. Conducting a t-test for IAT scores across genders would add valuable insights. Additionally, the regression analysis does not include multicollinearity checks, such as the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF), which would ensure that the predictor variables are not highly correlated. Including effect size measures, such as Cohen’s d for t-tests and η² for ANOVA, would enhance the interpretation of statistical significance by indicating the practical importance of the differences found. Furthermore, while the study assumes a linear relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, it does not explore potential non-linear effects. A scatterplot analysis or a quadratic regression model could help determine if the relationship is more complex. The study could also benefit from mediation or moderation analysis. Since "reliance on graphics for communication" and "instant gratification" emerged as significant predictors of internet addiction, testing whether these variables mediate the relationship between overall digital nativity and internet addiction could provide deeper insights. Additionally, exploring whether factors such as gender or academic level moderate these relationships would add to the study’s explanatory power. Lastly, given the cross-sectional design, it is important to acknowledge the limitations in establishing causal relationships. If longitudinal data were available, a cross-lagged panel analysis could test whether digital nativity influences internet addiction over time. Discussion and Conclusion The discussion effectively summarizes the study’s findings and places them in the context of existing literature. It highlights the significant positive correlation between digital nativity and internet addiction and acknowledges that academic discipline and education level play a role in shaping internet addiction behaviors. The study challenges the assumption that digital nativity and internet addiction are uniformly distributed across student populations, emphasizing that contextual factors influence these behaviors. The implications for digital literacy, educational policies, and mental health interventions are well articulated, offering practical applications for institutions and educators. The acknowledgment of limitations, particularly the sample being limited to one university, adds transparency to the findings. However, it lacks a clear structure in presenting findings related to each hypothesis . The analysis should separate key findings into individual sections, ensuring that each hypothesis is discussed in detail. For example, one paragraph should focus on the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, another on academic discipline differences, and another on education level. This would improve clarity and make it easier to understand how each result contributes to the overall research question. This section does not explore alternative explanations for unexpected results . While reliance on graphics for communication and instant gratification significantly predicted internet addiction, other digital nativity traits, such as growing up with technology, did not. Possible reasons for this discrepancy should be discussed, such as measurement limitations, cultural differences, or the evolving nature of digital engagement. Addressing these aspects would strengthen the interpretation of results. This section d oes not critically assess other potential methodological limitations beyond sample generalizability . The use of self-reported measures may have introduced response bias, as participants might have underreported or exaggerated their internet addiction behaviors. Additionally, external factors such as social media trends, online learning requirements, or technological infrastructure in Ghana might have influenced digital nativity levels. A deeper discussion of these issues would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the study’s limitations. Future research directions are mentioned but not specified in detail . While the study suggests replication in diverse settings, it does not outline what specific aspects should be explored further. Future studies could investigate different forms of internet addiction separately, such as social media addiction versus gaming addiction, to determine whether digital nativity affects them differently. Additionally, longitudinal studies could track how digital nativity evolves over time and whether it continues to influence internet addiction as students progress through their academic careers. These recommendations would help build upon the study’s findings and provide a roadmap for future research. There are minor issues with wording and phrasing . The phrase "ducking in technology" appears to be a typographical error, likely intended as "immersed in technology." Ensuring clarity in wording and avoiding minor errors would improve readability and professionalism. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? Partly Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? Partly Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? No If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? No Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? Partly Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? Partly Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed. Reviewer Expertise: My research focuses on leisure studies, recreation management, and tourism, with an emphasis on behavioral, psychological, and social aspects. I explore topics such as leisure competence, recreational service quality, digital leisure, and sustainable consumption behaviors. My work examines how leisure activities, including digital and interactive experiences, influence well-being, resilience, and environmental behavior. My studies incorporate statistical analysis, survey research, and qualitative methods to analyze user experiences, attitudes, and motivations across different leisure contexts. I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to state that I do not consider it to be of an acceptable scientific standard, for reasons outlined above. Close READ LESS CITE CITE HOW TO CITE THIS REPORT Akçakese A. Reviewer Report For: Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r368376 ) The direct URL for this report is: https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1#referee-response-368376 NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in all citations of this article. COPY CITATION DETAILS Report a concern Respond or Comment COMMENT ON THIS REPORT Comments on this article Comments (0) Version 1 VERSION 1 PUBLISHED 27 Jan 2025 ADD YOUR COMMENT Comment keyboard_arrow_left keyboard_arrow_right Open Peer Review Reviewer Status info_outline Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article: Approved The paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested Approved with reservations A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit. Not approved Fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions Reviewer Reports Invited Reviewers 1 2 Version 1 27 Jan 25 read read Andaç Akçakese , Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey Riin Seema , Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia Comments on this article All Comments (0) Add a comment Sign up for content alerts Sign Up You are now signed up to receive this alert Browse by related subjects keyboard_arrow_left Back to all reports Reviewer Report 0 Views copyright © 2025 Seema R. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 13 Jun 2025 | for Version 1 Riin Seema , Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia 0 Views copyright © 2025 Seema R. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. format_quote Cite this report speaker_notes Responses (0) Not Approved info_outline Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article: Approved The paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested Approved with reservations A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit. Not approved Fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions This very interesting and important study reflects relationship between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction among University Students in Ghana. I very much appreciate the focus and idea of the study. The study directed me as a reader to many interesting sources. Still, I see lots of room for improvements. Firstly, I checked all the original papers used in the Introduction and Conclusion. There are many sentences (see below), were the reference/citations is not a suitable/correct reference/match for supporting the idea. In the introduction You told: “This results from being in a technologically advanced environment where digital natives’ neuroplasticity has altered the structure of their brains. This is shaped by the frequent interactions with technologies, which cause younger individuals to process information differently than their older counterparts. Research confirms that digital literacy includes how the digital age impacts people’s cognitive processes, habits, and learning styles ( Bennett and Corrin, 2019 ; Margaryan, Littlejohn and Vojt, 2011 )” It would like to read some real brain scan research, original brain study source to confirm this claim of neuroplasticity of digital natives. In addition, there is a missing citation at the end of the work: Margaryan, Littlejohn and Vojt, 2011 . You told: “Digital addiction has become a primary global concern across various forms, such as internet addiction, gaming addiction, and obsessive use of digital devices. It has gained significant attention due to its effects on mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being ( Kuss, Griffiths and Binder, 2013 ; Essel et al. , 2022 ). Actually, both cited papers are about internet addiction, but the sentence talks also about gaming addiction. It would be good, if you cite any gaming addiction studies (of university students) as well here. You told: “Internet addiction is characterised by futile time management, an overpowering need for online activities, and the inability to regulate usage, resulting in social issues. ( Kolaib, Alhazmi and Kulaib, 2020 ; Sharma, Hallford and Anand, 2022 ).” No need for a point before the brackets. The first reference discusses about relations between internet addiction and screen time. The other reference was about psychometric evaluation of the internet addiction test in India. Either paper talked about time management or social issues. Please find more precise references to support your claims. You told: “Stress-coping strategies, anxiety, depression, and impulsivity ( Zhang et al. , 2021 ; Xie, Cheng and Chen, 2023 ),...” I would like the authors to be more precise with matching their text with citations. I did not find that those two authors study stress-coping strategies, or impulsivity. Especially at the time of AI, ChatGPT and all digital technologies that can produce massive text, with only weak connections with original papers, it is important that authors be very correct at what they tell . I found that the paper that you cited next (AlHeneidi Smith, 2021) - discussed impulsivity. AlHeneidi HH, Smith AP: Exploring the Influence of Information Overload, Internet Addiction, and Social Network Addiction, on Students’ Well-Being and Academic Outcomes. Communications in Computer and Information Science. 2021; 1493 : 116–135. Publisher Full Text You told: “Neuroticism and introversion correlate with internet addiction among university students ( Pujitha et al. , 2022 ).“ It is a very interesting study, but I did not found that the study discuss neuroticism and introversion. You told: “The impact of internet addiction is different across regions and populations, such as students, adolescents, and adults. ( Yaunin et al. , 2021 ; Zhang et al. , 2021 ; Özarıcı and Cangöl Sögüt, 2022 ).” I find the sentence do not match the cited articles. The sentence is not correct, from the viewpoint of the articles. The articles do not compare different regions and populations; therefore, we cannot tell that they are different. You told: “This has been a great concern among university students, highlighting its impact on academic performance, behaviour, and ( Mboya et al., 2020 ; Acharya et al., 2023 ; Salehi et al., 2023 ).” The sentences is cut in the middle. You told: “However, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating the specific role of digital nativity in influencing behaviour tendencies of internet addiction, especially within the African context ( Beard, 2005 ; Pezoa-Jares, 2012 ; Salicetia, 2015 ; Lai et al. , 2017 ; Pujitha et al. , 2022 ). “ With this sentence, there are linked five studies, which are very interesting, but not very clearly linked with the concrete sentences. As an example, the Lai et al., 2017 study is about neural correlate of Internet use in patients undergoing psychological treatment for Internet addiction. Research questions: Please compare research questions 1 and 3. Do you think digital proficiency and digital nativity are the same constructs? 2.2 Measures “The DNAS has 21 items divided into four distinct constructs: (1) grew up with technology, (2) Comfortable with multitasking, (3) Reliant on graphics for communication, and (4) thrives on instant gratifications and rewards. Teo, Kabakçı Yurdakul and Ursavaş (2016).“ Could you please check uppercase and lowercase letters of the sub-tests? Did you translate or adapt the test for Ghana? Since the previous studies were carried out in Chinese mainland, Macau and Taiwan and Turkey? Teo T, Huang F, He J: Measurement invariance and latent mean differences of the digital native assessment scale across Chinese mainland, Macau, and Taiwan: an exploratory structural equation modeling approach. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2022; 1–13. Publisher Full Text Teo T, Kabakçı Yurdakul I, Ursavaş ÖF: Exploring the digital natives among pre-service teachers in Turkey: a cross-cultural validation of the Digital Native Assessment Scale. Interact. Learn. Environ. 2016; 24 (6): 1231–1244. Publisher Full Text 2.2.2 Internet Addiction You told: “ Young (1998) introduced the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to assess internet addiction among students. To use employ the IAT in this study, permission was sought from the original authors .” From whom - the author(s), was the permission asked? I even do not know how the permission should be asked after the author has passed away. Matthias B, Marc N P. In memory of Dr. Kimberly S. Young: The story of a pioneer. J Behav Addict. 2019 Mar 1;8(1):1-2. doi: 10.1556/2006.8.2019.14. Epub 2019 Mar 31. PMID: 30931576; PMCID: PMC7044608. You told: “The abbreviated version of the IAT (s-IAT) has been proven effective in detecting internet addiction among autistic adolescents ( Tateno et al. , 2023 ) and was also used to assess problematic internet use among university students in Malaysia ( Černja, Vejmelka and Rajter, 2019 ). In a study of Croatian adolescents, the IAT was found to have a three-factor structure: cognitive internet preoccupation, neglecting work and lack of self-control, and social problems. The IAT has also been validated in the French population, showing a strong association between smartphone addiction and internet addiction ( Barrault et al. , 2019 ). In the Indian population, the IAT demonstrated a one-factor structure, with the condensed form of the IAT showing construct and convergent validity in measuring symptoms related to internet addiction ( Sharma, Hallford and Anand, 2022 ).” About the measurement and history of the Internet Addiction could be discussed in the theoretical part. Here please discuss only the concrete scale you used, otherwise it is confusing for the reader. What was the internet addiction test you used? If you translated or adapted anything in Ghana, then please provide any measures on reliability and validity of the test, and its factor structure. You told: “The DNAS mean score was higher than that of the IAT, indicating that the participants had higher levels of digital nativity and less internet addiction.” How do you interpret the scores? The summary score of any scale depends on the number of items. If the scales have different number of items then you cannot just compare the mean scores. Table 3. Comparing differences in sociodemographic variables and DNAS and IAT. I do not understand in this table the t/F; p values. Too many values together. Your research question was about correlation, but you presented also a regression analysis. If you wish to use regression analysis, could you please state a suitable research questions as well. Sorry, I am not good at assessing the correctness of the Regression analysis. I would like to read any discussion about the Figure 2, and wish to know what the Cronbach alpha values of each subtests were. 4. Discussion You told: “In recent years, the study of digital nativity and its correlation with digital addiction has increased, offering insights into the two variables among students. The rate of digital nativity was equal to moderate to high internet users ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ). “ The cited paper is about internet addiction and gaming disorder, not digital nativity. You told: “While DNAS positively predicted internet addiction overall, the correlation with specific forms of internet addiction was less pronounced ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ),” W hy you cite this paper, if you do not discuss here about gaming addiction? “Making it that different types of internet addiction could likely have distinct causes and not all addictive behaviours are equally associated with that of digital nativity ( de Palo et al. , 2019 ). Why you cite this paper, if you do not talk about gaming disorder? It is important to use constructs and studies correctly. “The regression analysis further explained that specific digital native traits like reliance on graphics for communication and desire for instant gratification significantly influenced higher IAT scores." Regression analysis helps to predict results. While regression doesn’t "cause" anything directly, it informs decisions and strategies by quantifying relationships between factors. You told: ( In results section) "The descriptive statistics suggest that the participants were digitally native with moderately low levels of internet addiction (See Figures 1 and 2 )." 5. Conclusions and implications "This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between being a digital native and experiencing tremendous internet addiction among university students in Ghana." In the result, you told one thing, but in discussion, you told something else , here is a conflict of ideas. You told: “While DNAS positively predicted internet addiction overall, the correlation with specific forms of internet addiction was less pronounced ( Gupta et al. , 2023 ), making it that different types of internet addiction could likely have distinct causes and not all addictive behaviours are equally associated with that of digital nativity ( de Palo et al. , 2019 ).” What specific forms of internet addiction you measured here? “While digital nativity emerged as a significant predictor of general internet addiction behaviours, its connections with specific forms of internet addiction ( e.g., gaming addiction) were less pronounced , suggesting different types of addictive online behaviours driven by clear factors beyond global digital native characteristics. “ You did not measure gaming disorder in this study. In conclusion, I do not find this study in the current form to be a scientific study. It needs a careful work with literature and some more work with analysis of the empirical study. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? No Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? No Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? No If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? I cannot comment. A qualified statistician is required. Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? Partly Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? No Competing Interests No competing interests were disclosed. Reviewer Expertise Scale development, adaptation and validation, digital addiction, educational counselling. I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to state that I do not consider it to be of an acceptable scientific standard, for reasons outlined above. reply Respond to this report Responses (0) Seema R. Peer Review Report For: Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r389047) NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in this citation. The direct URL for this report is: https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1#referee-response-389047 keyboard_arrow_left Back to all reports Reviewer Report 0 Views copyright © 2025 Akçakese A. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 12 Mar 2025 | for Version 1 Andaç Akçakese , Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey 0 Views copyright © 2025 Akçakese A. This is an open access peer review report distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. format_quote Cite this report speaker_notes Responses (0) Not Approved info_outline Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article: Approved The paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested Approved with reservations A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit. Not approved Fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions Thank you for the opportunity to review this study. While the topic is interesting and relevant to the field, I find that the research design, including the formulation of research questions, methodological approach, and overall study framework, does not align with the current standards of scientific research. The study lacks methodological rigor, which raises concerns about the reliability and validity of the findings. Additionally, the research questions and hypotheses are not clearly structured, making it difficult to assess whether the study effectively addresses its objectives. The analytical approach, while incorporating standard statistical methods, does not fully justify the selection of tests or account for potential limitations in data interpretation. Given these methodological shortcomings and the lack of clarity in research design, I do not believe the study meets the necessary criteria for acceptance . Therefore, my recommendation is to reject the manuscript in its current form . Abstract: The abstract effectively presents the research focus, methodology, and key findings. It clearly states the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, providing statistical evidence (r = 0.569, p < 0.001) to support its conclusions. The sample size is adequate, and participant distribution by gender and academic discipline is well-detailed. However, the abstract lacks a clear background statement explaining the significance of the study . The research question or hypothesis is implied but not explicitly stated. While the methodology is described concisely, it does not mention the data collection process or the specific statistical tests used. Additionally, the abstract does not provide recommendations or implications based on the findings, which are essential for demonstrating the study’s practical contributions. Including a sentence on potential interventions or future research directions would improve the overall impact of the abstract. Introduction and Literature Review: The introduction provides a broad overview of digital nativity and internet addiction, linking them to previous literature. It highlights the distinction between digital natives and digital immigrants and discusses the evolution of digital nativity as a concept. The literature review presents relevant studies and theoretical perspectives, contributing to a well-rounded discussion. The introduction effectively explains the importance of understanding digital nativity beyond age, considering psychological and behavioral aspects. The research questions are clearly stated, outlining the study's objectives. However, the introduction lacks a clear problem statement that explicitly defines the research gap . While it mentions that the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction is underexplored, it does not fully explain why this relationship has been overlooked in previous studies. The rationale for selecting the study population (students at KNUST) is not explicitly stated. The introduction does not provide a detailed justification for why this population is unique or why findings from this group may differ from those in other regions. Additionally, the theoretical framework is not clearly explained. The introduction references multiple studies, but it does not provide a structured discussion of the theoretical model underlying the research. The literature review is extensive, but it lacks a clear organization around hypotheses . While the introduction touches on major variables and trends, it does not clearly define the hypotheses or justify their inclusion in the study. The review would benefit from structured paragraphs that separately discuss each hypothesis, providing theoretical and empirical justification for the proposed relationships. The study's hypotheses should be clearly developed based on existing literature, explaining how previous findings support or contradict the expected relationships. Methods: The methods section provides a clear outline of the study design, participant selection, measurement instruments, data analysis, and ethical considerations. The quantitative, descriptive correlational design is appropriate for investigating the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction. The use of the Digital Native Assessment Scale (DNAS) and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is well justified, with proper references to their reliability and validity in different contexts. The data collection process through Microsoft Forms, email, WhatsApp, and in-person recruitment is also described. The stratified random sampling method is well explained, ensuring proportional representation of students from different colleges at KNUST. The inclusion of demographic details strengthens the methodological rigor. However, several areas require improvement . The section does not provide a justification for why the sample size of 411 participants was considered sufficient. There is no mention of how the sample size was determined—whether through power analysis or another statistical method. Additionally, the section does not specify how many researchers were involved in data collection or how they ensured response accuracy and completeness. More detail on the data collection procedure, such as response rate or potential biases from self-selection, would improve transparency. The data analysis plan is well-structured, explaining the use of independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, regression analyses, and Pearson correlation. However, it does not justify why these statistical tests were chosen in relation to the study’s objectives . Including an explanation of how these analyses align with the research questions would strengthen the methodology. The use of Jamovi software is appropriate and clearly stated, but it would be beneficial to briefly explain why it was chosen over other statistical programs. Ethical considerations are well addressed, with approval from the Ethical Committee, adherence to the Helsinki Declaration, and details on participant consent and confidentiality. However, it would be useful to mention any specific measures taken to ensure the anonymity of responses, such as data encryption or removal of identifying information . Results: The results section presents a well-structured analysis of digital nativity and internet addiction among university students. The descriptive statistics provide a clear overview of the distribution of scores, including mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis, which help assess the normality of the data. The use of t-tests to compare gender differences in digital nativity and ANOVA to examine variations across different colleges is appropriate. The findings indicate no significant gender differences in digital nativity, while significant differences exist across colleges, with the College of Science students scoring the highest. The multiple regression analysis is also well-executed, showing that digital nativity factors explain 33.4% of the variance in internet addiction scores. The correlation analysis further strengthens the results by highlighting the relationship between specific digital nativity traits and internet addiction. Despite these strengths, there are some areas for improvement . The study does not report whether gender differences exist in internet addiction levels, even though previous research suggests that internet addiction may be influenced by gender. Conducting a t-test for IAT scores across genders would add valuable insights. Additionally, the regression analysis does not include multicollinearity checks, such as the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF), which would ensure that the predictor variables are not highly correlated. Including effect size measures, such as Cohen’s d for t-tests and η² for ANOVA, would enhance the interpretation of statistical significance by indicating the practical importance of the differences found. Furthermore, while the study assumes a linear relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, it does not explore potential non-linear effects. A scatterplot analysis or a quadratic regression model could help determine if the relationship is more complex. The study could also benefit from mediation or moderation analysis. Since "reliance on graphics for communication" and "instant gratification" emerged as significant predictors of internet addiction, testing whether these variables mediate the relationship between overall digital nativity and internet addiction could provide deeper insights. Additionally, exploring whether factors such as gender or academic level moderate these relationships would add to the study’s explanatory power. Lastly, given the cross-sectional design, it is important to acknowledge the limitations in establishing causal relationships. If longitudinal data were available, a cross-lagged panel analysis could test whether digital nativity influences internet addiction over time. Discussion and Conclusion The discussion effectively summarizes the study’s findings and places them in the context of existing literature. It highlights the significant positive correlation between digital nativity and internet addiction and acknowledges that academic discipline and education level play a role in shaping internet addiction behaviors. The study challenges the assumption that digital nativity and internet addiction are uniformly distributed across student populations, emphasizing that contextual factors influence these behaviors. The implications for digital literacy, educational policies, and mental health interventions are well articulated, offering practical applications for institutions and educators. The acknowledgment of limitations, particularly the sample being limited to one university, adds transparency to the findings. However, it lacks a clear structure in presenting findings related to each hypothesis . The analysis should separate key findings into individual sections, ensuring that each hypothesis is discussed in detail. For example, one paragraph should focus on the relationship between digital nativity and internet addiction, another on academic discipline differences, and another on education level. This would improve clarity and make it easier to understand how each result contributes to the overall research question. This section does not explore alternative explanations for unexpected results . While reliance on graphics for communication and instant gratification significantly predicted internet addiction, other digital nativity traits, such as growing up with technology, did not. Possible reasons for this discrepancy should be discussed, such as measurement limitations, cultural differences, or the evolving nature of digital engagement. Addressing these aspects would strengthen the interpretation of results. This section d oes not critically assess other potential methodological limitations beyond sample generalizability . The use of self-reported measures may have introduced response bias, as participants might have underreported or exaggerated their internet addiction behaviors. Additionally, external factors such as social media trends, online learning requirements, or technological infrastructure in Ghana might have influenced digital nativity levels. A deeper discussion of these issues would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the study’s limitations. Future research directions are mentioned but not specified in detail . While the study suggests replication in diverse settings, it does not outline what specific aspects should be explored further. Future studies could investigate different forms of internet addiction separately, such as social media addiction versus gaming addiction, to determine whether digital nativity affects them differently. Additionally, longitudinal studies could track how digital nativity evolves over time and whether it continues to influence internet addiction as students progress through their academic careers. These recommendations would help build upon the study’s findings and provide a roadmap for future research. There are minor issues with wording and phrasing . The phrase "ducking in technology" appears to be a typographical error, likely intended as "immersed in technology." Ensuring clarity in wording and avoiding minor errors would improve readability and professionalism. Is the work clearly and accurately presented and does it cite the current literature? Partly Is the study design appropriate and is the work technically sound? Partly Are sufficient details of methods and analysis provided to allow replication by others? No If applicable, is the statistical analysis and its interpretation appropriate? No Are all the source data underlying the results available to ensure full reproducibility? Partly Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the results? Partly Competing Interests No competing interests were disclosed. Reviewer Expertise My research focuses on leisure studies, recreation management, and tourism, with an emphasis on behavioral, psychological, and social aspects. I explore topics such as leisure competence, recreational service quality, digital leisure, and sustainable consumption behaviors. My work examines how leisure activities, including digital and interactive experiences, influence well-being, resilience, and environmental behavior. My studies incorporate statistical analysis, survey research, and qualitative methods to analyze user experiences, attitudes, and motivations across different leisure contexts. I confirm that I have read this submission and believe that I have an appropriate level of expertise to state that I do not consider it to be of an acceptable scientific standard, for reasons outlined above. reply Respond to this report Responses (0) Akçakese A. Peer Review Report For: Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction Among University Students in Ghana [version 1; peer review: 2 not approved] . F1000Research 2025, 14 :139 ( https://doi.org/10.5256/f1000research.171571.r368376) NOTE: it is important to ensure the information in square brackets after the title is included in this citation. The direct URL for this report is: https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1#referee-response-368376 Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article: Approved - the paper is scientifically sound in its current form and only minor, if any, improvements are suggested Approved with reservations - A number of small changes, sometimes more significant revisions are required to address specific details and improve the papers academic merit. Not approved - fundamental flaws in the paper seriously undermine the findings and conclusions Adjust parameters to alter display View on desktop for interactive features Includes Interactive Elements View on desktop for interactive features Competing Interests Policy Provide sufficient details of any financial or non-financial competing interests to enable users to assess whether your comments might lead a reasonable person to question your impartiality. Consider the following examples, but note that this is not an exhaustive list: Examples of 'Non-Financial Competing Interests' Within the past 4 years, you have held joint grants, published or collaborated with any of the authors of the selected paper. You have a close personal relationship (e.g. parent, spouse, sibling, or domestic partner) with any of the authors. You are a close professional associate of any of the authors (e.g. scientific mentor, recent student). You work at the same institute as any of the authors. You hope/expect to benefit (e.g. favour or employment) as a result of your submission. You are an Editor for the journal in which the article is published. Examples of 'Financial Competing Interests' You expect to receive, or in the past 4 years have received, any of the following from any commercial organisation that may gain financially from your submission: a salary, fees, funding, reimbursements. You expect to receive, or in the past 4 years have received, shared grant support or other funding with any of the authors. You hold, or are currently applying for, any patents or significant stocks/shares relating to the subject matter of the paper you are commenting on. Stay Updated Sign up for content alerts and receive a weekly or monthly email with all newly published articles Register with F1000Research Already registered? Sign in Not now, thanks close PLEASE NOTE If you are an AUTHOR of this article, please check that you signed in with the account associated with this article otherwise we cannot automatically identify your role as an author and your comment will be labelled as a “User Comment”. If you are a REVIEWER of this article, please check that you have signed in with the account associated with this article and then go to your account to submit your report, please do not post your review here. If you do not have access to your original account, please contact us . All commenters must hold a formal affiliation as per our Policies . The information that you give us will be displayed next to your comment. User comments must be in English, comprehensible and relevant to the article under discussion. We reserve the right to remove any comments that we consider to be inappropriate, offensive or otherwise in breach of the User Comment Terms and Conditions . Commenters must not use a comment for personal attacks. When criticisms of the article are based on unpublished data, the data should be made available. I accept the User Comment Terms and Conditions Please confirm that you accept the User Comment Terms and Conditions. Affiliation ✕ refresh Please enter your institution. Note: To add your institution or organisation, start typing the name and then select the correct name from the list. Where applicable, the name will appear in both the original language and in English. Do not paste in the name. If the name does not appear in the drop-down list, we will display the information you have entered. ✕ refresh Country/Region * USA UK Canada China France Germany Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Federated States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and Mcdonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo (Serbia and Montenegro) Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Minor Outlying Islands of the United States Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Is South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Gambia The Netherlands Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu UK USA Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States Virgin Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Wallis and Futuna West Bank and Gaza Strip Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Please select your country/region. You must enter a comment. Competing Interests Please disclose any competing interests that might be construed to influence your judgment of the article's or peer review report's validity or importance. Competing Interests Policy Provide sufficient details of any financial or non-financial competing interests to enable users to assess whether your comments might lead a reasonable person to question your impartiality. Consider the following examples, but note that this is not an exhaustive list: Examples of 'Non-Financial Competing Interests' Within the past 4 years, you have held joint grants, published or collaborated with any of the authors of the selected paper. You have a close personal relationship (e.g. parent, spouse, sibling, or domestic partner) with any of the authors. You are a close professional associate of any of the authors (e.g. scientific mentor, recent student). You work at the same institute as any of the authors. You hope/expect to benefit (e.g. favour or employment) as a result of your submission. You are an Editor for the journal in which the article is published. Examples of 'Financial Competing Interests' You expect to receive, or in the past 4 years have received, any of the following from any commercial organisation that may gain financially from your submission: a salary, fees, funding, reimbursements. You expect to receive, or in the past 4 years have received, shared grant support or other funding with any of the authors. You hold, or are currently applying for, any patents or significant stocks/shares relating to the subject matter of the paper you are commenting on. Please state your competing interests The comment has been saved. An error has occurred. Please try again. Cancel Post var lTitle = "Relationship Between Digital Nativity and...".replace("'", ''); var linkedInUrl = "http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1" + "&title=" + encodeURIComponent(lTitle) + "&summary=" + encodeURIComponent('Read the article by '); var deliciousUrl = "https://del.icio.us/post?url=https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1&title=" + encodeURIComponent(lTitle); var redditUrl = "http://reddit.com/submit?url=https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1" + "&title=" + encodeURIComponent(lTitle); linkedInUrl += encodeURIComponent('Tachie-Menson A et al.'); var offsetTop = /chrome/i.test( navigator.userAgent ) ? 4 : -10; var addthis_config = { ui_offset_top: offsetTop, services_compact : "facebook,twitter,www.linkedin.com,www.mendeley.com,reddit.com", services_expanded : "facebook,twitter,www.linkedin.com,www.mendeley.com,reddit.com", services_custom : [ { name: "LinkedIn", url: linkedInUrl, icon:"/img/icon/at_linkedin.svg" }, { name: "Mendeley", url: "http://www.mendeley.com/import/?url=https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1/mendeley", icon:"/img/icon/at_mendeley.svg" }, { name: "Reddit", url: redditUrl, icon:"/img/icon/at_reddit.svg" }, ] }; var addthis_share = { url: "https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139", templates : { twitter : "Relationship Between Digital Nativity and Internet Addiction.... Tachie-Menson A et al., published by " + "@F1000Research" + ", https://f1000research.com/articles/14-139/v1" } }; if (typeof(addthis) != "undefined"){ addthis.addEventListener('addthis.ready', checkCount); addthis.addEventListener('addthis.menu.share', checkCount); } $(".f1r-shares-twitter").attr("href", "https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=" + addthis_share.templates.twitter); $(".f1r-shares-facebook").attr("href", "https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=" + addthis_share.url); $(".f1r-shares-linkedin").attr("href", addthis_config.services_custom[0].url); $(".f1r-shares-reddit").attr("href", addthis_config.services_custom[2].url); $(".f1r-shares-mendelay").attr("href", addthis_config.services_custom[1].url); function checkCount(){ setTimeout(function(){ $(".addthis_button_expanded").each(function(){ var count = $(this).text(); if (count !== "" && count != "0") $(this).removeClass("is-hidden"); else $(this).addClass("is-hidden"); }); }, 1000); } close How to cite this report {{reportCitation}} Cancel Copy Citation Details $(function(){R.ui.buttonDropdowns('.dropdown-for-downloads');}); $(function(){R.ui.toolbarDropdowns('.toolbar-dropdown-for-downloads');}); $.get("/articles/acj/156283/171571") new F1000.Clipboard(); new F1000.ThesaurusTermsDisplay("articles", "article", "171571"); $(document).ready(function() { $( "#frame1" ).on('load', function() { var mydiv = $(this).contents().find("div"); var h = mydiv.height(); console.log(h) }); var tooltipLivingFigure = jQuery(".interactive-living-figure-label .icon-more-info"), titleLivingFigure = tooltipLivingFigure.attr("title"); tooltipLivingFigure.simpletip({ fixed: true, position: ["-115", "30"], baseClass: 'small-tooltip', content:titleLivingFigure + " " }); tooltipLivingFigure.removeAttr("title"); $("body").on("click", ".cite-living-figure", function(e) { e.preventDefault(); var ref = $(this).attr("data-ref"); $(this).closest(".living-figure-list-container").find("#" + ref).fadeIn(200); }); $("body").on("click", ".close-cite-living-figure", function(e) { e.preventDefault(); $(this).closest(".popup-window-wrapper").fadeOut(200); }); $(document).on("mouseup", function(e) { var metricsContainer = $(".article-metrics-popover-wrapper"); if (!metricsContainer.is(e.target) && metricsContainer.has(e.target).length === 0) { $(".article-metrics-close-button").click(); } }); var articleId = $('#articleId').val(); if($("#main-article-count-box").attachArticleMetrics) { $("#main-article-count-box").attachArticleMetrics(articleId, { articleMetricsView: true }); } }); var figshareWidget = $(".new_figshare_widget"); if (figshareWidget.length > 0) { window.figshare.load("f1000", function(Widget) { // Select a tag/tags defined in your page. In this tag we will place the widget. _.map(figshareWidget, function(el){ var widget = new Widget({ articleId: $(el).attr("figshare_articleId") //height:300 // this is the height of the viewer part. [Default: 550] }); widget.initialize(); // initialize the widget widget.mount(el); // mount it in a tag that's on your page // this will save the widget on the global scope for later use from // your JS scripts. This line is optional. //window.widget = widget; }); }); } close Error Close Add Reset F1000.MICROSERVICES.AFFILIATION = ''; $(document).ready(function () { $('.js-affiliations-form').each((index, form) => { new AffiliationForm({ formId: form.id, institutionErrorSelector: '.comment-enter-institution', departmentErrorSelector: '.comment-enter-department', placeSelector: '.js-add-comment-place', stateSelector: '.js-add-comment-state', zipCodeSelector: '.js-add-comment-zipcode', countrySelector: '.js-add-comment-country', countryErrorSelector: '.comment-enter-country', }); }); }); $(document).ready(function () { var reportIds = { "364545": 0, "364544": 0, "364546": 0, "377373": 0, "377372": 0, "377375": 0, "377374": 0, "377369": 0, "377371": 0, "377370": 0, "367269": 0, "367268": 0, "367271": 0, "367270": 0, "377377": 0, "377376": 0, "367267": 0, "377378": 0, "367276": 0, "367273": 0, "367272": 0, "367275": 0, "367274": 0, "389045": 0, "389044": 0, "389047": 10, "389046": 0, "389041": 0, "389043": 0, "389042": 0, "389049": 0, "389048": 0, "363101": 0, "363103": 0, "363102": 0, "363109": 0, "363108": 0, "363110": 0, "363105": 0, "363104": 0, "363107": 0, "363106": 0, "368375": 0, "368374": 0, "368381": 0, "364541": 0, "368380": 0, "364540": 0, "368383": 0, "364543": 0, "368382": 0, "364542": 0, "368377": 0, "364537": 0, "368376": 22, "368379": 0, "364539": 0, "368378": 0, "364538": 0, }; $(".referee-response-container,.js-referee-report").each(function(index, el) { var reportId = $(el).attr("data-reportid"), reportCount = reportIds[reportId] || 0; $(el).find(".comments-count-container,.js-referee-report-views").html(reportCount); }); var uuidInput = $("#article_uuid"), oldUUId = uuidInput.val(), newUUId = "d0cc1579-8a37-4d5a-944d-8dbcc93535e4"; uuidInput.val(newUUId); $("a[href*='article_uuid=']").each(function(index, el) { var newHref = $(el).attr("href").replace(oldUUId, newUUId); $(el).attr("href", newHref); }); }); An innovative open access publishing platform offering rapid publication and open peer review, whilst supporting data deposition and sharing. Browse Gateways Collections How it Works Contact For Developers Cookie Notice Privacy Notice RSS Submit Your Research Follow us © 2012-2026 F1000 Research Ltd. ISSN 2046-1402 | Legal | Partner of Research4Life • CrossRef • ORCID • FAIRSharing R.templateTests.simpleTemplate = R.template(' $text $text $text $text $text '); R.templateTests.runTests(); var F1000platform = new F1000.Platform({ name: "f1000research", displayName: "F1000Research", hostName: "f1000research.com", id: "1", editorialEmail: "[email protected]", infoEmail: "[email protected]", usePmcStats: true }); $(function(){R.ui.dropdowns('.dropdown-for-authors, .dropdown-for-about, .dropdown-for-myresearch');}); // $(function(){R.ui.dropdowns('.dropdown-for-referees');}); $(document).ready(function () { if ($(".cookie-warning").is(":visible")) { $(".sticky").css("margin-bottom", "35px"); $(".devices").addClass("devices-and-cookie-warning"); } $(".cookie-warning .close-button").click(function (e) { $(".devices").removeClass("devices-and-cookie-warning"); $(".sticky").css("margin-bottom", "0"); }); $("#tweeter-feed .tweet-message").each(function (i, message) { var self = $(message); self.html(linkify(self.html())); }); $(".partner").on("mouseenter mouseleave", function() { $(this).find(".gray-scale, .colour").toggleClass("is-hidden"); }); }); Sign In Remember me Forgotten your password? Sign In Cancel Email or password not correct. Please try again Please wait... $(function(){ // Note: All the setup needs to run against a name attribute and *not* the id due the clonish // nature of facebox... $("a[id=googleSignInButton]").click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $("input[id=oAuthSystem]").val("GOOGLE"); $("form[id=oAuthForm]").submit(); }); $("a[id=facebookSignInButton]").click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $("input[id=oAuthSystem]").val("FACEBOOK"); $("form[id=oAuthForm]").submit(); }); $("a[id=orcidSignInButton]").click(function(event){ event.preventDefault(); $("input[id=oAuthSystem]").val("ORCID"); $("form[id=oAuthForm]").submit(); }); }); If you've forgotten your password, please enter your email address below and we'll send you instructions on how to reset your password. The email address should be the one you originally registered with F1000. Email address not valid, please try again You registered with F1000 via Google, so we cannot reset your password. To sign in, please click here . If you still need help with your Google account password, please click here . You registered with F1000 via Facebook, so we cannot reset your password. To sign in, please click here . If you still need help with your Facebook account password, please click here . Code not correct, please try again Reset password Cancel Email us for further assistance. Server error, please try again. If your email address is registered with us, we will email you instructions to reset your password. If you think you should have received this email but it has not arrived, please check your spam filters and/or contact for further assistance. Please wait... Register $(document).ready(function () { signIn.createSignInAsRow($("#sign-in-form-gfb-popup")); $(".target-field").each(function () { var uris = $(this).val().split("/"); if (uris.pop() === "login") { $(this).val(uris.toString().replace(",","/")); } }); });