Assessment of students’ use of the internet in normal learning environments, during self-isolation during COVID-19 and after the pandemic

Introduction. Since the Internet has made fundamental changes in work, social life, leisure, and communication, it has caused both optimism and concern. It is difficult for some people to limit its use, which adversely affects their lives, especially when it comes to children, adolescents, and young people. This has sparked a wide range of research ranging from psychology, sociology, and neuroscience. Several terms have been used to describe the problem, including Internet addiction, gaming disorder, and problematic Internet use. The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in 2019 significantly affected the quality of life and led to Internet abuse. The lifting of quarantine allowed returning to the usual rhythm of life and, accordingly, the use of the Internet for study and work, as it was before self-isolation.

The purpose of the study. To compare the use of the Internet before, on time, and after COVID-19 in medical university students.

Materials and methods. The study asked students to rate their feelings and behaviors regarding internet use over the past six months. The “Problematic and Risky Internet Use Survey” (PRIUSS) was administered in both paper and Google Query formats. Participants in the first survey included two hundred thirty students; a year later, during the self-isolation period, 90 students participated; and two years later, 344 students participated.

Results. The first survey found that 25.2% of respondents reported risks associated with internet use. In the second survey, the proportion of respondents with problems increased to 93.3%, and in the third survey, 20.9% of students experienced problems.

Limitations. The sample of students studying at Medical universities in Moscow limits the possibility of generalizing the results to other regions and types of educational institutions.

Conclusion. Problematic internet use increased sharply during the lockdown and returned to baseline levels two years after the pandemic. These findings suggest that problematic internet use and addiction prevention should be an important focus for reducing the risk of health-threatening behavior in children and young people.

Compliance with ethical standards. Compliance with ethical standards. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set forth in the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (8/19EC). All participants gave informed voluntary written consent to participate in the study.

Contribution:
Kuchma V.R. – concept, editing the article, approval of the final version of the article, responsibility for the integrity of all parts of the article;
Yamshchikova N.L., Naryshkina E.V. – study concept and design, data collection, data processing, writing the text;
Makarova A.Yu. – study concept and design, data collection, data processing;
Brazhnikov A.Yu. – study concept and design, data processing, writing the text;
Laponova E.D., Chubarovsky V.V. – study concept and design;
Leshcheva M.A. – data processing;
Demina N.N. – data collection, data processing.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: June 3, 2025 / Accepted: September 19, 2025 / Published: October 20, 2025

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