A study of cyber-addictions in Ukrainian youth

This article investigates the specific manifestations of various types of cyber-addictions among Ukrainian adolescents and young adults. The Internet's increasing connectivity fosters diverse user behaviors, with potential consequences ranging from social relationship disruption and isolation to mental health disorders and physical ailments. Notably, Internet addiction frequently emerges during adolescence, hindering socialization

Today, we are witnessing various forms of cyber-addiction; studying the types and specifics of these addictions will help develop psycho-correction programs tailored to each type.By understanding the unique characteristics and causes of each form of cyber-addiction, specialists (psychologists, social workers, educators, psychotherapists) will be able to create more effective prevention and treatment programs.This comprehensive approach will ultimately improve the mental health outcomes of people suffering from cyber-addiction.

Objectives:
1. Explain the meaning of the concepts of Internet addiction, cyber-addiction and phubbing.2. To explore the gender characteristics of modern cyber-addicted adolescents and young adults.

Research methods:
The following methods were used in the work: 1) analysis, synthesis, and comparison of scientific, theoretical, and practical literature on the selected topic; 2) ascertaining experiment; 3) mathematical and statistical methods of data processing.
The analysis, synthesis, and comparison of scientific, theoretical, and practical literature on the selected topic included a review of existing scientific works in the fields of psychology, philosophy, pedagogy, and medicine on issues of non-chemical addictions.This also involved analyzing statistical data from the World Health Organization and other organizations regarding the use of digital technologies and the Internet, particularly among young people.
The ascertaining experiment included conducting a psychodiagnostic study using the following test tools: the "Smartphone Addiction Scale" (SAS) (Kwon et al., 2013) and the "Test questionnaire for detecting cyber-addiction" (TQC) (Yu.O.Asieieva, K.V. Aymedov) (Asieiev, 2021) These tools allow us to determine the degree of dependence on seven types of modern addictions, which can be personalized or have comorbid manifestations.
Based on the classification of cyber-addictions by Yu.O.Asieieva (2020), we divided them into three categories: introverted, mixed, and extroverted.We expanded the types of addictions that belong to these groups, so that the introverted category includes: computer addiction, Internet addiction, pathological online reading, and web surfing.Mixed addictions include: gaming addiction; gadget addiction; phubbing, and extroverted addictions include cyber-communication addiction, selfies, cybersex, virtual dating.
Mathematical and statistical methods of data processing included the calculation of percentages, Cronbach's Alpha statistical analysis, and correlation analysis according to K. Pearson.The calculations were performed using SPSS 26.0 for Windows XP.
The study involved 316 participants: 141 people aged 15-17 years, including 63 boys and 78 girls; and 175 people aged 18-21 years, including 81 boys and 94 girls.Thus, the sample consisted of 144 boys and 172 girls.

Conflict of interest.
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Analysis of recent research and publications
Educators, psychologists, and sociologists are increasingly beginning to recognize the dual effect of the latest digital technologies, as a positive aspect of the development of society, the latest opportunities for obtaining information, but there are also some negative consequences, the emergence and formation of new forms of addictive behavior from various gadgets and devices.Especially important are studies conducted among those who are forming their own habits related to the use of digital media, i.e. adolescents.This group is characterized by a high level of risk of exposure to cyber threats, including the initiation of problematic situations related to widely used digital devices.The scale of social and digital phenomena is impressive, and they are associated with the negative impact of new technologies on young people as the main users of mobile devices.
Impaired self-control when using computers, smartphones, and the Internet can lead to health deterioration.Symptoms of Internet addiction include withdrawal syndrome, distress, intolerance, compulsive behavior, aggressiveness, and can result in functional impairments, the development of anxiety-depressive disorders, sleep disturbances, carpal tunnel syndrome, visual impairment, and other health issues.Currently, cyberspace addiction is viewed as a complex problem in three main areas: psychological, social, and medical.From a social perspective, cyber-addiction is considered a form of deviant behavior.Medical perspectives increasingly emphasize that this is a type of non-chemical addiction with its own nosology and pathogenesis that requires treatment.In the field of psychology, cyber-addiction is regarded as a disorder with its own stages of development and levels of dependence on the object of addiction, which negatively affect social relationships, psychological state, physiological health, and overall disrupt the normal process of life.Regardless of the field of study, the necessity of further research into cyber-addiction is emphasized.(Asieieva, 2021, Griffiths et al., 2016;Kent & Hoffman, 2024 ;Goldberg, 1996;Kaminska et al., 2019;etc).
The progressive development of digital technologies is leading to a further increase in the number of people dependent on cyberspace, gadgets, smartphones, and the Internet.Many researchers, such as Griffiths M. D. (Griffiths et al., 2016) conducted a study among adolescents on Internet addiction: its prevalence and risk factors.3105 adolescents were given psychodiagnostic tools: the Compulsive Internet Use Scale and the Big Five Scale.After analyzing the data, it turned out that 3.7% of the sample was at risk of developing Internet addiction (Griffiths et al., 2016).
Research aimed at identifying gender characteristics of Internet-addicted adolescents revealed that out of 56,086 children, 3.6% of boys and 1.9% of girls suffered from addiction.At the same time, addicted teenagers had health issues, subjectively assessed themselves as unhappy, and showed signs of depression in their psychological state compared to other teenagers who were not identified as Internet addicts (Hong Yeon-Ran & Do Eun-Young, 2014).
According to the latest sociological research conducted among 12.9 million Ukrainian Internet users, the In Mind Factum Group found that 22% of respondents use the Internet daily, 30% once a week or more, and only 33% once a month or more often.Considering the results of the socio-demographic structure of Ukrainian users, it can be noted that among the users, people living in cities with a population of 100 thousand or more predominate -58%, among them men make up 54%, and the largest number is among adolescents and young people aged 15-30 years old -58%.The number of mature users is 29% -aged 31-45, while people over 46 make up only 13% of Internet users.(Kent & Hoffman, 2024;Asieieva, 2021) In studies by Alex S. Hall and Jeffrey Parsons, which were aimed at studying interaction with virtual reality, it was emphasized that excessive exposure to cyberspace harms the normal development and functioning of cognitive processes, leads to behavioral disorders, and negatively affects the affective sphere of a person.Despite the results obtained from their own study, these authors did not join the cohort of scientists who believe that Internet addiction has a pathological etiology (Hall & Parsons, 2001).
Other scholars clearly emphasize that Internet addiction is a disease, not a bad habit, a flaw in upbringing, or an unfavorable set of circumstances.It is on the same level as other types of chemical (drug and alcohol addiction) and non-chemical (gambling, training addiction) addictions, as it shows all the signs of the disease (cause, symptoms, course, treatment and prognosis) (Bilouschenko & Charnetska, 2013;Kaminska et al., 2019).
So, the discourse continues, and the concepts of Internet and computer addiction can be interpreted from two main perspectives: biological and psychological.From a biological perspective, Internet and computer addiction, like drug addiction (or any chemical addiction), causes physiochemical reactions in the human body that act on neuromodulators and lead to addiction due to positive emotional states, which are generated by a state of euphoria, satisfaction, i.e. acting on the "pleasure center" and subsequently cause disruptions in the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system, and disconnection from the network causes boredom, depression, emptiness, etc. From the psychological point of view, the concepts of Internet and computer addiction are behavioral disorders, deviations, and disorders in the emotional and volitional sphere, the inability to control urges are the result of a habit.
To describe the irresistible desire to use the Internet, I. Goldberg proposed the term "Internet addiction" (Goldberg, 1996).The scientist argued that Internet addiction affects everyday, educational, social and psychological spheres of activity and denotes excessive use of a computer to engage in social interaction (Goldberg, 1996).
The results of studies conducted in many countries have shown that the problem of Internet addiction is international (Shapira et al., 2003).Different authors have obtained an impressive range of estimates of the prevalence of Internet addiction: among the population -from 1÷5% of Internet addicts (Young, 1996;Griffiths et al., 2016); among students in Turkey -6.6% of Internet addicts (Cigdem Н., Öztürk M. 2016).
The works of John Suler indicate that cyber-addiction should be considered as a dependence on the virtual space that is created by computer technology (Suler, 2016).
In the works of Voiskunsky A.E. (Voiskunsky, 2013), even three types of cyber activities that cause global negative changes in the personality have been identified: 1. Fascination with knowledge in the field of programming and telecommunications, as an extreme varianthacking.2. Fascination with computer games and games via the Internet, as an extreme variantgame addiction.desire to constantly be in virtual reality, to live and be realized in cyberspace through the use of gadgets or electronic devices, despite the destruction of reality, negative consequences for health and for the process of life in general (Asieieva, 2020).
Thus, it can be noted that Internet addiction reflects a universal dependence on the Internet as a whole phenomenon.This can include not only the use of smartphones but also computers, tablets, and other devices.A person addicted to the Internet may spend a significant amount of time online, neglecting other aspects of life such as work, education, and social relationships.
A relatively new type of addiction is phubbinga specific form of dependent behavior related to the use of smartphones and other mobile devices.It manifests as the habit of constantly checking one's phone during interactions with others, even in real-time conversations.Phubbing can cause communication and relationship disorders due to feelings of being ignored and undervalued.In our view, phubbing represents social maladjustment characterized by unconscious, uncontrolled actions resulting from an inability to effectively engage in face-to-face communication and relationships, replacing them with virtual interactions.
Phubbing often negatively impacts the quality of relationships and personal well-being, reducing satisfaction with relationships.Research conducted by Beranuy M., Oberst U., Carbonell X., and others has shown that phone use can become a means of avoiding loneliness, but it can also lead to anxiety, restlessness, and deprivation disorders that manifest when separated from the device.It has also been found that impaired self-control in using computers and the Internet can lead to deteriorating well-being and distress.Moreover, there is growing debate about whether phubbing is a manifestation of addiction or a new social norm (Beranuy et al., 2009).
Therefore, the issues of Internet addiction, cyber addiction and phubbing are relevant and require further research, especially given the rapid development of technology and changing social norms in modern society.

Results
In order to study the gender peculiarities of cyber-addictions in adolescence and young adulthood, the following groups were created from the total sample: the first study group (GS1) included 63 boys aged 15-17 years, the second study group (GS2) consisted of 78 girls aged 15-17 years, the third study group (GS3) included 81 young men aged 18-21 years, the fourth study group (GS4) included 94 girls.
Table 1 shows the data on gender peculiarities of cyber addiction in adolescence and young adulthood according to different subscales of the TQС: computer addiction, Internet addiction, game addiction, gadget addiction, cyber-communication addiction, and selfie addiction.

Sexual characteristics of cyber addictions in adolescence and youth
Sub-scales TQD / у %

Absence of signs of addiction 1st degree of addiction 2nd degree of addiction 3rd degree of addiction Computer addiction (PC) GS1
3 Considering the results obtained for each type of cyber addiction, it can be noted that computer addiction is most pronounced among (GS3) young men aged 18-21 years, as 2.47% of respondents were found to have the 1 st level of addiction, and 1.23% of respondents had the 2 nd and 3 rd levels of addiction.The highest rate of absence of this type of addiction is among girls (GS2) aged 15 -17 years -88.46% of respondents.The highest results in terms of Internet addiction manifestations were demonstrated by young men (GS3) aged 18-21 years, as 4.94% of respondents were found to have the 1 st level of addiction, and 2.47% of respondents had the 2 nd and 3 rd levels of addiction.The highest rate of absence of this type of addiction is among young men (GS1) aged 15-17 years -88.89% of respondents.Girls of both groups have a total manifestation of Internet addiction at the level of 97.44% and 98.94% of respondents (GS2 and GS4, respectively).) The manifestations of gambling addiction were distributed as follows: the highest overall level Is demonstrated by young men aged 18-21 years -76.00% of respondents, with the highest rates in terms of GS1, as 1.00% of respondents have the 1 st and 3 rd level of addiction and 2.00% of respondents have the 2 nd level of addiction.The highest percentage of absence of addiction is demonstrated by girls aged 15-17 years (GS4) -18.00% of respondents.
The peculiarity of gadget addictio"s is'the absence of people who are not addicted in all groups of respondents.The highest rates of gadget addiction are demonstrated by (GS1) boys aged 15 -17 years, with the total rate of pronounced addictive behavior (1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd levels) equal to 9.52% of respondents, and the lowest manifestations among (GS4) girls aged 18-21 years -4.26% of respondents.
Analyzing the results of cyber-communication addiction manifestations, the least pronounced among (GS3) young men aged 18-21 years, as the manifestations of the 1 st and 2 nd levels of addiction are only 2.47% of respondents, the highest level among girls aged 15-18 years is the manifestations of the 1 st and 2 nd levels of addiction -3.85% of respondents each.
The peculiarities of selfie manifestations are characterized by the highest rates of absence, especially among young men (31.75% of respondents in GS1, 24.69% of respondents in GS3), the highest rates of total dependence (1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd levels) among girls (21.79% of respondents in GS2 and 31.91% of respondents in GS4).
According to the results obtained, we can note that among boys aged 15-17, the most pronounced is PC addiction, among boys aged 18-21 -Internet addiction, among girls aged 15-17cybercommunication addiction, and among girls aged 18-21selfie addiction.The least pronounced among boys are selfie and cyber-communication addictions, and among girls -PC addiction.Thus, boys are more interested in PCs, the Internet, and gaming addiction, which may be due to the great popularity of online video games that require certain different technical features of devices.Girls use cyberspace more actively to build communication and demonstrate themselves in it.
The general trend is that there are different manifestations of cyber -addictions in different gender groups, and these differences point to different purposes and benefits of using the Internet and modern technologies.It is important to keep in mind that these conclusions are based on data, and further research can help to further understand and explain the trends found.
Based on the objectives and overall aim of the study, we also identified individuals with a dependence on phubbing.To achieve this, we applied a test to identify the risks of dependent behavior associated with pathological smartphone use (Table 2).According to the obtained results, it can be noted that the highest percentage of addicted individuals is found in the group of girls aged 15-17 years (GS2), accounting for 44.87% of the respondents, while the lowest addiction risks are observed among young men aged 18-21 years (GS3) -25.93%.The average percentage of addicted individuals across the entire sample (aged 15 -21 years) is 34.49%.
In order to understand the interrelationships of phubbing with various types of cyber addictions, we conducted a statistical analysis of Cronbach's Alpha, according to which it was established for the group of 15-17 years -0.7421, and for the group of 18-21 -0.6366.Correlation analysis according to K. Pearson was also conducted among two age groups of 15-17 years and 18-21 years (tables 3 and 4) Considering the results of the correlation analysis according to K. Pearson, it can be noted that phubbing is directly correlated with all types of cyber addictions, especially with jet addiction r = 0.411, cyber communicative addiction r = 0.462 and selfitis r =0.388 according to the shortened version of the smartphone addiction test.And according to the extended version of the test for detecting phubbing, the strongest connections can be noted with Internet addiction r =0.412 and cyber communication addiction r =0.460.=0.424), Internet addiction (r =0.358 and r =0.396), as well as between phubbing and selfitis and selfitis (r =0.339 and r =0.374).According to the extended SAS test, a positive significant relationship between phubbing and jet-addiction was revealed r = 0.368.In contrast to the adolescent group, no connection was found between phubbing and PC addiction, which may indicate that young people do not use it to distract from interpersonal communication.
According to the data obtained, in our opinion, it is necessary to emphasize the prevention of preventive and psycho-corrective measures for cyber addictions.Prevention of cyber addictions may include social and educational activities that study the impact of the Internet on various spheres of life (Asieieva et al., 2021).Preventive measures should be based on the following principles: the principle of comprehensivenessboth government agencies and public organizations should be involved in preventive measures to prevent cyber addiction among the younger generation, as well as training events that educate addicts.The main means of psycho-correction of cyber addicts include: psychological support; training (plasticity, positive learning, education and development in the context of the person's life prospects: association, tolerance and stress resistance, formation of rational attitudes, etc.); social and psychological; transactional analysis (development of the ego-state of the "Adult"); symbolic drama; music therapy, art therapy, REBT, ACT, etc.
In general, ways to overcome cyber addiction should be socially and psychologically oriented, aimed at: correcting behavioral deficiencies; changing the life program so that the individual can meet their needs, focusing not on the virtual environment, but on the surrounding reality; developing the ability to establish constructive relationships with others; displacing cyberspace from the leading activity; normalizing emotional responses to difficult life situations.

Conclusions
1. "Internet addiction," "cyber addiction," and "phubbing" are all concepts that reflect dependence on digital technologies, which manifests as replacing real-world interests with illusory, virtual ones.While they all address the problematic use of technology, including smartphones and the Internet, they have their distinctions.
Internet addiction and cyber addiction refer to a general dependence on the Internet as a whole phenomenon.This can include not only the use of smartphones but also computers, tablets, and other devices.A person addicted to the Internet may spend a significant amount of time online, neglecting other aspects of life such as work, education, and social relationships.
Phubbing is a specific form of dependent behavior related to the use of smartphones and other mobile devices.It manifests as the habit of constantly being distracted by a phone during interactions with others, even in real-time.Phubbing can cause communication and relationship disorders due to feelings of being ignored and undervalued.
2. In studying the gender characteristics of phubbing manifestations in adolescence and youth, it was found that among adolescent boys (15-17 years old), 36.51% of male respondents are addicted, while among female respondents it is 44.87%.Among young men (18-21 years old), it is 25.9%, and among young women, it is 31.91%.
Gender differences in addiction manifestations were noted, with the findings showing that among boys aged 15-17, PC addiction is most pronounced; among young men aged 18-21, it is Internet addiction; among girls aged 15-17, it is cyber communication addiction; and among girls aged 18-21, it is selfitis.The least pronounced among boys are selfitis and cyber communication addiction, while among girls it is PC addiction.Therefore, boys are more involved with PCs, the Internet, and gaming addiction, which may be due to the popularity of online video games requiring various technical device features.Girls more actively use cyberspace for communication and self-presentation.
3. Timely implementation of psycho-preventive and psycho-corrective measures will positively contribute to overcoming cyber addiction, as individuals prone to addiction will be subjected to targeted interventions aimed at preventing the development of destructive tendencies.

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3. Fascination with network communication, as an extreme option -Internet addictiondependence on the Internet (Voiskunsky, 2013).Asieieva Yu.O.(2020) notes in her study that computer addiction, Internet addiction and cyber addiction are defined as a form of addictive behavior, a mental disorder that affects the process of a person's life and has a procedural nature and various manifestations.The author concludes that cyber-addiction is a type of non-chemical addiction, which is expressed in a violation of psychological health caused by an obsessive h tt ps: / /a mazoni ain ve sti ga .in fo/ I SS N 23 22 -6 307 This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).Reproduction, distribution, and public communication of the work, as well as the creation of derivative works, are permitted provided that the original source is cited.

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tt ps: / /a mazoni ain ve sti ga .in fo/ I SS N 23 22 -6 307 This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).Reproduction, distribution, and public communication of the work, as well as the creation of derivative works, are permitted provided that the original source is cited.
) Note: ** -Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level *-Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level Statistically significant correlations between phubbing and cyber addictions among young men were found according to Gaming Addiction, both in the extended and shortened SAS test (r =0.402 and r h tt ps: / /a mazoni ain ve sti ga .in fo/ IS S N 2322 -630 7 This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).Reproduction, distribution, and public communication of the work, as well as the creation of derivative works, are permitted provided that the original source is cited.

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tt ps: / /a mazoni ain ve sti ga .in fo/ I SS N 23 22 -6 307 This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).Reproduction, distribution, and public communication of the work, as well as the creation of derivative works, are permitted provided that the original source is cited.

Table 2 .
Identification of the risk of smartphone addiction in the studied groups

Table 3 .
Correlation matrix of cyber addictions according to K. Pearson in the group of 15-17 years

Table 4 .
Correlation matrix of cyber addictions according to K. Pearson in the group of 18-21 years