EXCESSIVE USE OF DIGITAL DEVICES AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR IN STUDENTS IN COLOMBIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the use of digital devices and information and communication technologies has increased significantly among children and adolescents, transforming the ways they interact, learn, and entertain themselves. Although these technologies provide educational and social benefits, several studies warn that their excessive use may negatively affect students’ mental health, behavior, and academic performance. The aim of this article is to analyze the relationship between excessive use of digital devices and the emergence of disruptive behaviors among students in Colombia through a theoretical and documentary review of recent research. The main findings reveal that prolonged screen exposure is associated with externalizing behaviors such as aggressiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, disobedience, and difficulties in school coexistence, as well as internalizing behaviors related to anxiety, depression, social isolation, and emotional disturbances. Likewise, different studies indicate that excessive recreational use of mobile devices and social media may affect concentration, emotional regulation, and academic performance, especially when it replaces essential activities for child development such as reading, physical activity, rest, and face-to-face social interaction.