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This study aimed to validate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS2), to categorize Internet use patterns (IUP) that are academic, social, and recreational, and to elucidate the current state of the relationships between demographic characteristics, problematic Internet use (PIU), and IUP. To this end, two studies were conducted 1 year apart at two different public universities in Turkey. The first study tested the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the GPIUS2 for young adults alongside piloting the Internet Use Patterns Questionnaire (IUPQ) with a total of 328 university students in the fall semester of 2017–2018. In a follow-up study, the Turkish version of the GPIUS2 was further validated alongside the examination of IUP with 479 university students in the fall semester of 2018–2019. Factor analyses were conducted in both studies to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the GPIUS2. Pearson correlation, independent samples T-test, and ANOVA were conducted in the follow-up study to examine the relationship between demographic information, PIU, and IUP. In both the initial and follow-up studies, the translated version of the GPIUS2 proved to be a reliable, valid, and acceptable measurement instrument with 14 items and three factors. Regarding the relationship between IUP and PIU, duration of use rather than purpose of use frequency was found to be related to PIU. An increase in the duration of academic use implies a decrease in PIU, and the opposite is true for social and recreational use. The surprising, nonsignificant relationship between grade point average and PIU is discussed in line with the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problematic online betting among adolescents has attracted considerable public attention internationally for the last two decades. Although the online betting prevalence rate in Turkey is unclear, some reports indicate that it could be more pervasive than is currently estimated. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of problematic online betting, common behaviors of youth related to betting, and to identify the effect of family on online betting among Turkish adolescents. We surveyed 6116 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 in Istanbul to determine if they are problematic Internet users for betting. Although 756 (12.4%) adolescents reported that they play online betting, only 176 adolescents (2.9%) were classified as problematic Internet users. Thus, we collected further data from those 176 adolescents, 14.8% of which were female. A significant positive correlation was found between Internet Addiction (IA) and duration of betting. Almost 61% of participants expressed that they prefer to be online because they do not have better things to do. Almost a quarter of the participants started online betting between 10 and 12 years of age. All participants know someone who bets online. In terms of frequency, these are friends, relatives, siblings, and parents, respectively. Although there is no relationship between family structure and IA among adolescents who are problematic users, participants who live in an unstable family have higher IA scores than participants who live in a stable family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]