Features of Cognitive Development of Primary School Students with Problematic Internet Use

Introduction. The article is aimed at studying the features of cognitive development components in groups of younger schoolchildren with problematic Internet use and younger schoolchildren without problematic Internet use. The significance of the study is emphasized by the analysis of regulatory documents regulating the receipt of educational results in primary school age. The social situation of the development of modern children is determined by the use of the Internet in everyday life, the excess of which can negatively affect the cognitive development of younger schoolchildren.

Objective. To determine the features of cognitive development of primary school students with problematic Internet use.

Materials and methods. The following diagnostic tools were used in the study: the questionnaire" Index of immersion in the Internet environment "by L. A. Regush et al.; the method" Proof test "(Bourdon Test); the method" Memorizing 10 words "(A. R. Luria); the psychodiagnostic method "Verbal subtests" (E. F. Zambatseviciene method). Data processing was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-test.

Results. The empirical study sample consisted of fourth-grade students (10-11 years old) MAOU of the city of Rostov-on-Don "School No. 22 named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union Baghramyan I. Kh." in the number of 78 people. According to the results of diagnostics of the level of immersion in the Internet environment, two groups of respondents were identified that were approximately the same in quantitative terms: primary school students with problematic use of the Internet; primary school students without problematic use of the Internet. In the group of younger schoolchildren with problematic Internet use, a number of features of cognitive development are noted in comparison with younger schoolchildren without problematic Internet use: a lower level of development of verbal and logical thinking; a higher level of concentration and stability of attention; higher indicators of short-term and long-term memory.

Discussion. Statistical processing of the obtained data allowed us to identify significant differences in the studied parameters: indicators of short-term and long-term memory; stability and concentration of attention; the level of development of verbal and logical thinking of younger schoolchildren with problematic Internet use and without problematic Internet use. No significant statistical differences were found in the analysis of data on the indicator of the amount of attention in the study sample. The results of our empirical study are consistent with the findings of other researchers about the ambiguous impact of Internet use in primary school age. The obtained data can be used by specialists engaged in educational activities in the development of programs and classes of a correctional, developmental and educational nature on the problem of safe behavior of younger schoolchildren on the Internet.

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