We are about to hand over the digital-age classroom to a generation of preservice teachers who are themselves grappling with severe internet addiction. Our latest publication in Psychiatric Quarterly exposes this critical vulnerability.
How can future educators manage students' screen time and digital literacy when they cannot manage their own?
Our research does more than just point fingers; it builds a vital predictive model. By identifying the key predictors of internet addiction among preservice teachers, we provide a concrete, evidence-based framework for early intervention. If we do not fix this at the university level, the cognitive and behavioral deficits of our teachers will cascade down to millions of students.
We need to stop pretending that being a "digital native" equates to having healthy digital habits. Read the full paper to explore the predictive models and understand why early, targeted intervention is our only viable strategy.