Personality correlates of digital dependency in students

Introduction. The proliferation of digital addictions — particularly to video games, smartphones, and social networks — among students has raised significant concerns among educators and parents due to their detrimental impact on learning outcomes. This study examines the relationships between these digital dependencies and psychological factors (aggression, anxiety, depression, procrastination) as well as behavioral indicators (gaming duration, sleep disturbances) in Russian-speaking students. Materials and Methods. The study is based on the results of online testing of 846 students. The following were used: the APA questionnaire on video game addiction, a short version of the questionnaire on smartphone addiction (author V. P. Sheynov), a questionnaire on social network addiction (authors V. P. Sheynov, A. S. Devitsyn), a short version of the procrastination questionnaire (authors V. P. Sheynov, A. S. Devitsyn), the Aggression Scale from the questionnaire "Self-Assessment of Mental States" by G. Eysenck, the Russian-language version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (adapted by M. A. Morozova et al.). Results. Significant positive correlations emerged among video game, smartphone, and social media addictions. All three showed positive associations with aggression, anxiety, depression, procrastination, sleep disturbances, and gaming duration. Males reported higher video game addiction, while females showed greater social media/smartphone addiction, anxiety, and procrastination. Both genders exhibited similar depression and sleep issues. These findings support the conceptualization of a unified Problematic Digital Dependency Complex comprising interrelated video game, smartphone, and social media addictions. This complex demonstrates consistent positive interrelationships among its components and maintains significant positive associations with problematic psychological characteristics including aggression, anxiety, depression, procrastination, as well as behavioral indicators such as extended gaming sessions and sleep disturbances. Conclusion. The results underscore the need for targeted prevention programs addressing the psychological and behavioral correlates of digital overuse in educational settings.