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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Ann Natl Acad Med Sci 2022; 58(04): 175-181
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1757738
Review Article

Optimizing Internet Use during Adolescence: eHealth Solutions

Paridhi Singhal
1   Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Noor Dhaliwal
1   Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Aashima Dabas 
1   Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India
,
Sangeeta Yadav 
1   Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College and Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India
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Abstract

Internet offers an immense opportunity as a resource for education, training, and health promotion. This narrative review summarizes the opportunities for health promotion among adolescents through use of the Internet and technology (defined as eHealth). The details of technology and use of Internet for adolescent-health related topics such as nutrition, fitness, sexual health, adventure, and violence were searched through PubMed. The review reports few digital solutions to address key challenges during adolescence like promotion of nutrition and sexual reproductive health, prevention of noncommunicable diseases, substance abuse, and mental health issues. eHealth was concluded as a potential solution for preventive and promotional health practices during adolescence. However, concerns of Internet addiction, safety, privacy, mental health disorders, and misinformation need to be addressed and monitored during adolescence.

Keywords

adolescent health - digital technology - mHealth - screen time - social media


Publication History

Article published online:
02 December 2022

© 2022. National Academy of Medical Sciences (India). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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