Digital Tools Contributions to Prevent Addictions in Nursing Students

Abstract

In the health area it is necessary to implement innovative strategies to adapt inside a society where information and communication technologies (ICTs) are widely used, specifically to prevent or limit drug use and abuse; so, we aimed to identify the contributions of digital tools in preventing adolescents’ addictions. The research was qualitative with a phenomenological method considered in the Sociology of Daily Life, within Social Sciences. The scenario was the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the informants were 13 students, 20-23 years old from a Nursing career. Data collection was obtained through 2 semi-structured interviews, students were informed and they signed an informed consent, data analysis was qualitative. Four categories emerged with subcategories describing digital tools contributions in risk perception, emotions, self-care behaviours to prevent drug addiction and treating the addict with dignity and respect. In conclusion, immersion tools allow students to experiment, in a controlled setting, public health problems difficult to approach like use and abuse of drugs. Enacting lively situations lead them to experiment with their ideas, values and experiences, since being surrounded by an individual, familial and societal risk factors poorly addressed emotions, including low-risk perception, induce adolescents to actively construct their own learning critically and thoughtfully.