RESEARCH

Within the scope of the Social Work with Community course at Istanbul Nişantaşı University's Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of Social Work, 2nd-year Social Work students Anita Şener, Gülizar Eroğlu, Sude Ayhan, Rabia Nur Türkan, and Selinay Arpacı, under the supervision of the course instructor Assist. Prof. Dr. Dilek Özsoy, prepared a social responsibility project in cooperation with the Turkish Green Crescent Society (Türkiye Yeşilay Cemiyeti). The training process was carried out with the joint participation of the project team students and volunteers from the Turkish Green Crescent Society's Güngören Branch. Yeşilay volunteers Rabia İrem Özdemir, Hümeyra Hazar, Havva Ocak, and Dilek Özkan took part in the event and supported the students.

As part of the prepared project, an awareness training titled "Screen Addiction at Primary School Age" was held on May 4, 2026, at Güngören Cumhuriyet Primary School. The training was delivered to a total of 260 4th-grade students across 11 classes.

The project aimed to raise children's conscious use of technology, help them develop healthy digital habits, and build awareness about screen time. Activities supporting students' active participation were included throughout the training, along with information on the controlled and balanced use of technology. The presentations covered topics such as safe internet use, digital balance, the importance of social activities, and controlling screen time, with an interactive learning environment created by addressing students' questions.

Interactive activities were carried out with the students throughout the event, and the physical, social, and academic effects of screen addiction were explained through age-appropriate examples. Educational games and grp activities were organized to keep the children's attention engaged.