Many studies have already explored media use and its impact in Egypt. A study in the International Journal of Internet Education looks at students‘ use of smartphone apps. The most frequently mentioned activities of students using apps include communication, following the news, finding friends, and searching for specific and general information. In the professional context, smartphones were used more for communication than for the learning purposes themselves. Students showed largely positive attitudes toward apps, and most apps were perceived as easy to use and helpful. Furthermore, apps would allow for faster searching of information and easier communication. Thus, apps were practical and convenient. Also, the majority of students said they trusted apps such as WhatsApp, email, Facebook, and YouTube. Of concern, however, was the lack of training about apps and a lack of awareness. Furthermore, it was noted that apps were time consuming, intimidating, addictive, and violated privacy (Mansour, 2016).

Various studies also explored the impact of media use in Egypt. In an Egyptian study of primary school-aged children, 52.4% showed problematic internet use, and internet addiction was evident in 4% of the students* (Ismail & Ali, 2018). The prevalence of internet addiction among students (18-24 years old) was 47.5%, with 35.5% showing moderate addiction and 12% showing severe addiction. This was more pronounced among male students and students under 21 years of age. Regarding socioeconomic status and parental education level, there were no statistically significant differences. Individuals who exhibited Internet addiction were more likely to smoke, exercise less, and sleep less than six hours. Internet addiction was higher among those who used the Internet for entertainment, gaming, and social communication. Internet addiction was less evident among individuals for whom its use was related to information seeking (Salama, 2020).

Another study from Egypt showed that problematic Internet use among adolescents was adolescents was related to social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADHD, among others (Reda, Rabie, Mohsen, Hassan, 2012). Findings by Elkholy and colleagues (2020) suggest the association of alexithymia and smartphone addiction. The association between smartphone addiction and musculoskeletal pain in Egyptian physical therapy students was also investigated. Here, a significant relationship was found between posture during smartphone use and the location and type of discomfort (Elserty, Helmy & Mounir, 2020).

However, many studies also point to the positive effects of media use. For example, there is evidence that media in Egypt proved to be helpful in finding a job (cf. Bernhardt, Mays & Hall, 2012), and regarding health-related issues, many reports also point to the beneficial aspects of media (cf. „100 Million’Health“; Adel, 2015; Katz, 2008; Mahfouz, 2019; Mansour, 2017).