Background: After the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, abusive use of the internet and new information and communication technologies (ICT) among university students was detected. Our research questions were as follows: what has been the impact on the academic performance of university students, and how did the pandemic affect students’ relationship with ICTs? The aim of this research was to explore the use of cell phones and the internet in students from different cultures (Spanish and Japanese) after the pandemic. Methods: This descriptive and exploratory study analysed 206 university students from Spanish and Japanese cultures to understand their perceptions of academic performance after the pandemic, their general use of ICT, and their abusive use of the internet and mobile phones. Instruments included the Internet Overuse Scale (IOS) and the Cell-Phone Overuse Scale (COS), adapted for both Spanish and Japanese populations. Differences between quantitative variables were analyzed using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test for independent samples (Spanish and Japanese students or by sex). Contingency tables were created to record and analyse relationships between qualitative variables using the chi-squared test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Approximately 29.6% of participants displayed excessive internet use, while 25.2% showed pathological mobile phone use. A strong association was found between high internet and mobile phone usage. Significant cultural and gender differences were observed, with higher problematic use among Japanese students and female participants. Conclusions: Excessive ICT use remains a concern in university settings, with gender and cultural factors playing key roles. These findings highlight the need for targeted digital well-being interventions.

En los rituales tradicionales sintoístas encontramos harae 祓, ritual de purificación. Dentro de la diversidad de harae, destacan Ôharae 大祓, cuyo objetivo consiste en una gran purificación, eliminando el pecado tsumi 罪 y la impureza kegare 穢れ cada medio año. Así mismo, se conoce como “Nakatomi no harae 中臣祓”, dado que estos rituales eran encomendados al Clan Nakatomi, para su celebración. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo comprender la espiritualidad del pueblo del Antiguo Japón, reflejada en Nakatomi no harae, textos que contienen el proceso ritual de purificación, consistente en la eliminación del origen del pecado gracias a las divinidades. El texto es considerado clave en la esencia de sintoísmo, hasta tal punto que dejó su influencia en los rituales budistas, que a partir de finales del Antiguo Japón, se reformaron en Nakatomi no harae kunge 中臣祓訓解, a través de ramas esotéricas Shingon, que han conservado elementos sintoístas incorporados al budismo.

Background: Once the covid-19 pandemic ended, the abusive use of the internet and new information and communication technologies (ICT) was detected among university students. What has been the impact on the academic performance of university students? How did the pandemic affect students' relationship with ICT’s? The objective of this research was to explore the use of mobile phones and the internet in students from different cultures (Spanish and Japanese) after the pandemic. Methodology: This is a descriptive and exploratory analysis study in university students (n=206) from Spanish and Japanese culture to understand the perception of academic performance after the covid-19 pandemic, the general use of ICT and the abusive use of both of the internet and the mobile phone. For this study, a semi-structured questionnaire was applied with the scales Internet Over-use Scale (IOS) and Cell-Phone Over (COS). Results:Almost half of university students use the internet and mobile phones excessively. There are statistically significant differences between students of Spanish and Japanese culture regarding the consequences derived from excessive Internet use and by sex in terms of tolerance of ICT abuse. There are more university students of Japanese culture with excessive use of the Internet compared to those of Spanish culture. And a lower percentage of abusive use of both the Internet and the mobile phone in university men than in women. Conclusions:Many of the university students use ICT excessively and show signs of pathological addiction. Extreme internet use is related to extreme mobile phone use in this vulnerable group. Abusive use has influenced the habits of university students after the covid-19 pandemic.