Research Article
Andrea Lukács
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 4, Article No: ep315
ABSTRACT
Recent literature draws attention to the fact that problematic Internet use is a growing health issue among adolescents worldwide. This study aimed to find the potential demographic, physical and psychopathological risk factors associated with severe problematic Internet use of adolescents. A total of 1,347 adolescents (45.1% males) were recruited from five high schools in three settlements. Students completed an online questionnaire and provided data about socio-demographics, physical activity, physical and psychopathological health, as well as about their Internet use habits (Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire). 1.9% of the respondents appeared to be severe, 20.4% moderate problematic Internet users. The complexity of the problem is manifested in the multifaceted relationships of factors. The multinomial regression analysis identified four significant risk factors for severe problematic internet use, namely depressive symptoms, loneliness, low level of father’s education level and low level of physical activity. The real severe problematic Internet use is not so common in adolescent students, however, together with moderate problematic Internet users, this number has significance. Psychopathological factors such as elevated depressive symptoms and loneliness should be considered when preventive programs are implemented and more attention should be taken on physical activity as an effective tool against addictive behavior.
Keywords: adolescents, depressive symptoms, loneliness, physical activity, problematic Internet use
Research Article
Osman Erol, Nese Sevim Cirak
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 10, Issue 2, pp. 156-172
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study is to examine the loneliness and Internet addiction levels of college students in terms of demographic variables and to determine the variables that predict their Internet addiction level. Data were collected from college students studying at a public university in Turkey. The UCLA Loneliness Scale Version3 and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were used as the data collection tools. College students were delivered an online survey and at the end 489 college students were voluntarily participated in the study. This survey study employed independent sample t-tests, ANOVA tests, correlation and multiple regression tests for data analysis. The results show that younger participants felt significantly more loneliness than older participants; similarly, students in lower classes felt more alone than those in upper classes. In terms of addiction, it is seen that the frequent use of computers, smartphones and social media increases the Internet addiction level of students. The study suggests a significant correlation between loneliness, Internet addiction, age, and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Additionally, loneliness and CGPA significantly predict Internet addiction. This study may be important in terms of determining the psychological variables affecting today's increasing technology addiction (internet, smart phone, etc.). Thus, determining the effect of the level of loneliness of young people on internet addiction may be effective in terms of preventing this addiction.
Keywords: Internet addiction, Loneliness, UCLA loneliness scale, Internet addiction test