Abstract:
The present paper is an investigation into the phenomenon of the internet addiction as a social problem facing the information and communications age. The phenomenon of the internet addiction has recently emerged in the developed nations as a consequence of the increasing expansion in the network of the electronic communications. Such a phenomenon proves to have already involved a myriad of dysfunctions for the individual, the family, and the society. This paper is an adapted version of a survey research conducted in 2006 on the Situation of the Internet Addiction in Iran. The statistical population consists of the adolescent and the youth between 15 to 25 years of age, who have access to the internet connection. The sample size equals 800 subjects. The findings indicate that the phenomenon of the internet addiction does exist in Iran, too. Although the usage is attributed to most of the adolescent, young users are determined to be normal. Moreover, based on the present research findings, the addictive use of the internet among some of the adolescent and the youth is associated with problems such as evading social responsibility, social isolation, lack of social support, and inefficient job and educational performances. The above-mentioned problems bear direct relationship with the internet addiction, while the latter has an adverse effect on the feeling of self-worthiness.
Machine summary:
International Journal of Social Sciences(IJSS) Vol. 1, No. 1, Winter 2011 Investigating the Phenomenon of the Internet Addictive Usage Among Adolescents and Youth (15-25 years of age) in the City of Tehran1 Said Moidfar2 Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Tehran Karam Habibpour Gatabi3 PhD Student, Sociology, University of Tehran Received January 2010 Accepted April 2010 The present paper is an investigation into the phenomenon of the internet addiction as a social problem facing the information and communications age.
Moreover, based on the present research findings, the addictive use of the internet among some of the adolescent and the youth is associated with problems such as evading social responsibility, social isolation, lack of social support, and inefficient job and educational performances.
Abstract: Key Words: The Internet addiction; Taking social responsibility; Social isolation; Job & educational inefficiency; Feeling of self-worthiness Introduction Access to the internet is on the rise, and everyday increasing numbers of people join in as users of the internet.
; and (2) What implications addictive use of the internet bears upon individuals (children and the youth, in particular) in various social, cultural and educational settings?
In all, based on the previous research, other consequences of the internet addiction are: feebleness in social relationships with others, and the occurrence of disorder in real life skills (King, 1996, p.
As shown in the figure below, the phenomenon of addictive use of the internet has a bi-directional relationship with each of the variables of self-worthiness, lack of social support, social isolation, educational and job failure, and evading the social responsibility.