Relationship between internet addiction and different variables in adolescents

One aim of the current study is to compare empathy, emotion regulation, emotional expression and parent relationship of the adoloscents having and not having the risk for internet addiction. Another purpose is to investigate predictive effect of the empathy, emotion regulation, emotional expression and parent relationship on the internet addiction. In accordance with this purpose, sample of this study consisted of 415 high school students. Demographic information form, Young Internet Addiction Test (Y-IAT), Gunuc and Kayri Internet Addiction Scale (GK-IAS), Internet Use Function Questionnaire (IUFQ), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Emotional Expression Questionnaire (EEQ), Basic Empathy Scale (BES) and Parent-adolescent Relationship Scale (PARS) were used in order to evaluate participants. It was found that adolescents who have the risk for internet addiction experienced more difficulties on emotion regulation and had more negative relationship with their parents compared with adolescents who not have the risk for internet addiction. However, there was not any significant differences between these two adolescent groups on empathy and emotional expression. On the other hand, the results revealed from regression analyses showed that parent relationships, difficulties in emotion regulation and emotional expression had predictive influence on internet addiction. The results were discussed in consideration of the related literature. Key words: Internet Addiction, Parent-adolescent Relationships, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation, Empathy, Emotional Expression