Investigation of the relationship between perceived parental attitude and social anxiety in university students and internet addiction

In this study, the relationship between perceived parental attitude and social anxiety in university students and internet addiction was examined. The sample group of the study consists of 482 students studying at the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts at the undergraduate level at Istanbul Gelişim University. Demographic Information Form, Parent Attitude Scale, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and Young Internet Addiction Scale-Short Form prepared by the researcher were used as data collection tools in the study. The data obtained as a result of the research were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 (Statistics Package Program for Social Sciences). According to the findings of the study, a positive significant relationship was found between the internet addiction scale and social anxiety and avoidance scales. Looking at the effect of social anxiety on internet addiction, it was found that social anxiety had no effect on internet addiction, and avoidance increased the level of internet addiction. While a significant negative correlation was found between democratic parental attitude and internet addiction scale, which is one of the sub-dimensions of the perceived parental attitude scale, a positive significant relationship was found between authoritarian and foster parent attitude and internet addiction. When the effect of the sub-dimensions of the perceived parental attitude scale on internet addiction was examined, it was found that the democratic and authoritarian parental attitude did not affect internet addiction, and the foster parent attitude increased the level of internet addiction.