Prevalence of internet addiction and the relationship with loneliness and family dynamics in high school students living in Adana city center

Prevalence of Internet Addiction and the relationship with loneliness and family dynamics in high school students living in Adana city center Background and Aim: Internet addiction and risky internet use in young people is especially recognized as a social and public health problem affecting especially adolescents and young aged 16-24 years. The aim of this study is to find the prevalence and the relationship with loneliness and family dynamics, the pattern of the internet use. Material and Method: Our sample was high school students in Adana city center. Fifteen high schools were selected by systematic randomization taking into account their characteristics. The number of valid questionnaires was 1160. Data were collected by sosyodemographic questionnaire, internet addiction test, UCLA loneliness inventory and family APGAR scale. Results: Of the students 43,4% (n=517) was male. Mean age was 16,2±0,9 years. Of the students, 4,6% (n=56) declared that they were not using internet, 81,6% of students were normal internet users (NIU) whereas 18,4% were problematic internet users (PIU) and 2,1% (n=25) were internet addicted. The daily mean duration of internet use was 4,1±4,1 hours. The weekly mean duration was 25,1±29,1 hours. The weekly use was 48,2±37,6 hours for problematic internet users whereas 18,5±22,2 hours for normal users. The access to internet via PC and mobile phone was significantly more often in PIU than NIU. The mean score of UCLA was 42,9±11,7 in PIU and 38,2±11,2 in NIU and the difference was significant. Loneliness seems to lead to internet addiction and one point increase in UCLA score leads to 1,03 times increase in IAT score. There was a significant relationship between family structure and PIU. Conclusion: Problematic internet use is common in adolescents and thought to be associated with family dysfunction and loneliness. Comprehensive education for the family and adolescent is essential. Key words: Adana, Family APGAR, Internet addiction, Loneliness, Student