Investigation of the Association Between Loneliness, Social Skill Levels and Internet Addiction in Junior High School Students’

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the association between internet addiction(IA), and social skills and loneliness levels in junior high school students and to determine the factors affecting their IA levels. Method: The population of the study consisted of students attending junior high schools in Kirklareli, in the 2017-2018 academic year(N=10,682).After minimum sample size was calculated as 668, 693 students were reached. In the study, the Internet Addiction Scale(IAS), Matson Evaluation and Social Skills with Youngsters(MESSY) and Children's Loneliness Scale(CLS) were used to collect the study data. Results: Of the students, 13.5% were moderate, 1.5% were severe internet addicts. The results of the adjusted Multivariate Linear Regression analysis indicated that while there was a positive association between IAS scores and the scores for the NegativeMESSY(β:0.345, 95%CI:0.252;0.439,p<0.001) and CLS(β:0.169, 95%CI:0.050;0.288,p<0.01), there was no association between the IAS scores and PositiveMESSY scores(p>0.05).The risk of IA was high in the male gender, >12 years of age, those who perceive their academic success poorly, whose monthly household income was >3000₺/500$ and those who do not have parental control in internet use(p<0.05). Conclusion: The students’ IA levels are affected by their socio-demographic and internet usage characteristics. Their levels of negative social skills and loneliness increase as their IA level increase.

Keywords

• internet addiction
• addictive behavior
• social skills
• loneliness

Ortaokul Öğrencilerinde Yalnızlık ve Sosyal Beceri Düzeyleri ile İnternet Bağımlılığı Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma ortaokul öğrencilerinin internet bağımlılığı (İB) ile sosyal beceri ve yalnızlık düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmak ve IB düzeylerini etkileyen faktörleri belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Araştırmanın evrenini 2017-2018 eğitim- öğretim yılında Kırklareli’nde ortaokullara devam eden öğrenciler oluşturmaktadır (N = 10.682). Minimum örneklem büyüklüğü 668 olarak hesaplanmış, 693 öğrenciye ulaşılmıştır. Veriler İnternet Bağımlılığı Ölçeği (İBÖ), Matson Çocuklarda Sosyal Becerileri Değerlendirme Ölçeği (MÇSBDÖ), Çocuklar için Yalnızlık Ölçeği (ÇYÖ) ile toplanmıştır. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin %13,5'i orta, %1,5'i ciddi düzeyde internet bağımlısıdır. Düzeltilmiş çok değişkenli doğrusal regresyon analizinde, İBÖ skorları ile olumsuz MÇSBDÖ (β: 0.345, 95% CI: 0.252; 0.439, p < 0.001) ve ÇYÖ (β: 0.169, 95% CI: 0.050; 0.288, p < 0.01) skorları arasında pozitif yönde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmıştır. İBÖ skorları ile olumlu MESSY skorları arasında bir ilişki bulunamamıştır (p > 0.05). Erkek cinsiyette, 12 yaşından büyüklerde, akademik başarısını kötü algılayanlarda, aylık hane geliri 3000₺/ 500$’nin üzerinde olanlarda ve internet kullanımında ebeveyn denetimi olmayanlarda internet bağımlılığı riski yüksektir (p<0.05). Sonuç: Öğrencilerin İB düzeyleri sosyo-demografik ve internet kullanım özelliklerinden etkilenmektedir. IB arttıkça öğrencilerin sosyal becerileri kötüleşmekte ve yalnızlık düzeyleri artmaktadır.

Keywords

• internet bağımlılığı
• bağımlı davranışlar
• sosyal beceri
• yalnızlık

References

1. Aktepe, E., Olgac-Dundar, N., Soyoz, O., & Sonmez, Y. (2013). Possible ınternet addiction in high school students in the city center of Isparta and associated factors: a cross-sectional study. The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics, 55(4), 417-25.
2. Ang, C.S. (2017). Internet habit strength and online communication: Exploring gender differences. Computers in Human Behavior, 66, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.09.028.
3. Ang, C.S., Chan, N.N., & Lee, C.S. (2018). Shyness, loneliness avoidance, and internet addiction: what are the relationships? The Journal of Psychology. 152(1), 25-35. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2017.1399854.
4. Ayar, D., Bektas, M., Bektas, I., Akdeniz-Kudubes, A., Selekoglu-Ok, Y., Sal-Altan, S., & Çelik, I. (2017). The effect of adolescents' ınternet addiction on smartphone addiction.  Journal of Addictions Nursing, 28(4), 210-214. https://doi.org/10.1097/JAN.0000000000000196.
5. Bacanli, H., & Erdogan, F. (2003). Adaptation of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) to Turkish. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri, 3(2), 368-379.
6. Balhara, Y.P.S., Mahapatra, A., Sharma, P., & Bhargava, R. (2018). Problematic internet use among students in South-East Asia: Current state of evidence. Indian J Public Health 62(3), 197-210. doi: 10.4103/ijph.IJPH_288_17.
7. Bayraktar, F. (2001). Role in the development of adolescent use of the ınternet. Ege University, Institute of Social Science, Department Of Psychology, Master Thesis, Izmir.
8. Beard, C., Haas, A., Wickham, R.E., & Stavropoulos, V. (2019). Age of initiation and ınternet gaming disorder: the role of self-esteem. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(6), 397-401. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2017.0011.

9. Bhandari, P.M., Neupane, D., Rija, S., Thapa, K., Mishra, S.R., & Poudyal, A.K. (2017). Sleep quality, ınternet addiction and depressive symptoms among undergraduate students in Nepal. BMC Psychiatry, 17(1), 106. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1275-5.
10. Chou, W.J., Huang, M.F., Chang, Y.P., Chen, Y.M., Hu, H.F., & Yen, C.F. (2017). Social skills deficits and their association with ınternet addiction and activities in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 6(1), 42-50. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.6.2017.005.
11. Costa, R.M., Patrão, I., & Machado, M. (2018). Problematic ınternet use and feelings of loneliness. International Journal Psychiatry Clinical Practice, 23(2), 160-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13651501.2018.1539180.
12. Demirer, V., & Bozoglan, B. (2016). Purposes of ınternet use and problematic ınternet use among Turkish high school students. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry, 8(4), 269-277. https://doi.org/10.1111/appy.12219.
13. Gómez, P., Rial, A., Braña, T., Golpe, S., & Varela, J. (2017). Screening of problematic ınternet use among spanish adolescents: prevalence and related variables. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(4), 259-267. http://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2016.0262.
14. Hawi, N.S, Samaha, M., & Griffiths, M.D. (2018). Internet gaming disorder in Lebanon: Relationships with age, sleep habits, and academic achievement. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(1), 70-78. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.1.
15. Huan, V.S., Ang, R.P., Chong, W.H., & Chye, S. (2014). The impact of shyness on problematic ınternet use: The role of loneliness. The Journal of Psychology, 148(6), 699-715. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 00223980.2013.825229.
16. Jamir, L., Duggal, M., Nehra, R., Singh, P., & Grover, S. (2019). Epidemiology of technology addiction among school students in rural India. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 40, 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2019.01.009.
17. Jeon, H.J, Kim, S., Chon, W.H., & Ha, J.H. (2018). Is ınternet overuse associated with impaired empathic ability in Korean college students? Medicine (Baltimore). 97(39), e12493. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000012493.
18. Kaya, A. (2005). The validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of the children’s loneliness scale. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 19, 220-237.
19. Keser, H., Esgi, N., Kocadag, T., & Bulu, S. (2013). Validity and reliability study of the ınternet addiction test. Mevlana International Journal of Education, 3(4), 207-222. doi:10.13054/mije.13.51.3.4.
20. Khurana, A., Bleakley, A., Jordan, A.B., & Romer, D. (2015). The protective effects of parental monitoring and ınternet restriction on adolescents' risk of online harassment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(5), 1039-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0242-4.
21. Kilic, M., Avci, D., & Uzuncakmak, T. (2016). Internet addiction in high school students in Turkey and multivariate analyses of the underlying factors. Journal of Addictions Nursing, 27(1), 39-46 https://doi.org/10.1097/JAN.0000000000000110.
22. Klar, J., Parzer, P., Koenig, J., Fischer-Waldschmidt, G., Brunner, R., Resch, F., & Kaess, M. (2019). Relationship between (pathological) ınternet use and sleep problems in a longitudinal study. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr. 68(2),146-159. https://doi.org/10.13109/prkk.2019.68.2.146.
23. Koo, H.J., & Kwon, J.H. (2014). Risk and protective factors of ınternet addiction: a meta-analysis of empirical studies in Korea. Yonsei Medical Journal, 55(6), 1691-711. https://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2014.55.6.1691.
24. Kuss, D.J., Griffiths, M.D., Karila, L., & Billieux, J. (2014). Internet addiction: a systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 20(25), 4026-52. https://doi.org/10,2174 / 13816128113199990617.
25. Lau, J.T.F., Gross, D.L., Wu, A.M.S., Cheng, K.M., & Lau, M.M.C. (2017). Incidence and predictive factors of ınternet addiction among Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong: a longitudinal study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 52(6), 657-667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1356-2.
26. Lee, Y.J., Shin, M.K., Cho, M.S., & Shin, M.Y. (2014). Psychosocial risk factors associated with ınternet addiction in Korea. psychiatry investigation, 11, 380–386. https://doi.org/10.4306 / pi.2014.11.4.380.
27. Li, Y., Zhang, X., Lu, F., Zhang. Q., & Wang, Y. (2014). Internet addiction among elementary and middle school students in China: a nationally representative sample study. 17(2), 111-6. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking, https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0482.
28. Mellouli, M., Zammit, N., Limam, M., Elghardallou, M., Mtiraoui, A., Ajmi, T., & Zedini, C. (2018). Prevalence and predictors of ınternet addiction among college students in Sousse, Tunisia. Journal of Research in Health Sciences, 18(1), e00403.
29. Parashkouh, N.N., Mirhadian, L., EmamiSigaroudi, A., Leili, E.K., & Karimi, H. (2018). Addiction to the ınternet and mobile phones and its relationship with loneliness in Iranian adolescents. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, pii: /j/ijamh.ahead-of-print/ijamh-2018-0035/ijamh-2018-0035.xml. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2018-0035
30. Potembska, E., Pawłowska, B., & Szymańska, J. (2019). Psychopathological symptoms in individuals at risk of ınternet addiction in the context of selected demographic factors. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 26(1), 33-38. https://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/81665.
31. Shek, D.T.L., Zhu, X., & Dou, D. (2019). Influence of family processes on ınternet addiction among late adolescents in Hong Kong. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 113. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00113.
32. Tateno, M., Kim, D.J., Teo, A.R., Skokauskas, N., Guerrero, A.P.S., & Kato, T.A. (2019). Smartphone addiction in Japanese college students: usefulness of the Japanese version of the smartphone addiction scale as a screening tool for a new form of ınternet addiction. Psychiatry Investigation, 16(2), 115-120. https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2018.12.252.
33. Vadher, S.B., Panchal, B.N., Vala, A.U., Ratnani, IJ., Vasava, K.J., Desai, R.S., & Shah, A.H. (2019). Predictors of problematic ınternet use in school going adolescents of bhavnagar. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 65(2), 151-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764019827985.
34. World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Public health implications of excessive use of the internet, computers, smartphones and similar electronic devices meeting report. Erişim:15.09.2020, https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/184264.
35. Xin, M., Xing, J., Pengfei, W., Houru, L., Mengcheng, W., & Hong, Z. (2018). Online activities, prevalence of ınternet addiction and risk factors related to family and school among adolescents in China. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 7, 14-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2017.10.003.
36. Yayan, E.H., Suna Dag, Y., & Duken, M.E. (2019). The Effects of technology use on working young loneliness and social relationships. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 55(2), 194-200. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/ppc.12318.
37. Young, K.S. (1998). Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 1(3), 237-244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237.
38. Young, K.S., & Rodgers, R.C. (1998). The relationship between depression and ınternet addiction. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1, 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.25.
39. Zegarra Zamalloa, C.O., & Cuba Fuentes, M.S. (2017). Frequency of ınternet addiction and development of social skills in adolescents in an urban area of Lima. Medwave, 17(1), e6857.https://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2017.01.6857.