Internet Addiction Behavior Research Articles

Multiple Intermediary Model Test of Adolescent Physical Exercise and Internet Addiction.

On the basis of self-efficacy theory, self-control theory and psychological resilience theory, this paper discusses the relationship between physical exercise, self-efficacy, self-control, psychological resilience and Internet addiction among adolescents in Beijing. A convenience sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on physical activity and Internet addiction among 466 adolescents from first to third year in 10 high schools in Beijing, of which 41% were girls and 59% were boys; 1.9% of students were 14 years old, 42.5% were 15 years old, 23.4% were 16 years old, 31.3% were 17 years old and 0.9% were 18 years old. Using the research methods of the literature, correlation analysis and multiple intermediary structure model, this paper constructed and tested the multiple intermediary model between physical exercise and Internet addiction. The results show that physical exercise can significantly predict self-efficacy, psychological resilience and self-control; self-efficacy, psychological resilience and self-control significantly interfered with Internet addiction behaviour; there was a significant difference in the total effect of multiple intermediaries; the effect value was -0.173; the specific indirect effects of self-efficacy, psychological resilience and self-control had intermediary effects in the relationship between physical exercise and Internet addiction; and there was no difference in specific indirect effects. This paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions to prevent teenagers' Internet addiction from cultivating, such as through good sports activities, thereby improving their Internet addiction. We should actively strive to improve teenagers' deep understanding of the effect of physical exercise and gradually form physical exercise habits, with sports addiction replacing Internet addiction.

Internet addiction and suicidal behavior among vocational high school students in Hunan Province, China: A moderated mediation model.

Vocational education is an important part of high school education in China. However, there is little research on high school students' mental health. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of suicidal behavior (SB) among this population and the mediating role of insomnia, depression, anxiety, and stress in the relationship between Internet addiction (IA) and SB using a structural equation model. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among several vocational high school students in Hunan Province, and 7,968 valid questionnaires were obtained. General demographic data and data from the Dual-Mode Self-Control Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress scale-21, and Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale were collected. A structural equation model was used to explore the different pathways from IA to SB. Among the participants, 37.7, 15.7, and 21.8% reported suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts, respectively. The structural equation model confirmed that IA was indirectly related to SB and was mediated by insomnia and/or depression, anxiety, and stress. First, we only recruited students from vocational schools in Hunan Province, therefore, the sample may not represent the entire population of vocational students in China. Second, self-report scales were used in this study, and clinical diagnosis required professional interviews. Third, since this study had a cross-sectional design, the causal relationship between the variables could not be determined. The prevalence of SB among vocational high school students in China was significantly high. The prevention of SB related to IA can be attributed to the improvement of insomnia and emotional problems.

Краткосрочная профилактика интернет-зависимости у старших подростков

The work is devoted to the analysis of the implementation of the program of short-term prevention of Internet addiction in older adolescents in the ever-increasing informatization of society, in the conditions of metropolitan gymnasiums. Domestic scientists focus on various aspects of Internet addiction, which are manifested in adolescents. Foreign research is carried out at the intersection of psychology with pharmacotherapy, psychiatry, philosophy, sociology, and addictology. The novelty of the study lies in highlighting the stages of forming ideas about the phenomenon of Internet addiction based on methodological and theoretical analysis, as well as clarifying the concepts of “informatization”, “digitalization”, “Internet addiction”. Based on the generally accepted paradigm of Internet addiction as a standard non-chemical addiction, acting as desocializing or interfering with normal socialization, based on the development of the modern information society, there is a need to prevent Internet addiction. The purpose of the article was to describe the empirical results of a study of short-term prevention of Internet addiction in older adolescents in urban gymnasiums. It was assumed that purposefully organized prevention of Internet addiction would contribute to its reduction, regardless of the timing of the implementation of preventive measures. The study involved 50 students of the 9th grade aged 14 to 16 years. An analysis of the results of the primary diagnosis of grade 9 of two different educational organizations before the start of the program showed that 94 % of students are at risk for the formation of Internet addiction and allowed us to say that older adolescence is a key factor in the emergence of a tendency to Internet addictive behavior. Experimental work was aimed at the implementation of a short-term group program for the prevention of Internet addiction in students of older adolescence. According to the results of the final diagnosis, the only significant quantitative change in the experimental group was the change in the Scale of intrapersonal problems, which may indicate the effectiveness of the training part of the preventive work, as well as the effectiveness of individual consulting work provided to students. The factors of inefficiency of a short-term prevention program and targets in building a comprehensive work on the prevention of Internet addiction among students of educational institutions are identified.

Smartphone addiction is more harmful to adolescents than Internet gaming disorder: Divergence in the impact of parenting styles.

The adverse effects of smartphone addiction (SPA) and Internet gaming disorder (IGD) on adolescents' mental health have been widely recognized. However, the influence of parenting styles on these high-risk Internet use behaviors of adolescents still remain elusive. Aiming to identify preventable patterns for adolescents with SPA or IGD, this study compared the mental health status between adolescents with SPA and IGD and used path analysis to confirm actual effects of parenting styles on SPA and IGD. Participants were enrolled at a junior high school in Hunan Province and a senior high school in Shanxi Province, China [n = 3,049, female (male): 50.5% (49.5%), mean age = 15.68 ± 1.54]. All participants reported their socio-demographic characteristics and undertook standardized assessments of SPA, IGD, parenting styles, depression, anxiety, insomnia, self-control, and support utilization. High levels of parental care and low levels of parental overprotection benefited adolescents' mental health with SPA and IGD. However, despite having a more positive parenting style, adolescents with only SPA showed more severe mental health problems than adolescents with only IGD. Furthermore, the results showed that the parenting style of encouraging autonomy might be a protective factor against IGD, but it might reinforce SPA indirectly by reducing abilities of support utilization and self-control in whole sample. Compared to IGD, SPA which included different kinds of Internet addiction behaviors, was more hazardous for adolescents' mental health. The divergent effects of an autonomy-encouraging parenting style on SPA and IGD may reflect the different impacts of self-control in different types of Internet addiction.

The association between violent video game exposure and sub-types of school bullying in Chinese adolescents

School bullying among adolescents has been a worldwide public health issue. It has been observed that adolescents who are exposed to violent video games (VVGs) are often more aggressive. However, research on the association between violent video game exposure (VVGE) and different types of school bullying is limited in the Chinese context. The purpose of this study was to explore whether VVGE is linked to school bullying behaviors among Chinese adolescents and to examine the relationship between different levels of violent game exposure and four sub-types (physical, verbal, relational, and cyber) of school bullying involvement. This was a cross-sectional study of 1,992 Chinese students (55.02% boys and 44.98% girls) with the average age of 15.84 ± 1.62 years. Sub-types of school bullying victimization and perpetration, Internet addiction, and VVGE were measured by using a self-administrated questionnaire. The association was examined by multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for covariates. Physical, verbal, relational, and cyber school bullying victimization were reported by 18.12, 60.34, 11.75, and 12.05% of the adolescents, and physical, verbal, relational, and cyber school bullying perpetration were reported by 16.62, 54.62, 21.49, and 8.23% of them. Of the students, 1,398 (70.18%) were normal Internet users, 514 (25.80%) showed moderate Internet addictive behaviors, and 31 (1.56%) of the students showed severe Internet addictive behaviors. The prevalence of no VVGE, low-level VVGE, medium-level VVGE, and high-level of VVGE were 27.70, 24.10, 24.20, and 24.00%, respectively. The risk of physical victimization and physical perpetration significantly increased with the increasing degree of violent video game exposure (P for trend < 0.001), with the highest adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 2.251 (95% CI 1.501-3.375) and 2.554 (95% CI 1.685-3.870), when comparing high-level VVGE with no VVGE. These findings highlight the specific association between different sub-types of school bullying involvement and violent video game exposure. Physical school bullying prevention and intervention programs should be conducted after adolescents are exposed to violent video games.

Analysis of the Effects of Personal Traits and Internet Addiction on Indonesian Students’ Learning Motivation

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between personality type and internet addiction behaviour and learning motivation among Indonesian students. In addition, each personality type is examined in relation to internet addiction and learning motivation. This study involved 337 students from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Using multiple linear regression, the study's statistical analyses were performed. The study's findings indicate that personality type and internet addiction behaviour influence learning motivation with a significance value of 0.00 (p 0.05) and a R square value of 0.77 or 7%. This indicates that these two variables influence learning motivation by 7 percent. Furthermore, learning motivation depends on each individual's unique personality. There are three personalities significantly correlated with learning motivation: agreeableness (sig = 0.00; sig 0.05), consciousness (sig = 0.00; sig 0.05), and openness to experience (sig = 0.01; sig 0.05). Extraversion, with a value of sig = 0.367 (sig&gt; 0.05), and neuroticism, with a value of sig 0.137 (sig&gt; 0.05), are the only two of the big five personality traits that are not correlated with learning motivation. Personality factors influence internet addiction. Extraversion with a value of sig = 0.045 (sig 0.05), agreeableness with a value of sig = 0.021 (sig 0.05), and neuroticism with a value of sig = 0.02 (sig 0.05) are three of the big five personality traits that correlate with internet addiction behaviour. On the other hand, there are two Big Five Personality traits that are not associated with internet addiction: consciousness with a sig value of 0.189 (sig&gt;0.05) and openness to experience with a sig value of 0.704% (sig&gt;0.05).

The relationship between internet addiction and aggressive behavior among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: Anxiety as a mediator

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for adolescents, who tended to experience more emotional instability, impulsivity, and aggressive behavior driven by the fear of infection and the uncertainty of network information. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between Internet addiction and aggressive behavior, and the mediating effects of depression and anxiety. There were differences in Internete addiction and aggressive behavior in gender, thus the moderating role of gender between them were explored. A total of 1148 middle school students were invited to complete the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Internet Addition Scale, the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) separately. The results suggested that 1) there was a significant positive correlation between Internet addiction and aggressive behavior; 2) anxiety, but not depression, mediated the effect of Internet addiction on aggressive behavior; 3) gender did not moderate the effect of Internet addiction on aggressive behavior. The practical implication of the current findings on boosting adolescents' mental health was discussed and further suggestions were provided.

Cyber Addiction and the Role of Social Anxiety Disorders among College-Going Students of the Central Kashmir: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health disorder which effects the young generation of adolescents and it is often associated with comorbidities such as depression, suicide ideation, and substance abuse disorder. Cyber addiction is a significant mental health problem among college-going students. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of social anxiety in adolescents and to explore its correlation with Internet usage among college-going students of the central part of Kashmir. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 undergraduate college-going students of the central part of Kashmir to screen for social anxiety and social phobia using a Social Interaction Anxiety Scale a validated instrument, and Young’s Internet Addiction Scale was used for measuring Internet addiction. Participants of the study were categorized according to the severity of anxiety and social phobia obtained and later compared with their Internet addiction behaviors. Results: The results of the study revealed that cyber addiction was seen among 93.18% of study participants. The prevalence of social anxiety and social phobia was estimated to be 25.0% and 35.90%. Cyber addiction was positively correlated with social anxiety score (Pearson correlation = 0.994, P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion: More than 93.18% of participants had cyber addiction; the majority had mild-to-moderate cyber addiction. Social anxiety was present in more than one-third of the students and social anxiety disorder was found to be associated with cyber addiction among college-going students.

Современные представления о роли социальных факторов в развитии интернет-зависимого поведения у детей и подростков (по материалам зарубежных исследований)

Objective. To analyze the currently available data on social risk factors and their influence on the IA development process and to evaluate possible prospects for further research in the field of Internet addiction behavior in children and adolescents.Background. The excessive Internet use among children and adolescents is known to be a serious public health problem, however, the influence factors and the mechanisms of Internet addiction (IA) remain largely unknown. The importance of social factors in the formation of addictive behavior is undeniable, and currently there seems to be an extremely little information of this kind of research. So far many mechanisms explaining the contribution of family and school factors to the development of IA have not been identified. The question remains open why, with the same conditions of upbringing, some adolescents develop IA, while others do not.Conclusions. The quality of family relationships and the school environment have a significant impact on the IA development process in young people, which is mediated through the development of certain character traits that either facilitate for social norms and rules to be acquired or encourage the addictive behavior. However, social factors of influence cannot be considered to be absolute. The presence in adolescents of such qualities as a high level of self-control and volitional self-regulation provide the resilience to the IA development process. The phenomenon of resilience is an extremely urgent but poorly studied area, which determines the prospects for further scientific research, including the problem of Internet addiction behavior in children and adolescents.

Зависимость и проблемное использование интернета среди девушек и женщин: распространенность, основные проявления, диагностические инструменты (обзор российских исследований)

Introduction. The article provides data on the prevalence of internet-addicted behavior. Aims. The purpose of the article is to analyze studies devoted to addiction and problematic use of the Internet among girls and young women in the Russian Federation. Methods. The review is based on national researches and international monitoring projects, which include analysis of the situation in Russia. Results. The key gender features of Internet addiction, specific to girls and young women, mentioned in the article are: vulnerability to the formation of Internet addictive behavior in the presence of emotional distress signs (alexithymia, fear of negative evaluation, social anxiety); more pronounced manifestations of addictive behavior, including compulsive symptoms, withdrawal symptoms and tolerance, as well as mood changes, irritability, anxiety, depression and anxiety. The measures for the internet- addiction that have good predictive validity are presented (the CIAS (Chen Internet Addiction Scale), validated on a sample of young Russian adults in 2021; the GPIUS2 (Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2), validated among adolescents and youth in 2018).

PENGARUH KONTROL DIRI TERHADAP KECANDUAN INTERNET PADA MAHASISWA SEMESTER AKHIR PROGRAM PENDIDIKAN DIPLOMA TEKNOLOGI LABORATORIUM MEDIS FAKULTAS PENDIDIKAN VOKASI DAN ILMU KESEHATAN UNIVERSITAS SARI MUTIARA INDONESIA

The need for the internet makes students use the internet in everyday life. Excessive use of the internet can lead to internet addiction. Self-control is considered to be one of the factors that influence internet addiction. This study aims to determine the effect of self-control on internet addiction in Final Semester Students of the Diploma in Technology Education Program at the Medical Laboratory, Sari Mutiara Indonesia University, Medan. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling technique. The sample in this study were students with male and female categories with a total of 54 students. Data was collected through a measuring instrument in the form of a questionnaire compiled by researchers based on aspects of both self-control variables and internet addiction. The sampling technique in this study is by non-probability sampling. Non-probability sampling is a samplingtechnique that does not provide equal opportunities/opportunities for each element or member of the population to be selected as a sample. In this study, using purposive sampling, which is a technique to determine research samples with certain considerations aimed at making the data obtained later can be more accurate. representative. Based on the problems and theories that have been described above, it can be formulated that there is an influence of self-control on internet addiction in students in the final semester of the Diploma in Technology Education Program, Medical Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Sari Mutiara University, Indonesia. Internet addiction behavior. Conversely, the lower the self-control, the higher the internet addiction.

Changes of internet behavior of adolescents across the period of COVID-19 pandemic in China

ABSTRACT During the COVID-19 pandemic, internet use and gaming of adolescents had been elevated. On the one hand, internet use and gaming in the period was a good approach to killing quarantined time. However, the increased use of the internet and game of adolescents may also increase the risk of internet addiction. This study aimed to describe the internet behavior changes of adolescents and to understand the impact of clinical features on internet addiction after the adolescents back to school in COVID-19 period. We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study using data collected through online investigation in China. Six hundred and twenty-five adolescents completed the online survey. Results indicated that internet addiction, having gaming use behaviors, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Conduct subscale scores and the SDQ Prosocial subscale scores before the COVID-19 outbreak were significant in predicting the internet addiction after the adolescents back to school. The proportion of internet addiction and gaming behaviors among adolescents in China was changed across the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical features before the COVID-19 pandemic could predict Internet addiction risk after the adolescents back to school.

Loneliness, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Resilience as Predictors of Internet Addiction: A Cross-Sectional Study with a Sample of Turkish Undergraduates.

This article examined the perceived social support, psychological resilience, and loneliness as predictors of internet addiction among university undergraduate students in Turkey. Participants were 1028 university students (408 males and 620 females) from state university in Turkey. Measuring tools included the Descriptive Information Form, Internet Addiction Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale. According to the findings of the study, positive correlation between internet addiction and perceived social support (r = 0.078, P < .01) and loneliness (r = 0.525, P < .001) shows a significant relationship. There was a significant and inverse relationship between psychological resilience and internet addiction (r = -0.498, P < .001). It was found that perceived social support, loneliness, and psychological resilience explained 34% of the total variance in internet addiction. Regression analysis showed that perceived social support (β = 0.061, P < .01), loneliness (β = 0.574, P < .001), and psychological resilience (β = -1.128 P < .001) significantly predicted internet addiction. Regression analysis revealed that psychological resilience negatively predicted internet addiction, while perceived social support and loneliness positively predicted internet addiction. : Based on the findings, improving students' psychological resilience can be an effective way to reduce internet addiction behavior. Additionally, social activities and relevant measures should be planned to increase students' awareness of internet addiction, reduce their feelings of loneliness, and encourage them to establish positive interpersonal relationships.

Does adolescents’ Internet addiction trigger depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior, or vice versa? The moderating roles of peer relationships and gender

This longitudinal cross-lagged research attempts to examine the directions of relations between Internet addiction and both internalizing and externalizing problems, with attention to the potential moderating effects of peer relationships and gender. 897 Chinese junior middle school students (56.97% boys, Mage = 12.73 years, SD = 0.42) completed self-reported Internet addiction, depressive symptoms, and peer-nominated aggressive behavior at two time points, one year apart, as well as self-reported friend support/conflict and positive/delinquent peers at baseline. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed that adolescents’ Internet addiction would elevate both depressive symptoms and aggressive behavior over time, rather than vice versa. Furthermore, friend conflict (rather than support) moderated these unidirectional relationships that when individuals perceived lower friend conflict, these links were no longer significant. Moreover, similar results were found for adolescents who possessed more positive peers or fewer delinquent peers. In addition, gender differences were found that addicted boys were more vulnerable to aggressive behavior, while addicted girls were more vulnerable to depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that establishing and maintaining good peer social networks would help adolescents keep away from the harmful impacts of Internet overuse on maladjustment.

Relationship between Internet Addiction and Dietary Behaviors of Students, Studying in a Teaching Hospital

Relationship between Internet Addiction and Dietary Behaviors of Students, Studying in a Teaching Hospital

The Influence of the Internet on the Socialization of Students

The article is devoted to an urgent pedagogical problem – the influence of the Internet on the socialization of student youth in modern conditions, which determined the purpose and objectives of the article: to characterize the role of the Internet in the formation of values and attitudes of student youth, the development of Internet-dependent behavior. To achieve the goal, the following research methods were used: literature analysis on the problem under study, express survey and testing, comparative analysis of the results. This problem is considered taking into account the increasing importance of electronic resources in the context of digitalization of modern society. The characteristics of the main concepts of the problem under study are given: socialization, student youth, the Internet, etc. The approaches to defining the place of the Internet as the main means of communication and information for young people are reflected. The authors present the results of a comprehensive monitoring study conducted in recent years among the students of the Dorzhi Banzarov Buryat State University. On the basis of the primary data of the study the actual characteristics of the problem under study are highlighted: the goals and reasons for visiting the Internet (communication in social networks, information search, entertainment, studies), the respondents’ evaluation of the impact of the Internet as more positive than negative. The study of the value orientations of modern student youth showed that the respondents choose the main traditional values: family, health, love, self-development. Thus, the peculiarities of the influence of the Internet on the socialization of student youth are presented as follows: the main purpose of visiting the Internet is to communicate in social networks; young people are quite aware of the role of Internet influence; the main life values of the young generation retain a traditional character; a significant proportion of respondents have formed and stable Internet addictive behavior. The analysis of the results obtained shows that the use of the Internet as the main means of communication and information does not, in general, have a negative impact on the formation of values and attitudes of student youth, but contributes to the development of Internet-dependent behavior. Keywords: socialization, student youth, the Internet, value orientations, Internet-dependent behavior

Association between internet addiction and suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts among Chinese adolescents with and without parental migration

Many left-behind children (LBC) are emerging in rural China and growing evidence indicated that parental migration was associated with various psychological problems. However, little is known about Internet addiction and suicidal behaviors among LBC. The study aims to explore the effect of Internet addiction and parental migration on three stages of suicidal behaviors, including suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plans (SP), and suicide attempts (SA). A total of 15,232 students graded 7 to 12 were recruited across five representative provinces in China. Results showed that LBC had a higher prevalence of SI and SA than non-LBC. However, after controlling for confounders, parental migration was insignificantly associated with suicidal behaviors. Internet addiction was significantly associated with increased odds of SI, SP, and SA. In addition, some variables showed different effects on suicidal behavior between LBC and non-LBC. Among LBC, psychological resilience, emotion management, and social support were negatively while loneliness was positively associated with SI, SP, and SA. Our findings suggest that adolescents with Internet addiction are more likely to report suicidal behaviors in rural China. For LBC, suicide preventive strategies could focus on reducing problematic Internet use and loneliness as well as improving psychological resilience, emotion management, and social support.

The efficacy of a training program for social skills in reducing addictive Internet behaviors among Palestinian university students

BackgroundFor youth in geopolitically at-risk environments, such as Palestine, the issues related to Internet overuse and addictions are complex. Youth residing in the occupied territories of Palestine as in other highly militarized zones have high levels of environmental stressors (e.g., militarization, poverty, lack of employment opportunities, cultural pressures, etc.) and few chemical or social outlets such as alcohol, intoxicants, and leisure activities. As such, the easily accessible and unrestricted opportunities for stress-reducing social contact of social media can lead easily to excessive and maladaptive Internet use. Therefore, interventions directly aimed at awareness and education on how to manage Internet use are critical for addressing these issues in high risk populations.AimsThe purpose of the current study was to test the efficacy of a time-limited group training program aimed at improving social skills and reducing addictive Internet behaviors among university students.Methods and resultsThe sample consisted of 30 university students who self-reported high scores on an Internet addiction scale. Participants were randomly assigned to either wait list or treatment group (15 in each condition). Results demonstrated that using a social skills training program over an 8-week period improved the level of social skills and reduced addictive Internet behaviors significantly in those who experienced the intervention when compared with a wait list control group.ConclusionsThese findings support the implementation of time limited training programs targeting social skills and addictive patterns of Internet use with university students identified with high levels of Internet addictive behaviors.

Age-related and individual variations in altered prefrontal and cerebellar connectivity associated with the tendency of developing internet addiction.

Internet addiction refers to problematic patterns of internet use that continually alter the neural organization and brain networks that control impulsive behaviors and inhibitory functions. Individuals with elevated tendencies to develop internet addiction represent the transition between healthy and clinical conditions and may progress to behavioral addictive disorders. In this network neuroscience study, we used resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) to examine how and whether individual variations in the tendency of developing internet addiction rewire functional connectivity and diminish the amplitude of spontaneous low‐frequency fluctuations in healthy brains. The influence of neurocognitive aging (aged over 60 years) on executive‐cerebellar networks responsible for internet addictive behavior was also investigated. Our results revealed that individuals with an elevated tendency of developing internet addiction had disrupted executive‐cerebellar networks but increased occipital‐putamen connectivity, probably resulting from addiction‐sensitive cognitive control processes and bottom‐up sensory plasticity. Neurocognitive aging alleviated the effects of reduced mechanisms of prefrontal and cerebellar connectivity, suggesting age‐related modulation of addiction‐associated brain networks in response to compulsive internet use. Our findings highlight age‐related and individual differences in altered functional connectivity and the brain networks of individuals at a high risk of developing internet addictive disorders. These results offer novel network‐based preclinical markers of internet addictive behaviors for individuals of different ages.

Considering the Relationship between Internet Addiction, Happiness, and General Self-Efficacy in the Students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Internet addiction and happiness and general self-efficacy among students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population consisted of all students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences and the sample consisted of 315 students. Data were collected using the Yang Internet Addiction, Scherer General Self-efficacy, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Results: The results of this study showed that the mean age of students were 22.31 years and the sex ratio was almost equal (43.9% male and 56.1% female). 12.2% of students had severe Internet addiction behavior. The most frequent use of the Internet during the day was 2-4 hours (35.4%), which was the most time consumed during the night (63.2%). The results also showed that the mean score of self-efficacy was 59.88 ± 8.72, the mean score of Internet addiction was 53.59 ± 16.43, and the mean score of happiness was 41.09 ± 12.99. Conclusion: Daily use of the Internet on various websites by students with Internet addiction reduces their sense of happiness; this finding could be an alarm about the increase of this disorder among students. So appropriate planning in this field should be done with the cooperation of university officials.