INTERNET ADDICTION AND SOCIAL ANXIETY AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

The internet is one of the most widely used means of communication, connecting people all over the world, in association with the rapid escalation of consumed internet content and the wider availability of smartphones and tablets with internet access, is providing a new challenge for classical addictology which requires immediate solutions. High comorbidity of internet addiction with psychiatric disorders has been reported particularly anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder). Internet addiction and social anxiety in puberty are linked to signicant illness that lasts into adulthood. The objectives of this study were to nd out the level of internet addiction and social anxiety among male and female young adults and to study the relationship between internet addiction and social anxiety. The research was conducted on 100 male and female college going students. The data was collected through the purposive sampling method. Young's Internet Addiction Test was used to assess internet addiction, and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale was used to assess social anxiety. The scores were calculated, and the data were analyzed using SPSS. The study found a correlation between internet addiction and social anxiety among male and female young adults (r =.018, P=.236). And found no signicant difference between males and females on the level of internet addiction and social anxiety. The results of the current study support prior evidence for the co-occurrence of internet addiction and social anxiety, while further studies need to clarify this association