The relationship between using internet and national identity of users

Considering the cyberspace, especially Internet, regardless of positive or negative effects, is inevitable and national identity, as one of the most important components of social life is one of the factors that is strongly under the influence of the virtual world of internet. The sample of this study is chosen from all the people over 16 years old from DEHLORAN who were randomly selected. The survey instrument was a questionnaire and for assessing the reliability and validity of it, Cronbach›s alpha and internal coherence of items, respectively, have been used. Among the proposed hypotheses, age and gender hypotheses have no significant relationship with “national identity” dependent variable, and variables of economical- social statue, education, duration and type of internet use, assuming the contents of sites real and political orientation of users, have significant relationship with the dependent variable. Considering the results of study and explaining 47 percent of the independent variables from dependent variables with the regression analysis, it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between using internet and national identity of users. In other words, the more the users use internet, the less their national identity scores would become. This condition accords with the theories of theorists who insist that the new information and communication technologies provide the basis of strengthening the non- national identities and weakening the national identities.