The Correlation between Internet Addiction and Loneliness in Adolescents in Golestan Province

In the third millennium, internet plays an increasingly important role in adolescents’ life. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between internet addiction and loneliness in adolescent in Golestan Province in 2016.
In this descriptive– correlational study, 384 high school students in the first and second grades were selected from schools of Golestan Province using random cluster sampling in 2016. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, Young Internet Addiction Scale and University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. The validity and reliability of the instruments were determined in the previous studies.Data were analyzed by the SPSS 21 software.
From a total of 384 students, 77.3% had no internet addiction, 21.1% were at risk of internet addiction and 1.6% were internet addicted. Twenty percent of the study population had expressed feelings of loneliness higher than the average. The results of Spearman's correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between internet addiction and loneliness (P Due to the positive correlation between loneliness and internet addiction in adolescents, it is recommended that parents and experts in education and health monitor teens’ behaviors to prevent internet addiction. It is possible to reduce Internet dependency by planning for loneliness or proper communication with parents and friendship with peers.