Cyberspace addiction in students: The predictive role of academic alienation and psychological distress

The aim of this study was to predict cyberspace addiction based on academic alienation and psychological distress students. The method of study was correlational and the sample consisted of 150 high school students of Ardabil city selected by cluster sampling in 2020. To collect data, the questionnaires of Yang's Internet Addiction Questionnaire, Dillon and Grout's Educational Alienation, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress (DAS-21 (were used and the collected data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results indicated Addiction to cyberspace has been positively associated with academic alienation and psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and stress). In other words, academic alienation and psychological distress were able to predict cyberspace addiction (P<0.01). Therefore, psychologists by teaching appropriate measures in order to reduce psychological and communication problems in students should take necessary actions to reduce the severity of addiction to cyberspace in this vulnerable group of society.