The relationship between media consumption and Internet addiction with an emphasis on the role of gender

The main purpose of this article is to explain the relationship between media consumption and levels of Internet addiction with an emphasis on the role of gender.

This cross-sectional study was performed using a descriptive survey method. The statistical population of this study was 16532 students of universities in the center of Golestan province. To determine the sample size, 385 people were determined by the volume estimation method based on Krejcie and Morgan's table. A proportional stratified random sampling method was used to select the samples.

Research findings indicate that Internet addiction is more prevalent among female students than male students, while male students are more prone to addiction than female students. Control of variables by gender also showed that among male students there was a significant relationship between media consumption and Internet addiction, while among female students this relationship was meaningless.

Gender is an important and influential factor in the relationship between media consumption and Internet addiction.