Investigating the Phenomenon of the Internet Addictive Usage Among Adolescents and Youth (15-25 years of age) in the City of Tehran

The present paper is an investigation into the phenomenon of the internet addiction as a social problem facing the information and communications age. The phenomenon of the internet addiction has recently emerged in the developed nations as a consequence of the increasing expansion in the network of the electronic communications. Such a phenomenon proves to have already involved a myriad of dysfunctions for the individual, the family, and the society. This paper is an adapted version of a survey research conducted in 2006 on the Situation of the Internet Addiction in Iran. The statistical population consists of the adolescent and the youth between 15 to 25 years of age, who have access to the internet connection. The sample size equals 800 subjects. The findings indicate that the phenomenon of the internet addiction does exist in Iran, too. Although the usage is attributed to most of the adolescent, young users are determined to be normal. Moreover, based on the present research findings, the addictive use of the internet among some of the adolescent and the youth is associated with problems such as evading social responsibility, social isolation, lack of social support, and inefficient job and educational performances. The above-mentioned problems bear direct relationship with the internet addiction, while the latter has an adverse effect on the feeling of self-worthiness.