The Role of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms and Social Isolation in Teenage Girls Towards the Use of Internet and Cyberspace

Objective: The current study was conducted to investigate the role of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and social isolation due to Internet addiction and cyberspace use among teenage girls in 2016-2017 year. Methods: The research method used in this study was cross-sectional. The study population included all girl students of the second grade public high schools of Tehran city during the academic year 2016-2017. Based on multi-stage cluster sampling, 300 girls were selected randomly. The tools used for data collection were Russell’s loneliness scale, Young’s Internet addiction test, and Achenbach’s self-report questionnaire. Finally, the collected data was analyzed using SPSS v.20 software using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and regression analysis. Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship of internalized syndrome (r=0.53), extraversion syndrome (r=0.57), and social isolation (r=0.54), with internet addiction. Regression test showed that seizure syndrome, thinking syndrome among internalized syndromes, obsessive compulsive syndrome, other problems, favorable conditions, outbreak law, problems of disorder among extraversion syndromes and social isolation had the most impact on the variability of Internet addiction. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that individuals with internalized and externalized symptoms and girls who are socially isolated tend to have more Internet and virtual space addiction.