The Influence of Internet Use on the Development of Internet Addiction and Social Isolation among Al-Quds University Undergraduate Students

Background: Internet use including social networking may cause internet addiction and social isolation. The use of internet and social networks, internet addiction and social isolation had been highlighted by different studies as a major concern in the world and particularly among young adult. However, there is a lack of such studies in Palestine. Aim: To assess the use of internet, including social networking, and its effects on internet addiction and social isolation among Al-Quds University undergraduate students aged 18- 22. Method: A cross sectional design was utilized to achieve this purpose. The data was gathered between beginning of August, 2015 and finished at the end of October, 2015. The sample included 219 students from Al-Quds University - Abu Dies Campus. The data was collected using self-administrated questionnaire including the socio-demographic data, Internet Addiction Test for internet addiction and UCLA Loneliness Scale for social isolation. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 61.0 and were analyzed by using parametric tests such as frequency, Ttest, ANOVA’s test, Chi-square test and Pearson's test.Findings: Analysis of the participants’ characteristics showed that males were (37.9%) and females were (62.1%). Their ages ranged between (18-22) years old and they were (44%) from the Faculty of Arts and (56%) from Health Complex Building. Findings showed that (57%) of the participants spent equal to or less than 5 hours per day on internet and social networks while (42.9%) spent more than 5 hours. The current study showed a positive correlation between internet use including social networking and internet addiction at PValue =0.01, where those who spent more time on the internet and social networking had higher frequent problem and significant problem of internet addiction. Moreover, the current study showed no relationship between the hours spent on social networking and the social isolation at P-Value (0.635), as severity of isolation and loneliness was almost equal for those who spent more than 5 hours and less or equal to 5 hours per day. The overall result of UCLA Loneliness Scale showed that (52%) of theparticipants had frequent or severe social isolation, compared to (48%) who had average or below average problems. Finally, there was a strong positive relationship between internet addiction and social isolation at P-Value (0.00), which means that those who had higher internet addiction had higher social isolation scores. Conclusion: The study found that the use of social networking may cause internet addiction and social isolation among Al Quds University students and there is a positive relationship between them