Relationship between internet addiction and feelings of loneliness in university students from a private institution southern Brazil

Abstract

The internet is part of everyday life, used primarily for communication and social interaction. It can also be used to fulfill emotional needs (e.g., loneliness, depression, etc.) and, through abusive use, might assist in developing a dependency on social networks. This study is part of a larger research conducted with college students at a private university in southern Brazil. This is a quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional study. It included 124 college students that had a mean age of 23.7 years (SD = 8.1; Min 18; Max 58), and of which 91 (73.4%) were female. The participants were students of six schools of knowledge from the university. As an inclusion criterion, it was considered only users of social media; it was evidenced, however, that 100% of the participants used WhatsApp. The study aimed to analyze possible associations between internet addiction and feelings of loneliness, through the instruments SociodemographicQuestionnaire, Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and Brazilian Loneliness Scale (UCLA-BR). The results found a significant positive association between Internet addiction and feelings of loneliness (r s = .425; p < .01), concluding that problematic Internet use among college students may be a risk factor for developing or enhancing feelings of loneliness and vice versa. Thus, future research and intervention development should pay attention to the effects of Internet addiction on this aspect of mental health