ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the degree of adolescent internet addiction, and investigate its relationship to the general characteristics, internet environments, and contents, especially the stress measured by the psychosocial wellbeing index-short form (PWI-SF). METHODS: The data was obtained from self-administered questionnaires from 886 11th grade urban area students. The questionnaires consisted of general characteristics, internet user's environments, frequencies by internet contents, internet addiction test and PWI-SF. RESULTS: The possible rate of internet use at home was 95.1%, and the area of most internet use was the home. The frequencies of internet game and porno site use were higher in males, with web searching and community uses higher in females. The total mean of internet addiction score was 56.8, and was higher for male than for female students. From multiple regression, as analyzed by the internet addiction score as a dependent variable, on-line friends, internet use times, years of internet use, frequencies of internet game & porno site use, and PWI-SF scores were significant in male. Internet use times, the frequencies of internet game, chatting, community use, and PWI-SF score were significant in female. Four PWI-SF subscales (social role & self reliability, depression, general health & vitality, and sleep disturbance & anxiety) and internet addiction were significantly correlated in both male and female students, with depression having the most correlation. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that intervention should be provided to prevent internet addiction, especially for coping with stress in Korean teenage students.