청소년 인터넷 중독 모형 분석

Abstract

Along with increasing the use of Internet, many studies have investigated about the addiction since Young, K. S. presented “Psychology of computer use: Addictive use of the Internet” in 1996. The Internet Addiction was defined operationally as increasing tolerance of long Internet use hours, withdrawal, and showing disturbances of adaptive functioning in daily lives. The Korean public is apprehensive about pathological use of Internet, which results in negative life consequences, such as academic failure, job loss and marriage breakdown. Different from other psychological addictions, Internet Addiction would be akin to pathological gambling as an impulse-control disorder with no involvement of an intoxicant. The purpose of the present study was to develop an Internet Addiction Model through the analysis of Structural Equation Model. This Internet Addiction model could be used to understand how youth people were addicted to Internet and to help teachers and counselors to counsel them. The previous researches supported that Internet Addiction was consisted of 7 factors: Addictive Automatic Thoughts, Virtual Interpersonal Relationship, Disturbance of Adaptive Function, Deviate Behaviors, Tolerance, Withdrawal, and Disturbance of Reality Testing. These factors were divided into three groups: the Preceding Factor, which had Virtual interpersonal relationship and Addictive Automatic Thoughts, the Addiction Symptom, which had Tolerance and Withdrawal, and the Following Factor, which had Disturbance of Adaptive Function, Deviate Behaviors, and Disturbance of Reality Testing. 16 secondary school students took the Internet Addiction-proneness scale, statistical information(22 inquiries), and MMPI Lie scale(12 inquiries). The participants of this study were 1,666 students(from age 13 to 19). As a result of the analysis of Structural Equation Model through AMOS program, the Internet Addiction Model was developed. The model indicated the process of Internet Addiction. The study found that Automatic Addictive Thoughts or Virtual Interpersonal Relationship would serve as a gateway to Internet Addiction. As a matter of fact, adolescents were attracted to the Internet because they thought that friends whom they met in the virtual space would recognize them and having virtual friendship could make them happy. And they believed that they would feel free, become interested, get confidence, and reduce stress through Internet. These two factors made them use Internet continuously. And then adolescents went to the Addiction Symptom stage, which was characterized by Withdrawal and Tolerance. Besides, Internet overuse seemed to cause Disturbances of Adaptive Function and Deviate Behaviors. The Disturbance of Reality Testing was hypothesized as a symptom of severe Internet Addiction. The Internet Addiction Model was statistically sound and valid. This Internet Addiction Model would help counselors to understand students and contribute to design an effective prevention program in the schools and the counseling centers.