Internet Addiction: Its relationship with Computer Anxiety and Loneliness

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of Internet addiction with computer anxiety and loneliness. It was hypothesized that “Internet addiction would be negatively related with computer anxiety and positively related with loneliness”. The sample comprised of 66 private and public sector university students (30 males; 36 females) from Karachi with the mean age of 22.05. Through purposive sampling only those student were selected who were Internet users and had internet facility available at home. After taking consent, they were requested to fill Respondent Profile Form followed by the administration of Compulsive Internet Use Scale, Computer Anxiety Rating Scale, and Differential Loneliness Scale- Short Student Version. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient indicated that Internet addiction had a significant negative relationship with computer anxiety whereas non-significant positive relationship was found with loneliness. It indicates that computer anxiety may restrict one to become an Internet addict while loneliness doesn't seem to be a contributing factor for internet addiction. No significant gender differences were found in all three variables. However, computer anxiety was significantly higher in public sector university students.