Relatia dintre dependenta de internet, sentimentul de singuratate si suportul social perceput in randul adolescentilor

The current “digital generation” of youngsters seems to dictate the future game rules on the international market of telecommunications. Among adolescents, the passion for computer and Internet can oscillate from a balanced and healthy involvement until the addiction implying multiple negative consequences on the physical, psychological and social functioning. This aspect was of interest in our work. From a total of 257 high school students, whose responses protocols have represented the selection basis, 6.2 % were qualified as Internet-addicted. Compared with the rational Internet users, the Internet addiction group has obtained a higher level of loneliness, although the difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, the level of involvement in the Internet activities had a significant effect on level of the social support perceived by students. Compared with the Internet addiction group, the rational Internet users, as those who used it excessively have obtained a significant higher level of the perceived social support. In the last section, our paper presents some measures that the educational agents can adopt, in view of rationalizing the Internet consume within children and adolescents.