Levels of Internet addiction and loneliness among students (Case study: The students of Universities of center of Golestan Province)

Objective: The Internet, as a social tool is a small part of research on virtual communication and loneliness. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the difference between levels of Internet addiction and loneliness. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted using descriptive survey method. The population of this study was the students of the universities of Golestan, who number was 16532. To determine the size of sample, 385 people were determined by volume estimation method according to Krejces Morgan table. A proportional stratified random sampling method was used to select samples. Results: Findings of the research indicate that there is a significant negative relationship between loneliness and levels of internet addiction, as with increasing levels of Internet addiction, the feeling of loneliness is reduced. Conclusion: Comparing the main result of this study with other research results indicates that the results are consistent with one another, but overall, the results indicate an apparently unexpected trend, so that public opinion is expected to have a different outcome. The point is that extreme and addictive use of the Internet often increases social isolation and loneliness, while the result of this research and other similar studies is invers of these expectations.