Relationship between Sense of Coherence and Internet Addiction among Adolescents

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between sense of coherence (SOC) and Internet addiction in adolescents. The present study was a descriptive and correlational research conducted on junior and senior high school students in District 13 of Tehran (Tehran Province) during the school year of 2020-2021. Participants were 385 students chosen through convenient sampling. Data were collected through the Persian version of Antonovsky's SOC scale (SOC-13) and the Young Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and then analyzed in SPSS software (IBM) using Pearson's correlation coefficient (R) and regression analysis. There was a significant correlation between SOC and Internet addiction among adolescents (R = -0.642) (P<0.05). The correlation direction showed that a rise in SOC reduces Internet addiction among adolescents. The regression model coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.412 indicated that SOC predicts nearly 41% of variations in Internet addiction among adolescents. From the results, it is suggested to organize training courses in schools and educate parents to strengthen sense of coherence and prevent Internet addiction in students. It is further wise to explore the effects of Internet addiction on sense of coherence in adolescents.