Abstract:

Modern society has seen the trend of a powerful expansion of globalization processes accompanied by the exclusive popularization of information technology, and in particular the Internet. While in older generations the impact of Internet is often complex and controversial, adolescents have a bright personal experience. Modern adolescents have uninterrupted and unlimited access to the Internet at any time of the day, almost in every geographic location. Internet offers an extremely large number of virtually limitless opportunities for communication, entertainment, and information. Thus, individual users are included in the global network driven by their own motives and goals, experiencing emotions and feelings that make the internet a powerful socializing factor of our time.
The accumulation of research experience related to the psychological characteristics of Internet use of modern adolescence is a necessary and useful practice for the educational environment. This experience enriches the knowledge about the socializing influences that the Internet has on 21st century adolescence.

Empirical research:
In our research, we aim to analyse the psychological characteristics of internet use of adolescents regarding: time of stay on the Internet; Internet-related emotional experiences; the attitude of parents and friends to the virtual life of adolescents; Internet influences on learning activity and academic success; friendships and personal expression on the Internet; activities on the Internet.
The research was conducted with 339 teenagers from Bulgaria aged between 13 and 17, and who are internet service users.

Research method:
The psychological characteristics of internet use of adolescents were examined through an author’s survey questionnaire containing 16 multiple choice questions, and one question with an open reply.

Main results and conclusions:
Internet is used by adolescents on a daily basis with prevalent stay in the virtual environment more than five hours a day.
The majority of adolescents experience pleasure of being on the internet, and for some of them, staying in the virtual environment is a significant personal necessity.
The majority of parents do not apply effective strategies to limit the prolonged stay of adolescents on the Internet.
There is data on Internet-related risk influences on adolescents that are associated with strong emotional engagement with virtual life, friendship only through the internet, poor quality of learning, unobstructed access to porn sites, or sites containing aggressive messages and violence.
The longest time on the Internet spend adolescents who experience pleasure or strong emotional attachment to the virtual environment.
There are potential risks of internet addiction behaviour in adolescents who live in the virtual environment for more than five hours a day, and who point out that their lives without the Internet would be almost meaningless.

Keywords:

Psychological Characteristics, Internet Use, Modern Adolescence.