Abstract:

The present study investigated the extent of Internet addiction among adolescents. At the same time, the role of adolescents’ perceived social self-efficacy and their general locus of control was examined in the manifestation of the Internet addiction behavior. The study involved 415 adolescents (215 girls, 200 boys) from junior high schools located in economically diverse districts of Thessaloniki and Athens, the two biggest cities in Greece. Adolescents completed a set of self-reported questionnaires, which included a scale on Internet Addiction (Internet Addiction Test - IAT; Young, 1998), a scale on Perceived Social Self-efficacy Scale (PSSS; Smith & Betz, 2000), as well as a scale on General locus of control (the “general domain” subscale of the Multi-Dimensional Measure of Children’s Perceptions of Control; Connell, 1985). According to the results, junior high school adolescents, regardless of gender, make above average/normal and excessive/addictive Internet use displaying indicative behaviors (e.g., uncontrollable internet use, neglect of social life). Also, they seemed to experience a low perceived social self-efficacy. Regarding adolescents’ general locus of control, it was revealed that they experience a sense of “unknown” and “powerful others” control to a greater extent, compared to their sense of “internal” control. Furthermore, the path analyses results showed that adolescents’ above average/normal and excessive/addictive Internet use as well as their indicative behaviors are negatively predicted by their perceived social self-efficacy. In addition, it was found that adolescents’ general locus of control moderates the relationship between their perceived social self-efficacy and their Internet addiction behavior. Considering the current period of the Covid-19 pandemic and the imposed social distances, the findings are considered of high importance as they highlight the need to implement prevention actions in order to promote to youth a safe online culture during distance learning circumstances. Finally, the findings imply that in an unstable period of social restrictions, due to the pandemic, enhancing adolescents’ sense of social self-efficacy and their general internal locus of control may protect them from their future excessive/addictive internet use.

Keywords:

Junior high schools, adolescents, internet addiction, social self-efficacy, general locus of control.