Relationship between Online Dependency and Social Anxiety in Adolescents

The internet has become one of the most important instruments for social interactions، entertainment، and doing everyday activities، and also one of the most important information re-sources for adolescents. However، internet and computer are not dangerous per se، but internet overuse has caused a phenomenon called online dependency. The aim of the present study was to determine the difference between dependent and non-dependent Internet users regarding social anxiety disorder. This study was a survey done by cross-sectional design. The sample included 535 adolescents (218 males and 317 females) who were studying in high schools in 2011 in Yazd. These adolescents were selected by proportional stratified sampling. Internet Addiction Test (IAT)، and Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C) were used for data gathering. Prevalence of online dependency in this study was found to be 21. 7%. Significant differences were found between dependent and non-dependent internet users regarding social anxiety in general (P<0. 01)، and its components: social performance (P<0. 01); avoidance/social encounter (P<0. 01); assertiveness (P<0. 01); and physical and cognitive symptoms (P<0. 01). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis showed that online depen-dency explained 6. 9% of the variance of social anxiety.