A Study of the Key Factors on the Internet Addiction of the Youth

학교 청소년의 인터넷중독 현상의 영향요인에 관한 연구

The aim of this study was to draw some suggestions for Internet Policy by using empirical analyses of key factors in Internet addiction in youths. Internet addiction in youths is perceived as a current and significant issue throughout the world. For the purpose of this study, factors that have influence on the Internet addiction of the youth have been explored and analysed empirically of its hypothetical relationships by using the SEM(structural equation modelling). As a result, a few key factors that suggest a strong relationship to Internet addiction in youths have been drawn: subjects' personality, accessibility to the Internet, psychology and communication factor. Particularly accessibility to the Internet, and specifically the duration of time spent online causes the phenomenon of the Internet addiction. This study shows, however, the subjects' personality and communication factor have the most significant causal relationship to Internet addiction. In other word, the Internet addiction has been changing with the various factors including the factors drawn in this study, which are subjects' personality, accessibility to the Internet, psychology and communication factor. Therefore, Internet addiction should not be merely treated as the isolated problem of the Internet itself; rather it should be understood as various dimensions of society, economy, culture etc. Furthermore, some alternatives to deal with the Internet addiction should be found in various approaches.