Qualitative Exploration of Etiological Factors Underlying Internet Addiction in Iranian Adolescents
Structured Abstract
Objective: Internet addiction is increasingly recognized as a critical mental health issue among adolescents. This study aimed to qualitatively examine the etiology of adolescents’ tendency toward internet addiction, identifying individual, family, school, and socio-cultural contributors.
Methods and Materials: A qualitative design using thematic analysis was employed. Twenty adolescents aged 12–18 years, scoring above the clinical cut-off on Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and willing to participate, were recruited via purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and field notes. Open, axial, and selective coding were applied iteratively until thematic saturation was reached. Data trustworthiness was ensured via member checking, peer debriefing, audit trails, and reflexive notes. NVivo software supported data management.
Findings: Analysis revealed a multi-layered etiological model encompassing five domains: (1) Individual factors – emotion regulation deficits, loneliness, perfectionism, need for approval, escape from real self; (2) Family factors – insufficient parental monitoring, marital conflict, authoritarian or permissive parenting, parental media habits; (3) School-related factors – academic pressure, peer rejection, labeling, bullying; (4) Socio-cultural/structural factors – high internet accessibility, media normalization, limited offline alternatives; (5) Process dimension – adolescents used the internet as a coping strategy for emotional regulation, relational compensation, and virtual identity formation, which maintained and intensified addictive patterns. The convergence of these factors explained adolescents’ self-reported escalation from functional to compulsive internet use.
Conclusion: Internet addiction among adolescents arises from complex interactions between individual vulnerabilities, family and school dynamics, and socio-cultural conditions. Preventive interventions should integrate emotion regulation training, parental guidance, school support, and healthy digital practices.
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