본 연구는 공분산 구조방정식을 활용하여 인터넷 중독 위험에 처해있는 청소년들이 어떠한 경로를 따라 인터넷 중독 현상을 보이고 있는지를 파악하고자 하는 시도로 이루어졌다. 전국 16개 중·고등학교를 대상으로 인터넷 중독 자가진단검사를 실시했으며, 1,666명의 자료를 활용하여 인터넷 중독 모형을 분석하였다. 청소년들은 가상 공간에서의 인정, 친밀감 등의 가상적대인관계지향성과 자유로움, 흥미, 자신감, 스트레스 해소의 긍정적 기대로 인해 인터넷 사용을 시작한다. 지속적으로 인터넷을 사용하게 되면 금단과 내성 증상을 지니게 된다. 금단과 내성 증상을 가진 청소년들은 건강이 나 빠지거나, 수업시간에 집중을 하지 못하거나, 일상적인 생활에서 게을러지는 등의 일상생활의 장애를겪게 된다. 그리고나서 수업을 빠지고, 선생님을 속이고, 인터넷을 하기 위해 돈을 훔치는 등 일탈행동에 이르게 된다. 일탈 행동에 빠진 청소년들 중 인터넷 사용량이 많아지면, 환상을 보고, 비도덕 적 행위를 하는 등 현실구분장애에 이르게 된다.
Along with increasing the use of Internet, many studies have investigated about the addiction since Young, K. S. presented “Psychology of computer use: Addictive use of the Internet” in 1996. The Internet Addiction was defined operationally as increasing tolerance of long Internet use hours, withdrawal, and showing disturbances of adaptive functioning in daily lives. The Korean public is apprehensive about pathological use of Internet, which results in negative life consequences, such as academic failure, job loss and marriage breakdown. Different from other psychological addictions, Internet Addiction would be akin to pathological gambling as an impulse-control disorder with no involvement of an intoxicant. The purpose of the present study was to develop an Internet Addiction Model through the analysis of Structural Equation Model. This Internet Addiction model could be used to understand how youth people were addicted to Internet and to help teachers and counselors to counsel them. The previous researches supported that Internet Addiction was consisted of 7 factors: Addictive Automatic Thoughts, Virtual Interpersonal Relationship, Disturbance of Adaptive Function, Deviate Behaviors, Tolerance, Withdrawal, and Disturbance of Reality Testing. These factors were divided into three groups: the Preceding Factor, which had Virtual interpersonal relationship and Addictive Automatic Thoughts, the Addiction Symptom, which had Tolerance and Withdrawal, and the Following Factor, which had Disturbance of Adaptive Function, Deviate Behaviors, and Disturbance of Reality Testing. 16 secondary school students took the Internet Addiction-proneness scale, statistical information(22 inquiries), and MMPI Lie scale(12 inquiries). The participants of this study were 1,666 students(from age 13 to 19). As a result of the analysis of Structural Equation Model through AMOS program, the Internet Addiction Model was developed. The model indicated the process of Internet Addiction. The study found that Automatic Addictive Thoughts or Virtual Interpersonal Relationship would serve as a gateway to Internet Addiction. As a matter of fact, adolescents were attracted to the Internet because they thought that friends whom they met in the virtual space would recognize them and having virtual friendship could make them happy. And they believed that they would feel free, become interested, get confidence, and reduce stress through Internet. These two factors made them use Internet continuously. And then adolescents went to the Addiction Symptom stage, which was characterized by Withdrawal and Tolerance. Besides, Internet overuse seemed to cause Disturbances of Adaptive Function and Deviate Behaviors. The Disturbance of Reality Testing was hypothesized as a symptom of severe Internet Addiction. The Internet Addiction Model was statistically sound and valid. This Internet Addiction Model would help counselors to understand students and contribute to design an effective prevention program in the schools and the counseling centers.
