Engl. transl.: Internet and manifestations of anxiety in adolescence

In the dissertation the connections between internet consumption and manifestations of anxiety in the modern generation youngsters which has 24/7 access to internet services are studied. The psychometric characteristics of a standardized research methodology are analyzed regarding its possibilities for measurement of anxiety in real and virtual environments. The manifestations of anxiety in real and virtual environments have been studied and a comparison of quantitative data is drawn. The data obtained make it possible to draw specific conclusions about the links between Internet consumption and the manifestations of personal adolescent anxiety.

The most common among adolescents is the use of the Internet as a source of entertainment. The majority of adolescents are willing to make friends on the Internet, but do not rely heavily on these connections due to lack of physical intimacy. The virtual environment is a weaker source of anxious experiences than the real environment. Manifestations of anxiety in real and virtual environments are very weakly correlated. Relaxing effects of the virtual environment on the anxious symptoms in adolescents are established. These relaxing effects can provoke an increase in residence time on the Internet. There is a lack of effective control from parents over access to risky or problematic information from the Internet and to limit the time their children spend on the Internet. For the most part, parents do not effectively control their children's behavior on the Internet. Potential risks of the formation of Internet-dependent behavior may appear as early as the period of adolescence. Recommendations are made.