The Impact of Family Climate and Characteristics on Internet Addiction and Social Media Use Among University Students in Kuwait

Document Type : Original Article

Author

* حاصلة على دكتوراة فلسفة التربية تخصص الصحة النفسية- كلية التربية -جامعة المنصورة.

Abstract

The primary objective of the current study is to investigate the impact of family climate and characteristics on internet addiction and social media use among university students in Kuwait. Methods: The final sample of the study consisted of 613 students. The study employed the following measures: The Family Climate Scale and the Internet Addiction Scale. Results: The study results revealed that approximately 56.8% of students use social media for more than four hours daily. There were statistically significant differences between students from disturbed family environments and those from healthy family environments in terms of hours spent on social media and internet addiction, with the disturbed family environment group showing higher levels. There were also statistically significant differences on the family climate scale and its various dimensions related to different levels of social media usage, with lower usage (less than two hours per day) showing more favorable outcomes. Additionally, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the number of hours spent on social media and the family climate and its dimensions. A statistically significant negative correlation was also found between internet addiction and the family climate and its dimensions. Furthermore, families with higher income and mothers were identified as the most frequent users of social media.

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References

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