Internet usage & loneliness amongst Malaysian youths

Abstract

Social-interaction is one of the main uses of the Internet, particularly amongst youths. Studies abroad have highlighted the paradoxical effect of the Internet, which is while the Internet is a tool for communication; it seems to increase loneliness amongst frequent users. A study is carried out amongst school children in Malaysia to study the effect of the Internet usage on loneliness. This study involves some 200 school students in the Klang Valley. Surprisingly, the results obtained do not seem to correspond with the earlier studies carried out in other countries. The paper discusses the findings and suggests reasons for the differences in the results with earlier studies conducted overseas.