The Effect of Using the Internet as a Depression- Predictive factor (or Variable) for High School and University Female Students in the Eastern Region in KSA

 
The present study aimed at investigating the extent to which the use of the internet contributes in increasing depression levels for high- school and university students.  The instruments used to collect data were a measure of internet use (developed by the researcher), and the Pick’s measure of depression. Validity and reliability procedures were taken to validate both measures. Then, the two measures were administered to a sample of (133) female students; 57 in the high school and 76 in the university level in the eastern region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data analysis indicated that the knowledge, behavioral, social and psychological factors had low effect on depression rates for the university group and the total sample of the study. However, the health factor had (9.30 %) effect and the values factor had (5.40 %) effect on the depression rates for high-school students. There were significant differences between high-school and university student in the negative effects of using the internet on the knowledge factor for university students and on the social and values factors for high-school students. There were also significant differences among the three groups of the sample of the study assigned according to the duration of using the internet (one hour, 2-5 hours, and more than 5 hours daily) as the findings showed that the two groups who used the internet for 2-5 hours and more than 5 hours had higher levels of depression as shown in their performances on Pick’ depression measure. In conclusion, the study recommends that all educational institutions in general and the universities in particular should give more concern to developing students’ awareness of the negative effects and the dangers of using the internet.