Social Anxiety And Self-Reported Time Spent Online In A Sample Of Albanian University Students

Online activity serves different purposes, one of them being communication and social interaction. Studies have demonstrated that individuals tend to display online behavioral patterns that are similar to their social groups; also there is some evidence that individuals who have interaction difficulties in real life (e.g., social anxiety) might engage more in online behavior. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported time spent online, descriptive social norms, and social anxiety symptoms in a sample of 356 Albanian University students. Participants were recruited online. Results showed a significant predictive model for self-reported time spent online, F (7,342)=48.99, p<.001, R-2=.50. Age, gender, and the four social anxiety components were not significant predictors; only descriptive norms had a significant effect,beta=.70, p<.001. Results are in line with the social normative approach to internet use and have several implications which are discussed in the paper.