The Complex Relationship Between the Internet Overuse and Empathy

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether Internet overuse was associated with empathic ability in college students. Besides numerous benefits of Internet use, the virtual environment brings various risks in every age group. The Internet is very significant in the everyday activities of children and youth and professional involvements considering their developmental characteristics. A total 100 participants (39 males and 61 females; mean age of 21.06 years) completed Empathy Quotient (EQ), Young?s Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Of these 100 subjects, 87 were categorized as over-users. There was no significant difference in EQ total score between the over-user group and the average user group. The over-user group stayed longer in cyberspace than the average user group. EQ score was measured to determine the relation between the two factors.