Dependence on virtual space a risk factor in the way of developing social self-efficiency in adolescents

Abstract

The research is marked by the increased interest of adolescents towards the virtual world, which leads to the un-derdevelopment of social self-efficacy. It is obvious that computer addiction generates a series of affective states that negatively influence thinking, and the rational and emotional brain cannot cope with them. In a computerized world, dependence on information technologies is gaining more and more ground, influencing interpersonal relationships, mental health, wasted time, all of which are detrimental to the development of social self-efficacy. The consequences of computer addiction are also related to behavioral changes in young people. They end up distancing themselves from reality, drop academic results and show disinterest in school subjects. For them, reality becomes that of games and movies. The virtual world they live in creates an artificial, totally harmful universe for them. Computer addiction has quickly become a social problem affecting the lives of a growing number of teenagers