Arab Educational Information Network

This study aimed to explore the extent of internet use by secondary school students in Assir Region in Saudi Arabia and its social positive or negative effects on them, in addition to identifying the most effective strategies to optimize the use of internet and to minimize its possible negative effects. The researcher constructed a questionnaire on the «internet and its social impact», which has been applied on 854 students (402 secondary school students from Abha City and 542 secondary school students from Khamis Mushait Governorate) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were entered and processed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). The main results were as follows: 1) Secondary school students in Abha City and Khamis Mushait Governorate excessively use the internet. 2) Several positive social effects are associated with using internet by secondary school students, mainly the «discovery of different international cultures» through the internet» (mean score: 2.58), followed by «making new friends all-over the world through the net» (mean score: 2.40). 3) Several negative social effects are associated with using internet by secondary school students, mainly «making friendships between boys and girls through the net leads to moral disruption» (mean score: 2.35), followed by «access to websites which encourage violence leads to being influenced by radical thoughts» (mean score: 2.20). 4) There are several strategies which would optimize or limit excessive use of internet by secondary school students, mainly the «development of religious ethics among students» (mean score = 2.78), followed by the «use of internet to potentiate the student›s studies and good hobbies» (mean score = 2.62). In addition, the researcher presented a group of recommendations and suggestions. (Published abstract)