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Abstract
Many studies have revealed about Internet use and Internet addiction. Most research focuses on the jeopardy and opportunities about active Internet usage however very limited empirical research emphasis on the role of parents in this context. Hence, this research paper explored the parenting styles and parental attachment in overcoming Internet addiction among children in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The parenting styles model and attachment theory have been used in this research. The Internet has created a new platform for the development of children, which offers various possibilities and also difficulties. Malaysian children are actually very in need to be safe during online thus, parents are encouraged to play their parental role in preparing their children to become better digital citizens.
Keywords: Parenting Styles, Parental Attachment, Internet Addiction and Children
Introduction
Many studies have proven that internet addiction has given an impact to the children as they were born into a virtual world where they become avid users and spending more time with technology than they do in school or with their family. Internet addiction can be defined as overuse of the Internet leading to impairment of an individual's psychological state (both mental and emotional), as well as their scholastic or occupational and social interactions (Beard & Wolf, 2001). The number of internet users has been increased from 1999 to 2013 (Internet Live Stats. Internet users), and research on addictive Internet use has been increased as well. DeBell and Champman (2003) from the National Center for Education Statistics found that 23% of children in nursery school use the Internet, where the most popular uses belonged to children 5-9 years old. Results showed that about 20.5% spent their time playing games, while 11.7% of their time was spent on homework. Roberts, L.D., Smith, L.M. & Pollak, C. (2005) highlighted that 8-10 years olds are the most likely of all age groups to have a video gaming device in the bedroom, spending about 60 minutes a day playing games. Moreover, young children under the age of 3 or 4 years old are more likely to use the internet to watch video clips (Childwise 2012; Findahl 2012; Teuwen, J., De Groff, D., & Zaman, B., 2012). All these evidences have proven that young children are growing up and...