Abstract:

The Internet, which is used extensively by everyone young and old alike in the digital age, has brought some negative consequences apart from many positive aspects. One of these consequences, which can also be called as digital problems, is netlessphobia. Netlessphobia can be defined as an individual's unwillingness to be in an environment without the internet and thus feeling too much discomfort and anxiety. It is important for young people, the producing power of a country, to use the Internet correctly and safely, in other words, to stay away from problematic internet use, both for their own health and personal development and for the country. In this context, the first step to be taken to protect them is to determine the current situation. As a matter of fact, there are relatively more studies on the negative effects of the internet conducted with high school and university students. However, studies conducted with teachers, who are considered to be students' role models, are limited. Based on this, this study seeks to examine the netlessphobia experienced by teachers. Eighteen secondary school teachers from different branches (Science, Mathematics, English, Technology Design, and Information Technologies) participated in the study, which is based on the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. The data of the study were collected through semi-structured interviews with the participants and the data were analyzed via content analysis. Participants' daily internet use was found to be at a moderate level. Participants stated that they were satisfied with the facilities provided by the internet. Although the participants stated that they did not feel too bad in environments without the internet, they also expressed concerns about not staying up to date and missing information. Within the framework of the results of the research, it is thought that informative studies can be carried out to inform teachers about current technological disorders. It may be useful to conduct current research on the negative effects of the internet by organizing various project activities with teachers from different branches and working in different schools.

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