en ● Psychosocial Health مقاله اصيل پژوهشي Orginal Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"><span style="line-height:2;"><strong>Background</strong>: The internet has become indispensable for everyone in today&rsquo;s technology world, which makes its responsible usage a crucial concern. Internet use habits and addictions among adolescents are a pressing public health issue because they represent the future adult population. Therefore, this research aims to explore the predictive role of media literacy on internet addiction among Turkish adolescents.<br> <strong>Methods</strong>: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Ankara Province, Turkey, and the population included 401 adolescents aged 15-18 years in the academic year of 2020-2021. Since the data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sample selection was not feasible, and the study included adolescents who volunteered. The data were collected using a &ldquo;personal information form,&rdquo; &ldquo;new media literacy scale (NMLS),&rdquo; and &ldquo;young&rsquo;s internet addiction test-short form (YIAT-SF).&rdquo; The data were analyzed using various statistical techniques, including Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskall-Wallis H test, Tamhane&rsquo;s T2 post hoc test, Spearman correlation analysis, point-biserial correlation analysis, and multivariate regression analysis.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: It has been determined that adolescents have a high level of media literacy (x̄=126.76) and are in the risk group in terms of internet addiction (x̄=39.01). The average media literacy among girls (U=153; z=-3.851; 05) and internet addiction among boys is high (U=163; z=-2,961; 05). The results of regression analysis revealed that media literacy predicts internet addiction in adolescents (&szlig;=-0.151; R2=0.060), and also emphasizes the importance of media literacy education in enhancing these skills and mitigating internet addiction.<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: It is evident that media literacy predicts internet addiction. Therefore, it is essential to provide media literacy education to adolescents. Thus, adolescents&rsquo; awareness of media literacy should be increased, and they should become conscious users.&nbsp;</span></span></span></div> Adolescents, Media literacy, Internet addiction, Media, Digital technology 19 30 http://jrh.gmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2365-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Alev Ustundag alev.ustundag@sbu.edu.tr 100319475328460031401 100319475328460031401 Yes Department of Child Development, Faculty of Gülhane Health Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.