Internet has become an integral part of life of young people in Bulgaria with signs of growing internet addiction, according to a recent poll.

The poll "Media Behavior of Young People in the Online Environment," has been conducted by the sociological agency "Mediana."

Nearly 25% said they get nervous, don't know what to do, and/ or feel very uncomfortable when not connected to the internet. This applies to half of the youngest respondents, between the ages of 15 and 17.

Currently, the share of net users among young adults (15-29 years of age) in Bulgaria is 85%, and among the youngest (15-17 years of age) - 91%, the study found.

42% of surveyed youth said they use the net every day, while 25% responded that they are almost constantly connected.

For about 25% of young people in Bulgaria, the internet has become an essential tool for looking up information while 40% go the net as the first place to find information.

Sociologists explain the occurrence with several reasons. The first one is the speed of dissemination of information without having to wait for radio and television broadcasts or for print newspapers. The second is the convenience since information is available online at any time, virtually anywhere (home, work, outdoors). The third is the current market availability of compact and portable tools, enabling connection to the internet almost everywhere (smartphones, tablets, laptops).

Internet has changed the physical reality of young people - they spend more time in cyberspace, some of them practically live on the web. Every fourth young Bulgarian is almost constantly online, according to the study.

Nearly half of respondents have not read a single book last year and 14% have never read a book.