Study & Analysis Of Internet Addiction & Its Effect On Students

Pallavi Gahane, Student, Datta Meghe Institute of Management Studies, Nagpur

Dr. Vinod Waiker, Assistant Professor, Datta Meghe Institute of Management
Studies, Nagpur

ABSTRACT
[BACKGROUND: The Internet was originally designed to facilitate communication and
research activities. However, the dramatic increase in the use of the Internet in recent years has
led to pathological use (Internet addiction). This study is a preliminary investigation of the extent
of Internet addiction in students in India.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of internet addiction increased due to use of social
applications. To study the effect of communication pleasure with social media sites on internet
addiction. To study the effect of mental health of students due to internet addiction &
Comparative study of time spent with family and social media.
RESULT: Socio demographic Characteristic of the study population and pattern of Internet use
are depicted in [Link 1 ]and [Link 2]. Time spent per day using the Internet and amount spent per
month on the Internet that could be the consequence of excessive Internet use were
proportionately high among those with moderate and mild addiction, and these significant
outcomes of Internet addiction are depicted in[Link 3]
CONCLUSION: In this study, we found no evidence of severe internet addiction. The addiction
was more in the range of moderate to mild addiction. However, it is possible that the reported
scores were related to internet work in the campus and did not include the use of smartphones
and the time spent on using social websites using smartphones. ]

KEY WORDS:  Internet Addiction, Mental Health, Students, College Students, Anxiety, ;
Young’s Internet Addiction Scale; Likert Scale.

INTRODUCTION
[In recent years, technological advancements have taken place in the modern world. In the
complexity of today's world, internet use is playing a vital role in educational institutions to
attain different learning skills, which have become a necessity for students. However, scholars
have shown concerns about the excessive use of this technology and the hidden risk factors of
internet users, such as physical and mental health. The Internet is an easy and quick medium of
interaction to gain the required information for communication with others around the world.
However, a lack of control over excessive internet use can disturb individuals' living standards
and relationships between family members, and it can bring instability of feelings.
The users of the Internet have increased incredibly worldwide, with the peak of a digital
industrial revolution in progress, and new technological revolution will undoubtedly create new
problems and predicaments. The Internet has become one of the most fast-growing and
transformative technologies. The US National Science Foundation specified that the internet
users enabled by smartphones access would increase to 5 billion in 2021. Paragraph 1 ]

Rapid expansion and proliferation of the internet have provided better opportunities for
communication, information, and social interaction. However, the excessive undisciplined use by
some individuals has led to the emergence of the concept of internet addiction.[1,2] In fact,
younger internet users (i.e., between 18 and 24 years old) were more at risk of becoming internet
addicts than older users.[3] Psychological and environmental factors in the lives of college
students may leave them disproportionately vulnerable to internet addiction.[4]Paragraph 2 ]

[Possible reasons for this are:

(a) students have huge blocks of unstructured time,
(b) schools and universities provide free and unlimited access to the internet,
(c) students from the ages of 18–22 years are for the first time away from parental control
without anyone monitoring or censoring what they say or do online,
(d) young students experience new problems of adapting to university life and finding new
friends, and often end up seeking a companionship using different applications of the internet,
(e) students receive full encouragement from faculty and administrators in using the different
internet applications,
(f) adolescents are more trained to use the different applications of technological inventions and
especially the internet,
(g) students desire to escape university sources of stress resulting from their obligations to pass
examinations, compose essays, and complete their degrees in the prescribed time with reasonable
marks,
(h) students feel that university life is alienated from social activities, and when they finish their
studies, the job market with all its uncertainties is a field where they must participate and
succeed in finding employment.[5]Paragraph 3 ]

[Kraut et al. found that excessive internet usage presents a negative effect on face-to-face
interactions by reducing time spent with friends and family members, which leads to increased
loneliness and depression, thus decreasing psychological well-being (PWB).[6] Liu reported that
internet use increased the degree of loneliness in college students.[7] The previous studies
observed the negative effect of internet on their daily lives and a break in the PWB of young
adults. These studies defined well-being in the concept of mental illness and distress such as
loneliness and depression,[8] behavioral difficulties,[9] impulsivity, sensation and novelty-
seeking, and social isolation.[10] Similarly, Oktuǧ study reported wellbeing as a state
compromised such as failure to manage time, missed sleep, missed meals, and so on picturing
similar patterns and norms of other addictions.[11] But in another study, a positive relationship
was reported between internet usage and well-being, that greater internet usage leads to better
communication and greater social involvement, resulting in an enhanced sense of well-being.[12]
Therefore, the present study was conducted with the objective to find out the relationship
between internet addiction and PWB among college students.Paragraph 4 ]

[In the new generation, the Internet has become an important tool for education, entertainment,
communication, and information-sharing. Easy access and social networking are two of the
several aspects of the Internet fostering addictive behavior. [13] In tandem with the splurge in
access to the Internet globally, with the rise of new-generation gadgets, the risk of "internet
addiction" is emerging as a significant behavioral addiction pandemic to be tackled worldwide.
[14]
Paragraph 5 ]
[Internet addiction commonly refers to an individual's inability to control his or her use of the
Internet (including any online-related, compulsive behavior), which eventually causes one's
marked distress and functional impairment in daily life. Research studies in the Western and
Asian contexts suggest that the risk of Internet addiction among young people is increasing.[15]
Paragraph 6 ]

[Internet addiction in adolescence can have a negative impact on identity formation and may
negatively affect cognitive functioning, lead to poor academic performance and engagement in
risky activities, and inculcate poor dietary habits.[16]Paragraph 7 ]

[College students are especially vulnerable to developing dependence on the Internet, more than
most other segments of the society. This can be attributed to several factors including the
following: Availability of time; ease of use; unlimited access to the Internet; the psychological
and developmental characteristics of young adulthood; limited or no parental supervision; an
expectation of Internet/computer use implicitly if not explicitly, as some courses are Internet-
dependent, from assignments and projects to communication with peers and mentors; the Internet
offering a route of escape from exam stress,[17] all of which make Internet overuse a significant
cause of concern for parents and faculty.Paragraph 8 ]

[As per DSM-V, Internet addiction is not yet recognized as a disorder, but is being considered as
an area in need of further research.[18] Though there are innumerable studies globally depicting
a worldwide scenario of the behavioral addiction phenomena, a lot of these studies[19] have
utilized inconsistent criteria to rate the levels of addiction, applied recruiting methods that may
have caused serious sampling bias, and examined data using primarily exploratory rather than
confirmatory data analysis techniques to investigate the degree of association rather than a causal
relationship among variables. The absence of large-scale epidemiological studies and huge
disparities in the use of diagnostic criteria have resulted in difficulties in establishing the
prevalence of Internet addiction.[20]Paragraph 9 ]
[An Internet addiction is an addiction like any other: it is defined as a compulsive loss of impulse
control resulting in damage to the user and his or her relationships, schoolwork, or employment.
Online gaming, compulsive use of social networking and marathon Symptoms are comparable to
other behavioral addictions, most similar to pathological gambling. Researchers believe that like
other addictions, it often masks other problems such as depression, low selfesteem, and social
anxiety and may even stand in a surrogate for other addictions.Paragraph 10 ]

OBJECTIVES

 To study the effect of internet addiction increased due to use of social applications.
 To study the effect of communication pleasure with social media sites on internet addiction.
 To study the effect of mental health of students due to internet addiction.
 Comparative study of time spent with family and social media.

HYPOTHESIS

(Null) Ho-1: There is no risk of increased internet addiction due to engagement in various
social media sites.
(Alternate) H1-1: There is risk of increased internet addiction due to engagement in various
social media sites.

(Null) Ho-2: Communication pleasure with social media is not the strongest predictor of
internet addiction.
(Alternate) H1-2: Communication pleasure with social media is the strongest predictor of
internet addiction.

(Null) Ho-3: There is no risk of mental health of students due to internet addiction.
(Alternate) H1-3: There is risk to the mental health of students due to internet addiction.

(Null) Ho-4: Increased time spent on social media does not give less time with family
(Alternate) H1-4: Increased time spent on social media gives less time with family.
LITERATURE REVIEW
At the present stage of the development of society, the younger generation spends more and
more free time in communication using the computer and on Internet networks.Internet addiction
is a result of extensive unlike a drug, and other addictions have been defined variously as a
technological addiction created as a result of extensive human-machine interaction over an
extended period of time. This prolonged interaction creates various psychopathological
conditions that may interfere with normal functioning. It has been noticed that excessive use of
the internet can over time affect psychological and mental health that manifests in numerous
problems like loss of social skills, sleep disturbance patterns, and extreme obsession with
websites, social networks and the internet in general. Various research studies were done in the
past support these assertions[21]
Several studies have indicated that the problems can range across a broad spectrum from less
problematic to more problems related to the job and academic performance like not showing up
for work or getting low grades to more severe addiction that results in depression and other
mental illness like phobias interacting with others.[22] Other research also came up with similar
findings that Internet addiction can have a negative impact on personal life and relationships and
can affect the interactions with others negatively. [23]
Several researchers alike have found that extensive use of the internet can result in more
depression and extensive stressful episodes apart from a feeling of separation. As revealed in
other studies it can have a negative effect on a young person's lie both in personal and
professional terms.[24]
Several studies indicate that IA can become a pathological state when an individual spends a lot
of time on the internet to the neglect of other activities [25] describes internet addiction as
"psychological dependence." Other researchers have tried to fine tune the concept of Internet
Addiction which now encompasses behavior related to instant messaging (IM) as well.
Addiction to the internet also has been associated with lowered academic performance [26]
Young people who make extensive use of the internet could become shy and alienated and
develop other more serious social and psychological problems.[27] has developed Internet
Addiction Test (IAT) which has been used a reliable and valid measure of addictive use of the
internet globally, and several studies have found that this scale is very appropriate for use
globally.
However, the concept of Internet Addiction has not been clarified in the research literature, and
much research needs to be done at the conceptual level. For example, there are questions on
definitional issues related to what constitutes "addiction." Also, the Internet can manifest itself in
several different forms like chat rooms, social networking websites, instant messaging systems
and email systems. This makes it difficult to define and determine as to what constitutes IA in
each context.
[28] found extensive addiction among younger people in terms of ICQ, chat rooms, newsgroups,
social network sites and gaming. Their results pertained to the Net-generation. The study found
that full-time students were more addicted to the internet compared to part-timers because of
flexible times and unlimited access.
MATERIALS AND METHODS

Research Methodology Design

The cross-sectional survey was carried out in 3 different colleges in the city of Mumbai during
the period of August–September 2009. It covered about 1000 college students (aged 16-18 years)
having access to the internet from the past 6 months. The semi-structured proforma along with
the scales were distributed in classes, each with roughly 40 students, and necessary instructions
were given.
The study was conducted after obtaining the approval from the Institutional Review Board and
permission was sought from the college authorities of all the colleges. Of the total 1000 students,
13 could not be included in the study as they were not using internet. Thus, a total of 987
students were finally included in the study.

Primary Data

 QUESTIONNAIRE:

All questionnaires were distributed to the participants in classroom settings at a

predetermined time and were collected onsite after 30 min.

The questionnaire contained three parts:

1. Sociodemographic Information

LINK:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Iyc9lvw1Qq71jbIcd3OHSuF2V0JGYoAyANdWb
FaHVAk/edit?usp=sharing

2. Patterns Of Internet Use

LINK:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VWdyXSK_HC5L3AZ96OwJsfJGpHWk4wjsDe4
KxUm1pA4/edit?usp=sharing

3. Young's Internet Addiction Test

LINK:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NTEPQ7f45Lr_Chjg8KR3PjHoV1vnOHb2JMEY
JqrW4U8/edit?usp=sharing
Sample Frame & Size

This research study sampled 150 students, from a management institute in India. The students
were first, second and third-year students in management and were representative of the modern
educated population who made extensive use of the internet in their daily lives. Other
demographic data such as class, age, and gender were also collected. GPA data was also
collected as a dependent variable to assess the relationship between internet addiction and GPA.

Secondary Data
Tools used for data collections
The tools used in this study were as follows:
1. Semi-structured proforma that contained details of demographics, educational qualification
and status, purpose of using the internet (by choosing among the options like education,
entertainment, business transactions, or social networking), money spent per month, place of
access (home, cybercafé, or workplace if working part-time), the time of day when the internet is
accessed the most (by choosing between morning, afternoon, evening, or night), and the average
duration of use per day. Data was collected from those using internet for at least since last 6
months.
2. The Internet Addiction Test [27] is a 20-item 5-point likert scale that measures the severity of
self-reported compulsive use of the internet. Total internet addiction scores are calculated, with
possible scores for the sum of 20 items ranging from 20 to 100. The scale showed very good
internal consistency, with an alpha coefficient of 0.93 in the present study. According to Young's
criteria, total IAT scores 20-39 represent average users with complete control of their internet
use, scores 40-69 represent over-users with frequent problems caused by their internet use, and
scores 70-100 represent internet addicts with significant problems caused by their internet use.

RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS

Socio demographic Characteristic of the study population and pattern of Internet use are depicted
in [Link 1 ]and [Link 2]. Time spent per day using the Internet and amount spent per month on
the Internet that could be the consequence of excessive Internet use were proportionately high
among those with moderate and mild addiction, and these significant outcomes of Internet
addiction are depicted in[Link 3]
The data from all the surveys were analyzed by using the SPSS package, and the results are
shown below. Differences between categories of Age: Although some research has suggested
there could be differences in the relationship between internet usage and age, there were
statistically significant differences obtained between the students in terms of this variable. The
means and standard deviations are displayed in Table 1. Respondents were classified into two
categories, "younger" and "older." Table 2 shows the ANOVA results. There was a significant
difference between the two groups, the older group clearly showing higher internet usage.
 It is possible that older students were more addicted to the internet than younger students due to
increased exposure to the internet. It is also possible that older students needed to spend more
time because they were in senior years requiring the investment of more time on the internet.
.
DISCUSSION
ADIN has become one of the most frequented topics in the scientific panorama over the last
years. The arrival of the Internet in people’s lives has brought many benefits, but also risks that
citizens must be aware of in order to take preventive measures. The present work aimed to
establish a state of the art study on scientific productivity on ADIN in one of the most prestigious
databases at present (WoS). The analysis of the data allowed the elucidation of the exponential
growth in which the discipline of knowledge finds itself at present, doubling in 10 years from its
origin the number of publications and being nowadays in a phase of linear growth. The large
percentage of manuscripts found belonged mainly to the psychiatric and psychological area,
linked to the treatment of addictions, drugs, and harmful substances, which denotes that this is a
global concern that particularly affects the compendium of the health discipline. However, there
is also an emerging amount of research concerning the educational branch, which allows us to
see that ADIN is beginning to be a concern for experts in the field of education, in order to
promote a practice of a prophylactic nature. Likewise, the analysis on the most prolific
institutions and authors in the area allowed us to know that the research on ADIN is an object of
study by multiple researchers from different parts of the world, with numerous countries being
among the biggest producers of scientific works on the subject, and therefore configuring one of
the most important risks that reside in the society

CONCLUSION
In this study, we found no evidence of severe internet addiction. The addiction was more in the
range of moderate to mild addiction. However, it is possible that the reported scores were related
to internet work in the campus and did not include the use of smartphones and the time spent on
using social websites using smartphones. If this were included, it is possible that the level of
internet addiction could be much higher. This study indicated that there is a high degree of
correlation between age and internet addiction with older students being more addicted to the
Internet than younger students. This may be because they have been exposed to the internet in its
various forms including chatting, emailing and messaging and the use of social media. Also with
regard to Internet usage, there were significant differences with regard to gender with men being
more addicted than women. This is in accordance with precious studies that also indicate similar
findings. The reason for this is not very clear and needs to be investigated further. The study,
however, found no differences between the students in terms of the study year.
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