THE EFFECT OF INTERNET IN THE MENTAL

WELL-BEING OF A STUDENT

DR. SANTIAGO DACUDAO SR. NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

MALAGAMOT, PANACAN, DAVAO CITY, PHILIPPINES

GRADE 10-AGUINALDO

CASIO, XYRA MAE C.

LIPALAM, CRISTY JANE O.

RESEARCHERS

DANILO DEXTER L. GUIBONE JR.

ICT-CSS TEACHER
Introduction

These days, it seems like we live our lives on the Internet, but can excessive
Internet and social media use impact your mental health? While it's a helpful
tool for education, work, social interaction and entertainment, overuse can
take a toll on your health. Man’s mental health is hinged on a number of
factors, and these factors can either pose a risk to or protect his mental health
and well-being. These factors that contribute to one’s mental health, however,
have a complex association. It involves genetics and an interplay of
environmental and lifestyle choices. As much as genetics have been shown to
be a major factor in mental health, as evidenced by mental illness running in
the family, no single gene has been solely responsible for a mental disorder.
This shows the complex correlation associated with mental illness. One of the
environmental factors that have been associated with a mental disorder is the
internet.

With the recent coronavirus pandemic, Internet use among students has
further increased. Students are familiar with computers and they also utilize
the Internet for various purposes. As the Internet is used as means for a
multitude of activities, including education, communication, entertainment,
and online communities, it is becoming more intricately woven into our daily
lives; in particular, its influence on the lives of adolescents is not negligible.
While the Internet has a variety of favorable functions, such as sharing of
information, communication, and stress relief, excessive Internet usage can
create issues such as dependence and interference with daily living, thereby
posing a significant public health problem.
Statement of the Problem

The internet has become an integral part of human life with an importance that
cannot be overemphasized. It gives access to timely, accurate, and relevant
information. The use of the internet has increased drastically in recent years.
The number of active internet users globally increased from 413 million in 2000
to over 5.07 billion in 2022.

Internet usage is associated with many mental disorders, including low self-
esteem, impulsiveness, poor sleep, mood disorders, depression, and suicide. A
strong correlation has been established between mental health, quality of life,
and the level of Internet addiction. Aside from mental health, internet usage
has a massive effect on physical health, the common ones being a pain,
stiffness in arms and joints, dry and strained eyes, back-pain, neck-pain leading
to headache, sleeping disorder, extreme hyperactivity, excessive talkativeness,
decreases in hygiene, and eating disorders, all of which have further impacts
one’s mental health deleteriously. Poor academic performance is known to be
one of the significant contributors to mental illness among undergraduates.
Internet usage, on the other hand, internet addiction has been shown to cause
poor time management, leading to poor academic performance. Hence it goes
without saying that internet addiction can cause poor mental health status via
poor academic performance.
Possible Causes

These following are the causes of mental health problems while using internet:

 Internet use and anxiety

Whether it's from reading too much negative news or researching your
symptoms online – something Dr. Mathew says he sees frequently among his
patients – too much computer time can increase your anxiety.

 Social media and your social life

Studies have shown excessive social media use can lead to feelings of
depression and dependency in some people.

 Technology and your sleep

Excessive smartphone, computer and tablet use can disrupt your sleep. Bright
lights from these devices block melatonin secretion, the hormone that
regulates sleep.

 Problematic Internet use

If you feel the need to constantly check your social media accounts for updates
or respond to emails right away (even in the middle of the night), you may be
experiencing what some experts call "problematic Internet use.
Data Interpretation
Possible Solutions

We are glued to the internet on our computers or phones. We are checking our
social media accounts, the news, playing games, surfing the web, etc. By
learning how to overcome our internet addiction, you will be able to expose
yourself more to the world outside of the screens and have real experiences.

 Make psychological treatment to student who are addicted to internet.

 Create a specific schedule for using internet.
 Establish rules for using internet.
 Let them know the consequences from internet addiction.
Conclusion

We analyzed the relationship between Internet usage time and mental health
among adolescents and observed that the above average Internet usage group
differed from the below-to-average group in mental health; specifically, in
regards to subjective health status, level of stress, feelings of sadness, and
suicidal ideation. The results suggest the need for interventions that increase
the awareness of the risks for adolescents’ mental health and management of
mental health for those adolescents who spend an excessive amount of time
using the Internet. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively promote the
importance of healthy Internet usage. As a means to reduce feelings of
sadness, suicidal ideation, and stress among adolescents, educational programs
that teach appropriate Internet usage and duration of Internet use need to be
developed and implemented.
Resources