A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Impact of Internet Usage on the Psychosocial Health and Academic Performance of Adolescents in a Selected School of Delhi, NCR

Abstract

Adolescence is a crucial phase in an individual’s life. Adolescence is a time when we are honing our skills for sound mental and social health, and wisdom and a lack of opportunity to engage in this skill-building behavior could impede development. Internet’s importance in the life of an adolescent, as a boon or a bane needs to be analyzed to ensure that not one is lost in this race of growth. Keeping this in mind, a cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the impact of internet usage on the psychosocial health and academic performance among adolescents in a selected school of Delhi NCR. A survey was conducted among 200 adolescents, aged between 14 years to 17 years studying in 9 th , 10 th , 11 th and 12 th standards, selected through purposive sampling technique from Delhi Public School, Indirapuram, New Delhi. A structured rating scale to assess the psychosocial health and academic performance was used for data collection and the data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings revealed that a substantial number of adolescents had fairly significant impact of internet use on their psychosocial health and academic performance with favorable impact of internet users exceeding the number of adolescents with unfavorable impact of internet use. It was found that the average time of internet usage daily had a significant association with the impact of internet use on psychosocial health. It was also seen that the impact of internet use was more on psychosocial health rather than on academic performance. The results inferred that the internet splurge in the life of adolescents is keeping them at pace with the fast-growing world bringing out a productive generation who is well exposed and wise to face the challenges. Risks and dangers are not been overlooked but rather internet use in moderation is the need of the hour.