Internet addiction and psychological well-being among high school students of Mangaluru city, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Background: Despite the controversies on the effects of Internet usage, the habit of Internet usage is increasing in all ages and rampant among the young ages making it critical to understand its relationship with psychological well-being (PWB). Objectives: The study was conducted to determine the relation of Internet addiction with PWB among school students aged 12–16 years. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among high school students in Mangaluru city. A total of 654 students participated in the study. Data on Internet usage and PWB were obtained using Young's Internet Addiction Scale and Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale, respectively. The relation between Internet addictions with PWB was analyzed using correlation statistics. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 14.3 ± 1.007 years, and 62.7% were males. There was a weak negative correlation between PWB of the high school students and Internet addiction scores (r = −0.255, P < 0.001). Students with a higher level of Internet addiction were more likely to be low in PWB. Linear regression showed that Internet addiction was a significant negative predictor of PWB (β = −0.272, P < 0.001). Conclusion: PWB of high school students is negatively affected by Internet addiction. Hence, it is crucial to develop strategies addressing young adolescents for effective prevention of problematic Internet use.