Cross-sectional study of Facebook addiction in a sample of Nepalese population

Abstract

Background: Facebook addiction is said to occur when an individual spends an excessive amount of time on Facebook, disrupting one’s daily activities and social life. The present study aimed to find out the level of Facebook addiction in the Nepalese context and briefly discuss the issues associated with its unintended use. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Lumbini Medical College. The study instrument was the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale typed into a Google Form and sent randomly to Facebook contacts of the authors. The responses were downloaded in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Results: The study consisted of 103 Nepalese participants, of which 54 (52.42%) were males and 49 females (47.58%). There were 11 participants (10.68%) who had more than one Facebook account. When different approaches were applied it was observed that 8.73% (n=9) to 39.80% (n=41) were addicted to Facebook. Conclusion: When used properly Facebook has its own advantages. Excessive use is linked with health hazards including addiction and dependency. Students who engage more on Facebook may have less time studying, leading to poor academic performance. People need to be made aware of the issues associated with the misuse of Facebook.