Exploring the association between internet addiction and time management among undergraduate nursing students

Abstract

Abstract Background Modern undergraduate nursing students face unique challenges as digital natives balancing internet activities with the substantial academic demands of nursing studies. Given the detrimental effects of internet addiction on students’ academic performance and well-being, having time management skills is crucial. Aims To assess the prevalence and levels of internet addiction and time management and their association among undergraduate nursing students. Design A cross-sectional, survey-based research design was used. Setting The Faculty of Nursing at Alexandria University in Egypt. Subjects A stratified random sample consisting of 825 undergraduate nursing students. Tools The internet addiction test and time management questionnaire were utilized to collect data. Findings Internet addiction was prevalent among 98.8% of students, with 56.0% exhibiting mild levels, 40.0% showing moderate levels, and 2.8% having severe levels. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between students’ internet addiction and overall time management (r= − 0.387, p < 0.001). Conclusion A considerable level of internet addiction was revealed among the great majority of undergraduate nursing students; however, many students also demonstrated strong time management skills. Furthermore, internet addiction and overall time management were negatively associated, indicating that students with higher levels of internet addiction tend to have poorer time management abilities. Recommendations Individual counseling and educational training programs should be developed to teach nursing students how to manage time and effectively plan internet usage.