Internet Addiction and its Impact among Higher Educational Students from 10 Universities in the Indian State of Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Background: Unwarranted internet use can lead to a multiplicity of issues in personal, social, and professional spheres. This phenomenon is known as internet addiction. Between 1989 and 2020, the number of internet users increased from 500000 to 4.83 billion, suggesting a rising trend in the figure of persons who are digitally savvy. India had more than 718 million subscribers as of June 2020, second only to China, according to TRAI. The ground of this study is to scrutinize the magnitude of addiction, its impact, and related factors in universities located in the districts of Chhattisgarh’s judicial capital, Bilaspur, and state capital, Raipur. Methods: The "Personal Information Form" was used to gather data, which also contained synopses of internet usage, Young’s "Internet Addiction Test (IAT)," and a questionnaire the researcher created called the "Impact Scale of Internet Addiction." Results: Out of 937 professionals from different socio-economic backgrounds, 495 (52.82%) were male and 442 (47.18%) were females. The subject’s mean age was 21.34 (SD 2.34). The study’s findings indicate that the mean IAT score for IA among users was 67.15. Out of the total, 222 (23.69%) respondents were found to be severely addicted, 587 (62.64%) to be possible addicts, and 122 (13.02%) to be mildly addicted, respectively. Only six (0.64%) out of 937 people were considered to be completely safe or addiction-free. Comparing males’ and females’ outcomes in terms of social media usage, academic performance, tendencies, and purpose has proven to be highly significant. Conclusion: Discuss the probability of addiction, protective factors, and preventive techniques based on these facts.