Internet Addiction among Secondary School Students and Their Awareness of Its Psychosocial Consequences

Abstract

Background: The Internet has become an essential part of modern life, used by a large number of people of all ages, especially teenagers. Therefore, the number of its users around the world is increasing daily, exposing some to its negative effects such as Internet addiction (I.A.). Internet Addiction is the frequent and reckless use of electronic devices, which may be present for a long time when engaging in non-work-related activities which can lead to physical, social, psychological, and academic problems.

Objective: The current study was conducted to determine the I.A. level among secondary school students and determine the extent of their awareness effects of I.A.

Methodology: A cross-section descriptive study design was used through present research from the period of 10th December  2022 to 30th December 2023; the total participants were 765 secondary school students, (390) girls, and (375) boys, recruited from Ten secondary schools in the center and districts of Babylon Governorate in Iraq. The data were gathered by utilizing the structured questionnaire and the interview technique with the participants.

Results: The research finding revealed that (69.9%) of the sample recorded a high level of I.A.  The majority of Internet addicts are males. Most of the study participants have a fair level of awareness about the psychosocial effects of I.A.

Conclusions: According to the research findings, secondary school students recorded a high level of I.A. with males being the majority among Internet addicts. Most participants demonstrate fair awareness of the psychosocial effects of I.A., and females show higher awareness compared to males. The Internet addiction level among the study sample is not affected by their level of awareness of its psychosocial effects.

Recommendations: The researcher recommended that cooperation between the school and parents is necessary to limit the spread of the phenomenon of Internet addiction. Also, recommend conducting similar research on a different sample using new independent variables.