Study of Prevalence of Internet Addiction among Adolescents in a Cantonment School

Abstract

Background: More Indians have access to mobile phones than toilets. Concerns have been raised for addictive potential of Internet. There are few Indian studies on the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of IA among adolescents and its association with sociodemographic variables in a cantonment school. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study among students of the age group of 10–19 years in Western Maharashtra. Sociodemographic data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Young's IA test was used to diagnose IA. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test and odds ratio. Results: A total of 1325 students participated in the study. Among these, 2.5% had scores above 69 (addicted). Among those with scores > 69, 85% were boys, average daily Internet use was 5.3 h in last 1 year. Use for academics, online gaming, and social media were the most common reasons for current use among the study sample. Risk factors included watching pornography, online gaming, use of Internet due to loneliness or boredom, use in Internet café, permanent login status, accessing Internet > 4 h daily, and consumption of tobacco or alcohol by any of the parents. The possible protective factors included using Internet only for academics, restricting Internet use to < 2 h, and having a playground nearby and playing there. Conclusion: In our study, prevalence of IA is around 2.5%. The possible risk and protective factors can be targets of intervention and further study.

Keywords

• adolescents
• internet addiction
• risk factors of internet addiction