A Correlation Study on the Effect of Internet Addiction on Depression Among Adults at Selected College, Rajkot

 

Vishnu Hari¹, Mrs. Nancy²

¹II^nd Year M.Sc Nursing, Shree Anand College of Nursing, Ghanteshwer Park, Madhapar Road., Rajkot.

²HOD, Shree Anand College of Nursing, Ghanteshwer Park, Madhapar Road., Rajkot.

 

ABSTRACT:

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a modern day addiction. Persons with IAD can exhibit symptoms, suffer drawbacks, and face consequences that are similar to individuals addicted to alcohol, gambling, narcotics, shopping, and other compulsive behaviors. One way to describe persons infected with this disorder is that they find the virtual environment to be more attractive than everyday reality. Their daily lives are dominated with their need to be online. Sadly, this addiction is affecting millions of adolescents and their families in every aspect of their life. The primary areas affected include school, family, work and relationships. The research design adopted was Co relational Research Design. The conceptual frame work for this study was based on Health Belief Model. The study had been conducted in Atmiya Engineering College, Rajkot. Non-probability purposive sampling technique had been adopted to select the desired samples. The sample size was 160. As an intervention I administered the Internet addiction scale among the samples and identified the level of Internet addiction among them and then administered the depression scale for the purpose of assessing the level of depression among the internet addicted individuals. The collected data were analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods, ‘r’ test was used to evaluate relationship between internet addiction and depression. The obtained ‘r’ value was 0.4749 which showed high significance at 0.001 level. Hence findings of the study revealed that  there was a significant relationship between the internet addiction and depression and also there was significant association between the mean difference in Internet Addiction and daily usage of the internet (c²=20.028),purpose of use ((c²=59.20) and Money spend on internet (c²=19.12) and there was significant association between the mean difference depression  and daily usage of the internet (c²=26.24and Time frame for using internet (c²=23.05).

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Computers have become essential to our daily lives. The first computer was invented by a British scientist Charles P Babbage in 1822, but was completed in 1871 by Helmet P Babbage. The good thing is that computers help people reach out, make friends and learn to interact. The bad thing is that hard-core online users may begin living artificial life that proves dangerous to their health and emotional stability.⁴ Psychologists have labeled Internet Addiction as Internet Addiction Disorder- a term first used by Gold berg (1996). According to Goldberg Internet Addiction Disorders exists when the individual experiences “decreased occupational, academic, social, work related, family related, financial, psychological or physiological functioning”. Internet addicts are not defined only by the number of hours they spend online, but by the impact it has on their personal and professional life. Real world responsibilities get postponed and neglected as addicts become so involved in their online activities that they dream about them at night and fantasies about them during the day.²  The use of the Internet on school campuses and in society has increased dramatically in recent years. Whereas the academic use of the Internet is primarily intended for learning and research, the Internet has also become an important part of student life. However, from time to time, cases of over involvement with the Internet have been observed on different campuses.² The internet has emerged as an essential media channel for personal communications, academic research, information exchange, and entertainment. While the positive aspects are renowned, concerns continue to mount regarding problematic Internet usage behaviors. It is currently estimated that approximately 9 million Americans could be labeled as pathological computer users addicted to the Internet to the detriment of work, study, and social life.  Among all behavioral addictive traits, the Internet stands out for its relevance to the future and its promise of potentially delivering harmful results to millions as access to the Internet rises globally.² The capacity of the Internet for socialization is a primary reason for the excessive amount of time people spend having real-time interactions using e-mail, discussion forums chat rooms, and online games. User participation at sites such as Blogger.com, MySpace.com, and Wikipedia.org increased by 525%, 318%, and 275% respectively. However the networking capabilities of the Internet can cause social isolation and functional impairment of daily activities. In the workplace, Internet addictive behavior symptoms include a decline in work performance and a withdrawal from coworkers, leading to reduced job satisfaction and decreased efficiency.³ The internet is a new tool that is evolving into an essential part of everyday life all over the world and its use increases especially among young people. In spite of the widely perceived merits of this tool, psychologists and educators have been aware of the negative impacts of its use, especially the over or misuse and the related physical and psychological problems, one of the most common of these problems is internet addiction. (Murali and George, 2007; Shapira, Lessig, Goldsmith et al., 2003; Young, 1998). This problem is a raising phenomenon affecting people with varying frequency around the world and has produced negative impacts on the academic, relationship, financial, and occupational aspects of many lives. (Chou and Hsiao, 2000; Griffiths, 2000; Young, 1998).⁴ Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a modern day addiction. Persons with IAD can exhibit symptoms, suffer drawbacks, and face consequences that are similar to individuals addicted to alcohol, gambling, narcotics, shopping, and other compulsive behaviors. One way to describe persons infected with this disorder is that they find the virtual environment to be more attractive than everyday reality. Their daily lives are dominated with their need to be online. Sadly, this addiction is affecting millions of adolescents and their families in every aspect of their life. The primary areas affected include school, family, work and relationships. (Young 1998).¹⁰ The Internet provides a constant, ever-changing source of information and entertainment, and can be accessed from most smart phones as well as tablets, laptops, and computers. Email, blogs, social networks, and message boards allow for both public and anonymous communication about any topic.⁴ Internet addiction can also cause physical discomfort, and Stress, Dry eyes or stained vision, Backache and neck ache, sleep disturbances.⁴ Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well-being. People with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable or restless. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt or commit suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, aches, pains, digestive problems or reduced energy may also be present.⁶ Depressed mood is a feature of some psychiatric syndromes such as major depressive disorder, but it may also be a normal reaction to life events such as bereavement, a symptom of some bodily ailments or a side effect of some drugs and medical treatments.⁶ An adult is a human being or other organism that has reached sexual maturity. In human context, the term adult additionally has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a "minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majority and is therefore regarded as independent, self-sufficient, and responsible. A young adult, according to Erik Erikson's stages of human development, is generally a person in the age range of 20 to 40. Human adulthood encompasses psychological adult development. Definitions of adulthood are often inconsistent and contradictory; a person may be biologically an adult, and have adult behavior but still be treated as a child if they are under the legal age of majority. Conversely, one may legally be an adult but possess none of the maturity and responsibility that may define adult character. An event relating to the oncoming of adulthood is coming of age, which encompasses passing a series of tests to demonstrate that a person is prepared for adulthood, or reaching a specified age, sometimes in conjunction with demonstrating preparation. Most modern societies determine legal adulthood based on reaching a legally specified age without requiring a demonstration of physical maturity or preparation for adulthood.  

 

NEED FOR THE STUDY:

According to Indian Election Committee (2014), the adults between the age group of 18-23 years is to be estimated as 150 million. India has an unrivalled youth demographic 65% of its population is 35 cores under, and half the country’s population of 1.25 billion people is under 25 years of age. The Internet itself is a neutral device originally designed to facilitate research among academic and military agencies. However, how some people have come to use this communication medium has created a stir among the mental health community by great discussion of Internet addiction. Addictive use of the Internet is a new and rapidly growing phenomenon. According to the Pew Research Center (2003), Internet use in the United States alone has grown from just less than half of American adults in 2000 to about 59% of adults at the end of 2002, and studies suggest that nearly 6% of online users suffer from Internet addiction (Greenfield, 1999). New areas of research identify users who became hooked on online chat rooms, instant messaging, interactive games, and even eBay only to see their lives become increasingly unmanageable because of the Internet (e.g., Morahan-Martin, 1997; Scherer, 1997; Young, 1996). Prior research in the addiction field explores the addictive qualities sustaining drug and alcohol addictions, pathological gambling, and even video game addiction. However, given the relative newness of the disorder, little exists that clearly outlines the habit-forming nature of the Internet and its consequences. There has been an explosive growth in the use of internet not only in India but also worldwide in the last decade. In India, use of internet is enormous, especially in the young population. There were about 42 million active internet users in urban India in 2008 as compared to 5 million in 2000². There have been growing concerns worldwide for what has been labeled as internet addiction. The term "Internet addiction" was proposed by Dr. Ivan Goldberg in 1995 for pathological compulsive internet use. Internet addiction adversely affects lives by causing physical, psychological and social problems. 45% of world internet users are young adults. In developing countries 30% of the below 25 years age group are internet users². Researchers have tried to assess internet addiction, its risk factors and consequences but studies are few and far between. Hence, it is necessary to study pattern of internet usage in young adults in Indian setting and its relationship with the socio-demographic factors. With this background, we undertake the present study to take a close look on this issue.² Kids’ ages 8 to 18 now spend an average of 10 hours and 45 minutes a day, seven days a week with media. That translates into 75 hours and 15 minutes per week, nearly twice as many hours as their parents put into full-time jobs according to research published by the Kaiser Family Foundation in January 2001 .³ Within these averages there are significant differences and knowing where your child or teen falls within these ranges is the first step in understanding whether or not you want to adjust the amount of time they spend online, or if you suspect a larger problem is brewing. A full 21% of youth are defined as heavy media users who spend more than 16 hours with media a day. Another 63% are defined as moderate users who use media 3-16 hours a day. Youth who fall into the light user category are those who consume less than 3 hours of media a day.⁴ For youth on the high end of the scale, spending this much time with media - online and offline - robs them of real world experiences and may result in lower grades, increase their risk for depression, cut into the time needed for sleep, and more.² The growing number of researches on Internet addiction indicates that Internet addiction is a psychosocial disorder and its characteristics are as follows: tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, affective disorders, and problems in social relations. Internet usage creates psychological, social, school and/or work difficulties in a person's life. Eighteen percent of a study participants were considered to be pathological Internet users, whose excessive use of the Internet was causing academic, social, and interpersonal problems. Excessive Internet use may create a heightened level of psychological arousal, resulting in little sleep, failure to eat for long periods, and limited physical activity, possibly leading to the user experiencing physical and mental health problems such as depression, OCD, low family relationships and anxiety. (Young KS. New York: Wiley; 1998)¹² The number of internet users worldwide is expected to touch 2.2 billion by 2013 and India is projected to have the third largest online population during the same time says a report. The number of people online around the world will grow more than 45 per cent to 2.2 billion users by 2013 and Asia will continue to be the biggest Internet growth engine. India will be the third largest internet user base by 2013 - with China and the US taking the first two spots, respectively," technology and market research firm Forrester Research said in a report. India's number of Internet users was estimated to be 52 million in 2008, 71 million users accessed Internet in year 2009. Internet has been perhaps the most outstanding innovation in the field of communication in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages. But usually, greater magnitude of advantages outweighs its disadvantages.⁵ As the Internet increasingly becomes part of our lives, Internet addiction disorder has received much attention. Internet addicts may withdraw from social and interpersonal interactions other than those on the Internet. Their family relationships and academic or occupational functioning may deteriorate. Several withdrawal symptoms have been identified, including nervousness, agitation, and aggression, as well as an addiction syndrome that includes the presence of withdrawal symptoms, increasing tolerance, and loss of control. A high rate of co morbid mental disorders has also been reported, especially depressive symptoms and social impairment. The Internet was originally designed to facilitate communication and research activities. However, the dramatic increase in the use of the Internet in recent years has led to pathological use (Internet addiction).¹ Many of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) are restricting campus Internet use during night hours, because of recent suicides being linked to the presumed anti-social behavior that Internet use promotes however, it is clear that Internet addiction is more of a symptom than a cause of greater social problems. Such an authoritarian move may not prove adequate enough to address the larger problems students face in dealing with the stress of being in these high-pressure institutions in the context of a highly competitive global economy.³ Online activities which, if done in person, would normally be considered troublesome, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, are sometimes called net compulsions. Others, such as reading or playing computer games, are troubling only to the extent that these activities interfere with normal life. The Internet has unique psychological properties which induce dissociation, time distortion, and instant gratification.³ "Internet addicts suffer from emotional problems such as depression and anxiety-related disorders and often use the fantasy world of the Internet to psychologically escape unpleasant feelings or stressful situations." Over 60% of people seeking treatment for IAD claim involvement with sexual activities online which they consider inappropriate, such as excessive attention to pornography or involvement in explicit sexual conversations online. More than half are also addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or sex etc. People who develop problems with their Internet use may start off using the Internet on a casual basis and then progress to using the technology in dysfunctional ways. Use of the Internet may interfere with the person's social life, school work, or job-related tasks at work.⁵ Investigator have personal experience how dangerous this situation because of dysfunctional and pathological ways of using internet other than the education purposes. It can be a nightmare; however investigator is aware of the biopsychosocial problems. For that reason investigator was interested to create awareness among young adults. Hence, there is need to assess the internet addiction and its impact among young adults. These instances provoked the investigator to select the study on assessment of internet addiction and its relation with depression among young adults in selected colleges.⁴ I selected this study for the reason that currently many of the the adults as well as adolescents may be suffering from depression as a result of internet addiction

 

OBJECTIVE

1.    To assess the level of internet addiction among adults at selected college, at Rajkot.

2.    To assess the level of depression among internet addicted adults in selected college, at Rajkot.

3.    To find out an association between the level of internet addiction and with their selected socio demographic data at selected college, at Rajkot.

4.    To find out the association between level of depression and with their selected socio demographic at selected college, at Rajkot

5.    To determine the correlation between the internet addiction and depression at selected college, at Rajkot

 

HYPOTHESIS:

1.    H₁:

There will be significant relation between the internet addiction and depression.

 

2.    H₂:

There will be significant association between the level of internet addiction and with there selected socio demographic data

 

3.    H_3:

There will be significant association between the level of depression and with there selected socio demographic data .

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Research Approach:

Quantitative Approach

 

Research Design:

Co-relational research design.

 

Target Population:

Engineering students at selected colleges  at Rajkot.

 

Accessible Population:

All Engineering Students studying at Atmiya college of Engineering, Rajkot

Sampling Technique:

Purposive Sampling Techniques

 

Data Collection Procedure:

Internet Addiction, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HRSD).

 

Group: 160

 

Data Analysis:

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

 

Criterion Measure:

Level of depression among internet addicted adults

 

MAJOR FINDINGS:

·      Regarding the demographic data majority of the students were coming undr the age group of 17-23 yrs100 (100%), 55 (55%) were males,28(28%) of the student’s parents were S.S.L.C and P.U.C.94(94%) were single,48(48% used laptop for the accessibility to use Internet,69(69%) were using the Internet between 5-10 hrs,34(34%) belongs to II yr, 38(38%) used internet between 7-10pm,29(29%) used for the purpose of playing games,31(31%) of them were using the computer for 2 yrs,48(48%) belongs to the family having monthly income of <10000Rs, while 42(42%) were spending 500Rs-1000Rs per month for using internet.

·      Regarding the level of internet Addiction 3(3%) of the total adults selected were not having the internet addiction, while from the remaining 97(97%) 24(24%) were having mild internet addiction ,64(64%) were reported with having moderate and the remaining 9(9%) were having severe internet addiction.

·      With regards to the level of depression 17(17%) of the total adults selected were not having the depression, while from the remaining 83(83%), 19(19%) were having mild depression, 29(29%) were reported with having moderate,30(30%) were reported with severe and the remaining 5(5%) were having very severe depression.

·      With regards to the association between the level of Internet Addiction among Adults with their selected demographic variables, there was significant association between the mean difference in Internet Addiction and daily usage of the internet (c²=20.028),purpose of use ((c²=59.20) and Money spend on internet (c²=19.12).

·      With regards to the association between the level of Depression among Adults with their selected demographic variables Daily usage of the internet and the time frame for the internet usage , there was significant association between the mean difference depression  and daily usage of the internet (c²=26.24and Time frame for using internet (c²=23.05).

 

CONCLUSION:

The main conclusion from this present study is that, most of the adults between the age group of 17-23 yrs were having Internet addiction and was having various level of depression according to the Internet addiction and it will improve the quality of life which includes the stability in physiological, psychological, sexual, vocational and lifestyles aspects.

 

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Received on 06.09.2016          Modified on 21.12.2016

Accepted on 13.01.2017          © A&V Publications all right reserved