Internet addiction among social networking sites users: Emerging mental health concern among medical undergraduates of Karachi

Zaeema Ahmer, Sana Tanzil, Zaeema Ahmer, Sana Tanzil

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency and intensity of Internet Addiction (IA) among medical undergraduates, using Social Networking Sites (SNS), in Karachi.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in March-June '16 in a private and government medical college of Karachi. Self-administered, Young's Internet Addiction Test was implemented by 340 medical students to assess the frequency and intensity of IA among SNS profile users for past three years. The structured questionnaire further enquired regarding the social and behaviour patterns relevant to IA and SNS use. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16.

Results: Internet Addiction (IA) was found in 85% (n=289) of all study participants. Among them, 65.6% (n=223) were 'minimally addicted', 18.5% (n=63) were 'moderately addicted', whereas 0.9% (n=3) were found to be 'severely addicted'. Burden of IA was relatively higher among female medical students as compared to male medical students (p=0.02). There was no significant difference between type of medical college attended and IA (p=0.45). However, statistically significant differences were observed in certain behavioural patterns among addicted and non-addicted medical students.

Conclusion: Internet Addiction (IA) is an emerging mental health concern affecting social behaviour patterns of medical undergraduates. However, the burden of IA is relatively higher among female medical students.

Keywords: Internet Addiction; Medical Undergraduates; Social Networking Sites; Young’s Internet Addiction Test.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Block JJ. Issues for DSM-V:Internet addiction. Am J Psych. 2008;165(3):306–307. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07101556.
    1. Holden C. Psychiatry. Behavioural addictions debut in proposed DSM-V. Science. 2010;327(5968):935. doi:10.1126/science.327.5968.935.
    1. Young GG. Television therapy. Ohio medicine:Ohio State Med J. 1988;84(6):465–471.
    1. Young K Net Addiction. The Center for Internet Addiction. Your source since 1995. [[Cited 2009]]. Available from:
    1. Young KS. Internet addiction:symptoms, evaluation and treatment. Innovations in clinical practice:A source book. 1999;17:19–31.
    1. Christakis DA, Moreno MM, Jelenchick L, Myaing MT, Zhou C. Problematic internet usage in US college students:a pilot study. BMC medicine. 2011;9:77. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-9-77.
    1. Goel D, Subramanyam A, Kamath R. A study on the prevalence of internet addiction and its association with psychopathology in Indian adolescents. Ind J Psych. 2013;55(2):140–143. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.111451.
    1. Tsitsika A, Janikian M, Schoenmakers TM, Tzavela EC, Olafsson K, Wojcik S, et al. Internet addictive behavior in adolescence:a cross-sectional study in seven European countries. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc. 2014;17(8):528–535. doi:10.1089/cyber.2013.0382.
    1. Ghassemzadeh L, Shahraray M, Moradi A. Prevalence of internet addiction and comparison of internet addicts and non-addicts in Iranian high schools. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2008;11(6):731–733. doi:10.1089/cpb.2007.0243.
    1. Ni X, Yan H, Chen S, Liu Z. Factors influencing internet addiction in a sample of freshmen university students in China. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2009;12(3):327–330. doi:10.1089/cpb.2008.0321.
    1. Park SK, Kim JY, Cho CB. Prevalence of Internet addiction and correlations with family factors among South Korean adolescents. Adolescence. 2008;43(172):895–909.
    1. Daffalla A'lamElhuda, Dimetry DA. The Impact of Facebook and Others Social Networks Usage on Academic Performance and Social Life among Medical Students at Khartoum University. IJSTR. 2014;3(5):41–46.
    1. Ahmed I, Qazi TF. Deciphering the social costs of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) for university students. Afr J Bus Manage. 2011;5(14):5664–5674. doi:10.5897/AJBM11.031.
    1. Awan S. Prevalence of internet use and Internet Addiction Disorder among Medical Students:a case from low income country. Anchorage, Alaska, USA: 20th IEA World Congress of Epidemiology Global Epidemiology in a Changing Environment: aThe Circumpolar Perspective; 2014. [19 August 2014].
    1. Wan C. Gratifications & Loneliness as Predictors of Campus-SNS Websites Addiction & Usage Pattern among Chinese College Students. Masters of Science [Dissertation] Hong Kong:The Chinese University of Hong Kong. 2009 May
    1. Young KS. Internet addiction:The emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyberpsychol Behav. 1998;1(3):237–244. doi:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.237.
    1. Widyanto L, McMurran M. The psychometric properties of the internet addiction test. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2004;7(4):443–450. doi:10.1089/cpb.2004.7.443.
    1. Pramanik T, Sherpa MT, Shrestha R. Internet addiction in a group of medical students:a cross sectional study. Nepal Med Coll J. 2012;14(1):46–48.
    1. Paul AV, Ganapathi RC, Duraimurugan K, Abirami M, Reji E. Internet Addiction And Associated Factors:A Study Among College Students In South India. IJMHS. 2015;5(3):121–125. doi:10.15520/ijmhs.2015.vol5.iss3.72.121-125.
    1. Chaudhari B, Menon P, Saldanha D, Tewari A, Bhattacharya L. Internet addiction and its determinants among medical students. Ind Psych J. 2015;24(2):158–162. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.181729.
    1. Aldebasi YH, Ahmed MI. Computer and Internet Utilization among the Medical Students in Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. J Clin Diagn Res. 2013;7(6):1105–1108. doi:10.7860/JCDR/2013/5891.3092.
    1. Tang CS, Koh YY. Online social networking addiction among college students in Singapore:Comorbidity with behavioural addiction and affective disorder. Asi J Psych. 2017;25:175–178. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2016.10.027.
    1. Hormes JM, Kearns B, Timko CA. Craving Facebook?Behavioral addiction to online social networking and its association with emotion regulation deficits. Addiction. 2014;109(12):2079–2088. doi:10.1111/add.12713.

Source: PubMed

Szponzorok és közreműködők

Egészségi állapot

Kábítószer-beavatkozások

3
Iratkozz fel