Internet Addiction among Higher Secondary and University Students in India: A Post-COVID Assessment

Background: Prior research has highlighted the adverse effects of extensive Internet usage among adolescents and college students. However, these concerns have not been thoroughly examined through cross-sectional studies focusing on Indian higher secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate students following the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: The present investigation aimed to assess the prevalence of Internet addiction among students at both secondary and university levels in India. Materials & Methods: In this research, a total of 128 students were involved, comprising 47 from higher secondary, 50 undergraduates and 31 postgraduate students. A self-administered measure consisting of two parts assessed sociodemographic variables and the levels of internet usage. The Internet addiction test (IAT) was administered to assess internet addiction levels. Descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance and chi-square test were employed for data analyses. Results: In our study, the Mean±SD age of the participants was 20.50±1.20 years (min=16, max=23 years). Approximately, 67.2% of the participants surpassed the established normal scores for the IAT. Specifically, 32.80%, 47.7%, 18% and 1.56% of participants fell into categories indicating normal, mild, moderate, and severe levels of Internet addiction according to the IAT. Internet addiction was significantly higher among urban-dwelling students (70%) compared to 30% of normal Internet users. About 69.70% of males were Internet addicts compared to 30.20% of males belonging to regular Internet users. Conclusion: The study revealed a significant prevalence of internet addiction among Indian higher secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Internet addiction was notably higher among students living in cities and men than ordinary Internet users. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need for targeted interventions and preventative measures to combat Internet addiction in educational institutions, particularly among male and urban students.