Analysis of the Psychological and Social Factors contributing to the excessive usage of Internet among University Students

Abstract

Every field of life has been revolutionized due to the Internet, and the world has transformed into a global village. Now, any kind of knowledge and information spreads worldwide in a few seconds through the Internet. The Internet has also brought revolution in the education sector and changed the ways of teaching and learning. On the other hand, excessive internet usage has badly affected university students' physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and academic performance. This study aimed to explore the relationship between internet addiction and potential factors and to examine the relationship between internet addiction and the effects of internet addiction on university students. The research methodology used in this study was quantitative survey research design. The tool used in this research study for data collection was a personal questionnaire developed by the researcher. However, the study population consisted of all the BS students from the Faculty of Social Sciences of public sector universities in Punjab. The sample was selected through a random sampling technique, consisting of 250 students of the University of Sargodha. The study's results revealed that the factors that triggered university students to overuse the Internet included peer influence, institutional environment, anonymity feature of the Internet, escape from problems, and the flexible home environment. It was also concluded that a positive relationship existed between internet addiction and all other study variables. It was recommended that excessive Internet usage be controlled by engaging the students in alternative activities such as organizing certain exhibitions, competitions, and sports activities and encouraging regular library visits.