The Relationship between Internet Addiction and Psychological Wellbeing among Addis Ababa University Main Campus Students
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Date
2020-11
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AAU
Abstract
The internet, being an integral part of human life, is widely used by university students for
different purposes including academic related works, networking, entertainment and staying up
to date with latest information. Nevertheless, making use of the internet excessively can bring
about negative consequences in the lives of students. The present study sought to determine the
relationship between internet addiction and psychological wellbeing among main campus
students at Addis Ababa University. Employing a cross sectional research design, quantitative
data from 304 university students (male = 156, female = 148) with a mean age of 20.76 years
(SD = 1.42) were collected using demographic questionnaire (6 items), Young’s Internet
Addiction Test (20 items) and Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing scale (18 items). Descriptive
statistical methods including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson product
moment correlation and inferential statistical methods such as Independent Samples T test, One
Way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The study found
that 28.2 % of the participants were found to be addicted to the internet. Students who use the
internet for entertainment purpose are more prone to internet addiction compared to students
who use the internet for academic purposes. A higher level of internet addiction was observed
among students who used the internet for more than six hours per day compared to those who
used the internet for two hours and below. Majority (90.1%) of the students’ psychological
wellbeing status was found to be high. Compared to second year students, first and third year
students had a relatively higher status of psychological wellbeing. Students who use the internet
for entertainment purposes reported a lower status of psychological wellbeing compared to
students who use the internet for academic purposes. Similarly, spending more than six hours
online per day was also associated with lower status of psychological wellbeing. Bivariate
correlation showed that internet addiction and psychological wellbeing had a significant and
negative relationship. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis revealed that psychological
wellbeing was significantly and negatively associated with internet addiction, after adjusting for
potential confounding factors. Based on the findings, it is safe to conclude that internet addiction
is a risk factor for lower psychological wellbeing.