Association between Excessive Internet Use and Depression in Young Adults

Description

Shivani Santosh¹ and Sanhati Panigrahi² (Department of Psychology, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, West Bengal¹ and Clinical Psychologist, West Bengal²)

Internet addiction (IA), often discussed as problematic or excessive internet use, refers to persistent and poorly controlled internet use that may interfere with academic, occupational, social, and personal functioning. University students may be particularly vulnerable because of easy access to the internet and flexible schedules. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between depression and internet addiction. Data were collected from 50 college students aged 18-24 years, primarily from a private university in West Bengal. Participants completed a semi-structured socio-demographic information sheet, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck et al., 1961) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT; Young, 1998). Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and correlation analysis were used for data analysis. The mean BDI score was 17.94 (SD = 6.77), and the mean IAT score was 50.18 (SD = 16.04). A significant positive correlation was found between depression and internet addiction, r(48) = .56, p < .001 (two-tailed). The findings indicate a significant association between depressive symptoms and problematic internet use among the college students studied. The findings highlight the importance of promoting responsible internet use and mental health awareness in university settings.