A cross-sectional survey of internet use among university students

Kristina Adorjan,Oliver Pogarell,Simon Langgartner,Maximilian Maywald,Susanne Karch

doi:10.1007/s00406-020-01211-1

Abstract

The last 2 decades have seen an increase in the number of reports of excessive internet use. Therefore, this study aimed to examine internet use among university students to gain more insight into the novel phenomenon of addictive internet use (AIU). Data were collected by the means of an online questionnaire sent to 4391 students. Approximately 10% of the 4391 students could be included in the statistical analysis. Of those 483 students, almost all (99.2%) used the internet, and a quarter (24.8%) showed AIU. The students used the internet mostly for information searches, random browsing, social networking, and online shopping; however, AIU was seen most often in the areas of social networking, random browsing, information searches, gaming, and pornography. One in four of the respondents showed addictive behavior in at least one area of internet use. Students with AIU in the area of random browsing were significantly less far advanced in their studies than those without AIU, and well-being was significantly poorer across AIU groups than in those who did not show AIU. The study confirms the importance of AIU, as reflected in the high prevalence of AIU among the students and the significantly lower level of well-being in those with AIU. Undifferentiated consideration of AIU does not do justice to its various facets, and future research should consider all areas of internet use, with the aim to increase understanding of the underlying mechanisms of AIU and develop more differentiated treatment approaches.

Highlights

In 2019, Europe had 727,559,682 internet users, corresponding to 87.7% of the total European population [37]
In one quarter of the sample, we identified addictive internet use (AIU) according to the study criteria, i.e. fulfilment of at least 3 of the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for addiction disorders
Students classified as having AIU used the internet for significantly longer periods than those without AIU, but the only significant difference in demographic variables between the two groups was in the year of study, i.e. those with AIU were significantly less advanced in their studies

Summary

Introduction

In 2019, Europe had 727,559,682 internet users, corresponding to 87.7% of the total European population [37]. The majority of users primarily use the internet for social interactions, work, and leisure [4]. Almost one third of people name this as the reason why they play online games [35]. A moderate amount of online gaming can even have a positive effect on visual short-term memory [102]. These positive aspects apply to most internet users, negative effects are found in some people. Some people develop AIU, which can have a negative impact on interpersonal, social, and academic functioning and is associated with several psychiatric problems, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and sleep disorders [59, 97].

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Conclusion