Internet use among university students: a reason for concern?
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Date
2017
Authors
Geyer, L. S.
Hall, H.
Le Roux, M. P.
Crafford, G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
International studies reveal that students have more freedom, as well as unstructured and unsupervised time, which makes them susceptible to problematic internet use (PIU). Although students
are a risk group for PIU, no evidence of local research on internet
use among students could be identified. This article reports on a
study on the nature and impact of internet use among students
at a tertiary institution. A quantitative research approach was
adopted and a survey with a group-administered questionnaire
was conducted with 295 second-year students (between 18
and 25 years) registered for a module in a basic social science.
Respondents were recruited through convenience sampling. The
nature of internet use was explored with reference to internet
platforms, reasons for internet use, devices for connecting to
the internet, and the locations where respondents access the
internet. The impact of internet use was explored through eight
constructs adopted from two screening instruments in the public
domain, i.e. the Internet-Related Addictive Behaviour Inventory
and the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire. The research
results were calculated by means of descriptive and association
statistics, specifically the chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests.
Ethical considerations, such as informed consent and voluntary
participation, were observed. The research results revealed that
the respondents preferred email and chatting as internet platforms,
while they used the internet mostly for extrinsic reasons, such as for
assignments and socialising. Online activities occurred mostly on
campus and at home during the early evenings via mobile phones
or laptops. The respondents scored relatively low on the constructs
measuring PIU. However, two constructs ‘escape from problems’
and ‘loss of control’ presented with markedly higher scores and
could be flagged as potential risk areas. Furthermore, association
statistics indicated a statistically significant difference of some
constructs with regard to gender and the romantic relationship
status of respondents, which could be considered in the provision
of student support services. The development and evaluation of
evidence-based interventions for the prevention, treatment and
management of PIU are recommended.
Description
Keywords
Internet use, Problematic internet use, Internet addiction, Student, Young adult, Tertiary institution, Student support services
Citation
Geyer, L. S., Hall, H., Le Roux, M. P., & Crafford, G. 2017. Internet use among university students: a reason for concern?. Perspectives in Education, 35(1), 66-80.