The Role of Internet Usage in Shaping Psychological Well-Being: A Comparative Study of Internet-Addicted and Non-Addicted Undergraduates

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia.

2 School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, 11800, Penang, Malaysia; Department of Information Technology & Management, Daffodil International University, Birulia, Bangladesh; Department of Management, Sunway Business School (SBS), 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; University Center for Research & Development (UCRD), Chandigarh University, 140413, Punjab, India; Faculty of Business, Sohar University, P.C 311, Sohar, Oman; School of Business, The University of Jordan (UJ), Amman, 11942 Jordan; Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok City, West Java, 16424, Indonesia; Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), Technology Park, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

3 School of Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia.

4 Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.

Abstract

This study explores the psychological impact of Internet addiction, comparing the functioning of Internet-addicted individuals to their non-addicted counterparts. A survey of 175 undergraduates from a Malaysian public university assessed their perceptions of 18 statements reflecting key facets of psychological well-being, including autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relationships, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Significant differences were observed in 14 out of 18 statements, with small to medium effect sizes, indicating meaningful disparities between the two groups. The findings suggest that Internet-addicted individuals are more likely to experience challenges in psychological well-being, often turning to the Internet as a coping mechanism for dissatisfaction or unhappiness. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions in the realm of information technology to promote healthier Internet use and address its psychological effects.

Keywords

References

Ahmadi K, Saghafi A. (2013). Psychosocial profile of Iranian adolescents’ Internet addiction. Cyber Psychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 16, 543-8.
Akin A. (2012). The relationships between Internet addiction, subjective vitality, and subjective happiness. CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 15, 404-10.
Armstrong L, Phillips J, Saling L. (2000). Potential determinants of heavier Internet usage. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 53, 537-50.
Caplan, S. E. (2002). Problematic internet use and psychosocial well-being: Development of a theory-based cognitive–behavioral measurement instrument. Computers in Human Behavior, 18(5), 553–575.
Chou, C., & Hsiao, M. (2000). Internet addiction, usage, gratification, and pleasure experience: The Taiwan college students’ case. Computers in Human Behavior, 16(5), 485–502.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ehrenberg A, Juckes S, White KM, Walsh SP. (2008). Personality and self-esteem as predictors of young people’s technology use. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11, 739-41.
Fuchs, C., et al. (2019). Social media use and self-esteem: The influence of social comparison on the psychological well-being of young adults. Journal of Media Psychology, 31(4), 168-178.
Ghassemzadeh L, Shahraray M, Moradi A. (2008). Prevalence of Internet addiction and comparison of Internet addicts and non-addicts in Iranian high schools. CyberPsychology & Behavior,11, 731-3.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariate data analysis (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Huang, H. M., & Leung, L. (2009). Internet addiction and psychological well-being: The role of social support. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12(3), 277–284.
Huang C. (2010). Internet use and psychological well-being: a meta-analysis. CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13, 241-9.
Kardefelt-Winther D. (2014). A conceptual and methodological critique of Internet addiction research: towards a model of compensatory Internet use. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 351-4.
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social networking sites and addiction: Ten lessons learned. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 311.
Kuss, D. J., et al. (2014). Internet addiction: A systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 10(4), 294-307.
Kim, J. H., et al. (2016). Internet addiction and mental health in college students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(3), 445-453.
Lee S. (2010). Analysis of college students’ online life-styles and their psychological profiles in South Korea. CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 13, 701-4.
Nadkarni A, Hofmann SG. (2012). Why do people use Facebook? Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 243-9.
Niemz K, Griffiths M, Banyard P. (2005). Prevalence of pathological Internet use among university students and correlations with self-esteem, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and disinhibition. CyberPsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 8, 562–70.
Pawlikowski, M., Altstötter-Gleich, C., & Brand, M. (2013). Validation and psychometric properties of a short version of Young’s Internet Addiction Test. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1212–1223.
Pew Research Center. (2019). The state of social media use.
Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2013). Can you connect with me now? How the presence of mobile communication technology influences face-to-face conversation quality. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(3), 391–410.
Ryff CD (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069-81.
Tsai HF, Cheng SH, Yeh TL, (2009). The risk factors of Internet addiction - a survey of university freshmen. Psychiatry Research, 167, 294–9.
Widyanto L, Griffiths M. (2006). ‘Internet addiction’: a critical review. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 4, 31–51.
Yeh Y-C, Ko H-C, Wu JY-W (2008). Gender differences in relationships of actual and virtual social support to Internet addiction mediated through depressive symptoms among college students in Taiwan. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11, 485-7.
Young, K. S. (1998). Internet addiction: The emergence of a new clinical disorder. Cyber Psychology & Behavior, 1(3), 237-244.Yen J, Ko C, Yen C, Wu H, Yang M. The comorbid psychiatric symptoms of Internet addiction: attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia, and hostility. Journal of Adolescent Health 2007; 41:93-8.
Young, K. S. (1998). Caught in the net: How to recognize the signs of Internet addiction—and a winning strategy for recovery. John Wiley & Sons.
Young KS, Rogers RC. (1998). the relationship between depression and Internet addiction. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1, 25–8.
 
Journal of Information Technology Management
Volume 17, Issue 2
2025
Pages 1-12

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics