deepesh psychology internet addiction mental health

Project work

Topic:

“Effect of Internet Addiction on Mental Health”

Submitted By: Submitted to:

Deepesh Shukla Dr. Anuradha Kotnala

B.Sc. Vsem

Senior Lecturer

Deptt. of Psychology

Department of Psychology

Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya

Gayatrikunj, Shantikunj

Hardwar (UK)

I n t e r n e t A d d i c t i o n | - 2 -

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I’m heartily indebted. To PARAM PUJYA GURUDEV and

VANDANIYA MATAJI for their subtle blessings on me. I express

my respect and gratitude to our respected Chancellor Dr. Pranav

Pandya ji and our dear Shaill JiJi.

I would especially pay my cordial gratitude to my Guide Dr.

Anuradha Kotnala who had been guiding me through out this project

work. I’m deeply indebted to Head and Staffs of Dept of Psychology

who continuously guided and encouraged me and gave their

incalculable suggestions for initiating this project.

I would like to thank my friends and subjects who have always

supported me and co-operated in the conduction of the project work. I

thank to all and express my deep sense of gratitude towards them. I

would like to acknowledge DSVV for providing me the time and

opportunity to Study “The Effect of Internet Addiction on Mental

Health of Adolescents.”

DATE:24/10/2011 Deepesh Shukla

B.Sc. 5th

SEM

[email protected]


Need of Study

Literature Review

Problem

Hypothesis

Chapter- I Introduction


Need of Study:

Original motivation

My interest in this particular field of the human-computer interaction

was stimulated when observing student colleagues using the Internet

(Google, Yahoo, WWW, email). I was wondering if heavy use of the

Internet could lead to addictive behaviour and loss of Mental Health.

During my lectures in the last semester I got interested in the method

of doing statistic evaluation with questionnaires and I wanted to

evaluate, if there are people who show signs of Internet addictive

behaviour and loss of Mental Health and how it differs from general

Internet behaviour.

As the usage of the Internet is growing rapidly each year, Internet

addiction has become a problem among some users. There is an

emerging public health concern over the increase in Internet usage,

particularly among adolescents. Research has demonstrated that

excessive Internet use has substantial negative effects on

psychological, emotional and social aspects of an individual’s well-

being and mental health. In regards to human development and

behavior, the Internet is important to adolescents and is a means for

socializing, education, information access, entertainment, shopping

and communication. Given that so many adolescents are reliant on the

Internet in several areas in their life, it is vital to be aware of the

impact that Internet use has on adolescent behavior, mental health and

well-being.

Internet addiction is a contemporary problem brought about by easy

access to computers and online information. Individuals addicted to

the Internet can develop many types of disorders. In extreme cases,

persons addicted to the Internet may be destructive to themselves,

their families, and their place of employment. Corporate executives

need to have a better understanding of Internet addiction because

employees with Internet addiction can be highly counter- productive

as well as cause other legal problems. This study examines research

trends in the area of Internet addiction and Mental health. It provides

management implications for policy development and planning.


Specifically, this study identifies the leading researchers, institutions,

specialization, and information dissemination outlets for Internet

addiction research in the last quarter of the lOth

Century to the present.

This study should be of interest to educators at academic institutions,

students interested in institutions offering Internet addiction courses

and programs, and researchers specializing in online addiction

studies. Clinical psychologists, behavioral counselors, psychiatrists,

clergy, and addiction therapists will find the results of this study

useful. In particular, corporate attorneys dealing with addiction cases,

human resource specialists seeking rehabilitation facilities for

addicted employees, health related policy makers, computing

consultants, and risk assessors of insurance companies will find the

results of this study to be valuable.

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is a modern day addiction. Persons

with IAD can exhibit symptoms, suffer drawbacks, and face

consequences that are similar to individuals addicted to alcohol,

gambling, narcotics, shopping, and other compulsive behaviors. One

way to describe persons infected with this disorder is that they find

the virtual environment to be more attractive than everyday reality.

Their daily lives are dominated with their need to be online. Sadly,

this addiction is affecting millions of People and their families in

every aspect of their life. The primary areas affected include school,

family, work and relationships (Young 998).

As early as in 1976, the year after the Internet came into being, the

American Psychological Association (APA) had anticipated that the

Internet would potentially lead to addictive behavior among users.

The psychology community was asked to develop policy guidelines

for counseling persons who may become addicted to the Internet

(APA 1976). Compared to other known forms of addictions such as

gambling and alcohol, public awareness about Internet addiction is

still in its stage of infancy. However, a number of specialists have

studied the Internet addiction problem and have offered a number of

definitions and reasons for the behavior.

First, Internet addiction can be defined as an impulse disorder. Some

of the characteristics of this problem are similar to those of

pathological gambling. For instance, Orzack conducted a study in

1999. She found that people who are susceptible to Internet addiction


are people who are easily bored, lonely, shy, depressed and suffering

from other addictions (Orzack 1999). Orzack's findings are not new.

A year earlier, Young had identified seven other reasons to this list

and had actually called the problem Internet Addiction

Disorder(IAD). The remaining seven reasons are marital discontent,

work related stress, financial problems, insecurity, anxiety, struggle in

life, and limited social life (Young 1998). As an impulsive disorder,

there are two major types of treatments that are available to help

persons who may be Internet addicted. The treatments are cognitive

behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational enhancement therapy

(MET). CBT is found to be more popular than MET (Onack 1999).

Second, it can be viewed as a psychiatric disorder. Based on this point

of view, a new field of research called "Internet Psychotherapy" has

emerged (Stein 1997). This view recognizes Internet addicts as

patients. The suggested method of treatment involves the formation of

newsgroups and discussion groups. In this form of treatment,

members of relevant psychiatric disorders act as a support group to

reduce Internet addiction by giving online suggestions and treatment

procedures (Huang; Alessi 1997).

Third, Internet addiction is a behavioral problem. This is because

there is a strong correlation between persons involved with Internet

addiction and chemical dependency. Studies have confirmed that

people who are having chemical dependency problems tend to spend

more time per week online chatting than the "non chemical

dependent" users (Scherer 1997).

Review of Literature

1. In the Stanford study (2009) - Aboujaoude, clinical assistant professor

in psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of Stanford’s

Impulse Control Disorders Clinic said is the first large-scale, random-

sample epidemiological one ever done—the researchers conducted a

nationwide household survey and interviewed 2,513 adults. Because

no generally accepted screening instrument exists for problematic

Internet use, the researchers developed their questions by

extrapolating from other compulsive and addictive conditions.


The researchers found that 68.9 percent were regular Internet

users, which is consistent with previous studies, and that:

13.7 percent (more than one out of eight respondents) found it

hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time

12.4 percent stayed online longer than intended very often or

often

12.3 percent had seen a need to cut back on Internet use at some

point

8.7 percent attempted to conceal non-essential Internet use from

family, friends and employers

8.2 percent used the Internet as a way to escape problems or

relieve negative mood

5.9 percent felt their relationships suffered as a result of

excessive Internet use

Aboujaoude said he found most concerning the numbers of people

who hid their nonessential Internet use or used the Internet to escape a

negative mood, much in the same way that alcoholics might. “In a

sense, they’re using the Internet to ‘self-medicate,’” he said. “And

obviously something is wrong when people go out of their way to

hide their Internet activity.”

While the numbers indicate that a subset of people might have a

problem with Internet use, Aboujaoude stressed that it’s premature to

say whether people in the sample actually have a clinical disorder.

“We’re not saying this is a diagnosis—we still need to learn a lot

more,” he said. “But this study was a necessary first step toward

possibly identifying something clinically significant.”

Aboujaoude said the next step is to conduct comprehensive clinical

interviews on a large sample of people to better identify clinically

relevant markers for problematic Internet use, and to better

understand whether this phenomenon constitutes an independent

psychological disorder.

2. On October 2007, a Sun-Herald (Sydney) article referred to

Facebook as ‘Stalkbook’ and ‘Crackbook’ (Dasey 2007). Not only

did the article state the claim that Facebook ‘enables people to


monitor and track what you are doing without you being aware of it’,

but also claimed that people ‘find it addictive and spend endless

hours trawling the site’.

3. More recently, Shapira, Lessig, Goldsmith, Szabo, Lazoritz, Gold,

and Stein (2003) proposed a revised classification and diagnostic

criteria for problematic Internet use. Furthermore, Black, Belsare and

Schlosser (1999) pointed out that Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD)

seemed to have high comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders.

Because of this, the criteria need to be unique so that it can evaluate

the validity of Internet abuse as a distinct disorder. Shapira et al.

discussed the concept of ‘positive addiction’ (Glasser, 1976).

However, the concept has been questioned, as the criteria for positive

addiction do not resemble many of the components of more

established addictions, such as tolerance and withdrawal (Griffiths,

1996b). Moreover, in terms of Internet dependency, negative

consequences have been reported along with the amount of time spent

online.

Internet dependency has most commonly been conceptualized as a

behavioural addiction, which operates on a modified principle of

classic addiction models, but the validity and clinical usefulness of

such claims have also been questioned.

4. Similarly, Rotunda, Kass, Sutton and Leon (2003) utilized an

instrument they simply called the Internet Use Survey. It contained

three formal components that explored: a) Demographic data and

Internet usage, b) the negative consequences and experience

associated with Internet use, and c) personal history and

psychological characteristics of participants. Components b) and c)

included several items from DSM-IV criteria for pathological

gambling, substance use dependence, and particular personality

disorder (e.g., schizoid). Their sample consisted of 393 students,

53.6% females (n = 210) and 46.4% males (n = 182). The age range

was between 18 and 81 years old, with a mean of 27.6 years. The

average use was 3.3 h a day with 1 h for personal usage. The most

common usage was e-mail, surfing the web for information and

news, and chat rooms. The negative consequences included 18% of

participants reporting preoccupation with the Internet, 25%

sometimes feeling excited or euphoric when online, 34% admitted to


going online to escape other problems to some degree, and 22.6%

reported socializing online more than in person. Staying online

longer than planned and losing track of time were also found to be

common reports.

Factor analysis revealed four main factors. The first was labeled ‘ab-

sorption’’(i.e., over-involvement with the Internet, time management

failure), the second ‘negative consequences’ (i.e., distress or

problematic behaviour such as preferring to be online than spending

time with the family), the third “sleep”(i.e., sleep pattern disruption

like scheduling sleep around online time), and finally “deception”

(i.e., lying to others online about identity, or how long they spend

online”). Internet-related impairment was conceptualized based on

user absorption and negative consequences instead of frequency of

usage. The authors concluded by stating that to assume frequent

Internet use was excessive, pathological or addictive was potentially

misleading as it ignored contextual and dispositional factors

associated with this behaviour.

5. Dr. Young (2001) gathered around 400 case studies, as well as a

number of family members and relatives living with net addicts, and

presented her results at the American Psychological Association

Conference.

Common warning signs (in the following abbreviated as Young)

according to Young are:

1. Compulsively checking your email.

2. Always anticipating your next Internet session.

3. Others complaining that you're spending too much time

online.

4. Others complaining that you're spending too much money

online.

6. Greenfield (1999) estimated that six percent of the Web users are

addicted to the Internet. This study was patterned after theories on

compulsive behavior.


7. Kraat (1999) surveyed 169 people from 73 Pittsburgh households

before and after one or two years of Internet usage. He reported that

teenagers who withdrew from social contacts were using the Internet

as an escape from reality.

8. In a much bigger study—the Virtual Addiction Survey (VAS)—

Greenfield (1999) conducted an online survey with 17,251

respondents. The sample was mainly Caucasian (82%), male (71%),

with a mean age of 33 years. The VAS included demographic items

(e.g., age, location, educational background, etc.), descriptive

information items (e.g., frequency and duration of use, specific

Internet usage, etc.), and clinical items (e.g., disinhibition, loss of

time, behaviour online). It also included ten modified items from

DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling. Approximately 6% of

respondents met the criteria for addicted Internet usage patterns.

Tentative post hoc analysis proposed several variables that made the

Internet attractive:

intense intimacy (41% total sample, 75% dependents),

disinhibition (43% total sample, 80% dependents),

loss of boundaries (39% total sample, 83% dependents),

timelessness (most of the sample replied ‘sometimes,’ most of

the dependents replied ‘almost always’),

out of control (8% total sample, 46% dependents).

One of the additional areas that was examined was whether

‘Internet addiction’ shared the same characteristics as other forms of

addiction, including substance-based addictions. Early analysis

revealed numerous symptoms, which Greenfield viewed as being

consistent with the concept of tolerance and withdrawal in

dependents, including pre-occupation with going online (58%),

numerous unsuccessful attempts to cut back (68%), and feeling

restless when attempting to cut back (79%). Despite the large sample

size, only a very preliminary analysis was conducted. Therefore,

results should be interpreted with caution.

9. Pratarelli, Browne and Johnson (1999)- Another attempt at

formulating a set of diagnostic criteria for ‘Internet addiction’ was

made by them. Factor analysis was employed in this research to


examine possible constructs underlying ‘computer/Internet addiction.’

There were 341 completed surveys with 163 male and 178 female

participants (mean age of 22.8 years) recruited from Oklahoma State

University. A questionnaire consisting of 93 items was constructed,

19 of which were categorical demographic and Internet use questions,

and 74 dichotomous items. Four factors were extracted from the 93

items, two principal and two minor factors.

Factor one focused on problematic computer-related behaviours in

heavy-users of the Internet. This factor was characterized by

reports of loneliness, social isolation, missing appointments and

other general negative consequences of their Internet use.

Factor Two focused on the utilization and usefulness of computer

technology in general and of the Internet in particular.

Factor Three focused on two different constructs that concerned the

use of the Internet for sexual gratification and shyness/introversion.

Factor Four focused on the lack of problems related to Internet use

coupled with mild aversion/disinterest in the technology.

The data collected in this study supported the idea that a mixture of

obsessive-like characteristics were present in some individuals in

terms of their Internet use and that they prefer online interactions

rather than face-to-face. Although this study utilized a more

statistically tested instrument in measuring ‘Internet addiction,’ some

of the factors extracted did not seem to indicate components of

addiction in general.

10. Dr. Mark Griffiths (1998), a psychologist at the University of

Plymouth in England, studied "Internet addiction" in more depth. He

says that of 100 people who responded to a question about the

overuse of on-line services, 22 reported a cocaine-like "rush" and 12

said computer chat lines helped them to relax. He believes that new

technology is an addiction, which has behavior patterns like gambling

or overeating.

11. Young (1998) conducted a study about usage patterns and

online addiction on 496 responses from Internet users. Eighty percent

of the self identified addicted persons had 38 hours of online per week


for non- office purposes.

12. Anderson (1997) studied the effect of Internet addiction on

college students. In a study of 1,200 undergraduates, he found out that

one third of them had academic problems traceable to heavy Internet

usage.

13. Brenner (1997) devised an instrument called the Internet-

Related Addictive Behaviour Inventory (IRABI), consisting of 32

dichotomous (true/false) items. These items were designed to assess

experiences comparable to those related to Substance Abuse in the

DSM-IV. Of the 563 respondents, the majority were male (73%) and

they used the Internet for (a mean average) of 19 h per week. All 32

items seemed to measure some unique variance as they were all found

to be moderately correlated with the total score. Older users tended to

experience less problems compared to younger users despite spending

the same amount of time online. No gender differences were reported.

The data appeared to suggest that a number of users experienced more

problems in role-performance because of their Internet usage. Brenner

concluded that the skewed distribution was consistent with the

existence of a deviant subgroup who experience more severe

problems due to Internet use. He also claimed there was evidence of

tolerance, withdrawal, and craving. The major limitation to the study

was that it was not clear whether items in the IRABI really tapped

into behaviours that indicated real signs of addiction (Griffiths, 1998).

14. In a study, Lam and colleagues (1997) examined an adolescent

sample of 1618 high school students aged 13-18 years. The authors

investigated the association between Internet addiction and self-

injurious behaviors. The outcomes revealed that the odds ratio for

adolescents with self-injurious behaviors was 2.0 (95% CI: 1.1-3.7)

for those who were classified as moderately and severely addicted to

the Internet when compared with a normal group.


Research Problem

“I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who” (Kipling, 1902/1988, p. 3)

A research problem is the situation that causes the researcher to

feel apprehensive, confused and ill at ease. It is the demarcation of a

problem area within a certain context involving the WHO or WHAT,

the WHERE, the WHEN and the WHY of the problem situation.

There are many problem situations that may give rise to research.

Three sources usually contribute to problem identification. Own

experience or the experience of others may be a source of problem

supply. A second source could be scientific literature. You may read

about certain findings and notice that a certain field was not covered.

This could lead to a research problem. Theories could be a third

source. Shortcomings in theories could be researched.

Research can thus be aimed at clarifying or substantiating an existing

theory, at clarifying contradictory findings, at correcting a faulty

methodology, at correcting the inadequate or unsuitable use of

statistical techniques, at reconciling conflicting opinions, or at solving

existing practical problems.


Figure 1 illustrates this interrelatedness by providing a conceptual

map of the problem-based research cycle indicating the centrality of

the research problem for the research endeavor. The next few sections

examine the relationships between the problem driving the research

and the other aspects of the endeavor.

Definitions of Problem

According to Kerlinger – A problem is an interrogative sentence or

statement that asks what relations exist between two or more

variables.

According to Townsend - A problem is a question proposed for

solution.

According to Mc Guin – A solvable problem is one that poses a

question which is related to our inadequate knowledge and through

experimentation we search solution or answer.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

The prospective researcher should think on what caused the need to

do the research (problem identification). The question that he/she

should ask is: Are there questions about this problem to which

answers have not been found up to the present?

Research originates from a need that arises. A clear distinction

between the PROBLEM and the PURPOSE should be made. The

problem is the aspect the researcher worries about, thinks about, and

wants to find a solution for. The purpose is to solve the problem, i.e.

find answers to the question(s). If there is no clear problem

formulation, the purpose and methods are meaningless.


We should keep the following in mind:

Outline the general context of the problem area.

Highlight key theories, concepts and ideas current in this area.

What appear to be some of the underlying assumptions of this

area?

Why are these issues identified important?

What needs to be solved?

Read round the area (subject) to get to know the background and

to identify unanswered questions or controversies, and/or to

identify the most significant issues for further exploration.

The research problem should be stated in such a way that it would

lead to analytical thinking on the part of the researcher with the aim of

possible concluding solutions to the stated problem. Research

problems can be stated in the form of either questions or statements.

The research problem should always be formulated

grammatically correct and as completely as possible. You

should bear in mind the wording (expressions) you use. Avoid

meaningless words. There should be no doubt in the mind of

the reader what your intentions are.

Demarcating the research field into manageable parts by

dividing the main problem into sub problems is of the utmost

importance.


PROBLEM OF DISSERTATION

Purpose of this dissertation is to find out that in this century people

are really getting addicted to Internet and this addiction to Internet is

making them mentally ill or not.

Problem:

“Does Internet Addiction Effects Mental Health.”

Variables of the Study:

Independent Variable - Internet Addiction

Dependent Variable - Mental Health


Formation of Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship

between two or more variables. A hypothesis is a specific, testable

prediction about what you expect to happen in your study. For

example, a study designed to look at the relationship between sleep

deprivation and test performance might have a hypothesis that states,

"This study is designed to assess the hypothesis that sleep deprived

people will perform worse on a test than individuals who are not sleep

deprived."

Unless you are creating a study that is exploratory in nature, your

hypothesis should always explain what you expect to happen during

the course of your experiment or research.

Remember, a hypothesis does not have to be right. While the

hypothesis predicts what the researchers expect to see, the goal of

research is to determine whether this guess is right or wrong. When

conducting an experiment, researchers might explore a number of

different factors to determine which ones might contribute to the

ultimate outcome.

In many cases, researchers may find that the results of an

experiment do not support the original hypothesis. When writing up

these results, the researchers might suggest other options that should

be explored in future studies.

Definitions of Hypothesis:

A testable statement of a potential relationship between two or more

variables is called hypothesis -Mcguin: Experimental psychology, 1990,p,27

A hypothesis is a conjectural statement of the relationship

between two or more variables. Hypothesis are always in declarative


sentence from and they relate either generally or specifically variables

to variables. -kerlinger: foundation of behavioral Research, 1986,p, 17

A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between

two or more variables. -General definition

A hypothesis is an assumption that serves as a tentative explanation

-Chaplin 1975

A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect

to happen in your study. - -General definition

Types of Hypothesis:

Hypotheses can be classified in terms of their derivation (inductive

and deductive hypotheses) and in terms of their formulation (research

- directional and non-directional and statistical or null hypotheses).

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS (Directional)

It is a relationship between variables and indicates the nature of the

relationship.

If A is valid, B follows...

If you hit a child with a chain, he/she will cry.

Schools in which pupil-teacher relations are open/friendly will have

less unrest than comparable schools where pupil-teacher relations are

closed/tense.


Some examples of directional hypothesis are:

(1) It is hypothesized that the co-educated students are

more interactive and smarter than the non co-educated

students. (In this example ' interactive and smarter than'

shows the direction predicted)

(2) It is hypothesized that students who have firm career

goals achieve higher GPAs than those who do

not have firm career goals.

(3) Girls perform better than boys (in this example 'better

than' shows the direction predicted)

NULL HYPOTHESIS

"You are wrong, there is no relation; disprove me if you can"

(Kerlinger, 1973)

The null hypothesis is the belief that the independent variable in an

experiment will have no effect on the dependent variable.

There is no difference between pupil-teacher relations in unrest

schools and pupil-teacher relations in comparable schools which

experience no unrest.

NB

An important requirement for hypotheses is TESTABILITY.

A condition for testability is CLEAR and UNAMBIGUOUS

CONCEPTS.

A research hypothesis (unempirical research) has to do with

relationships between empirical phenomena. The concepts in a

research hypothesis must posses single references (indicators) or

denotations to identifiable phenomena in reality.


A central theoretical thesis refers to hypotheses in more

theoretical studies.

Statement of the Hypothesis:

A Null hypothesis about the dissertation publication was formulated

for testing in this study. Hypothesis was used to determine if there

was any effect of Internet Addiction on Mental Health.

The hypothesis is as follows:

“There is no Significant effect of Internet

Addiction on Mental Health of Adolescents.”


Variables

In any Research work Variable plays a vital role. A variable is

something that can be changed, such as a characteristic or value.

Variables are generally used in psychology experiments to determine

if changes to one thing result in changes to another.

Any measurable attributes of objects, things or being is called

variables.

-D’Amato: experimental psychology, 1970, p-10

The Dependent and Independent Variables

The independent variable is the variable that is controlled and

manipulated by the experimenter. For example, in an experiment on

the impact of sleep deprivation on test performance, sleep

deprivation would be the independent variable.

The dependent variable is the variable that is measured by the

experimenter. In our previous example, the scores on the test

performance measure would be the dependent variable.

Extraneous and Confounding Variables

The independent and dependent variables are not the only variables

present in many experiments. In some cases, extraneous variables

may also play a role. This type of variable is one that may have an

impact on the relationship between the independent and dependent

variables.


There are two basic types of extraneous variables:

Participant Variables: These extraneous variables are related to

individual characteristics of each participant that may impact how

he or she responds. These factors can include background

differences, mood, anxiety, intelligence, awareness and other

characteristics that are unique to each person.

Situational Variables: These extraneous variables are related to

things in the environment that may impact how each participant

responds. For example, if a participant is taking a test in a chilly

room, the temperature would be considered an extraneous variable.

Some participants may not be affected by the cold, but others might

be distracted or annoyed by the temperature of the room.

In many cases, extraneous variables are controlled by the

experimenter. In the case of participant variables, the experiment

might select participants that are the same in background and

temperament to ensure that these factors do not interfere with the

results. If, however, a variable cannot be controlled for, it becomes

what is known as a confounding variable. This type of

variable can have an impact on the dependent variable, which can

make it difficult to determine if the results are due to the influence of

the independent variable, the confounding variable or an interaction

of the two.


Description of Independent Variable

Internet: It is a global network connecting millions of computers. It is

a network of networks that consists of millions of private, public,

academic, business, and government networks, of local to global

scope, that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and

optical networking technologies. The Internet carries a vast range

of information resources and services, such as the inter-

linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the

infrastructure to support electronic mail.

More than 100 countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and

opinions. Unlike online services, which are centrally controlled, the

Internet is decentralized by design. Each Internet computer, called

a host, is independent. Its operators can choose which Internet

services to use and which local services to make available to the

global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by design

works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the

Internet. Most online services, such as America Online, offer access

to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access through a

commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP).

History of Internet:

The Internet was the result of some visionary thinking by people in

the early 1960s who saw great potential value in allowing computers

to share information on research and development in scientific and

military fields. J.C.R. Licklider of MIT, first proposed a global

network of computers in 1962, and moved over to the Defense

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in late 1962 to head

the work to develop it. Leonard Kleinrock of MIT and later UCLA

developed the theory of packet switching, which was to form the basis

of Internet connections. Lawrence Roberts of MIT connected a

Massachusetts computer with a California computer in 1965 over

dial-up telephone lines. It showed the feasibility of wide area

networking, but also showed that the telephone line's circuit switching

was inadequate. Kleinrock's packet switching theory was confirmed.

Roberts moved over to DARPA in 1966 and developed his plan for


ARPANET. These visionaries and many more left unnamed here are

the real founders of the Internet. The early Internet was used by

computer experts, engineers, scientists, and librarians. There was

nothing friendly about it. There were no home or office personal

computers in those days, and anyone who used it, whether a computer

professional or an engineer or scientist or librarian, had to learn to use

a very complex system.

Addiction: I got your attention

World Health Organization (WHO) define it as:

Addiction, drug or alcohol. Repeated use of a psychoactive

substance or substances, to the extent that the user is periodically or

chronically intoxicated, shows a compulsion to take the preferred

substance, has great difficulty in voluntarily ceasing or modifying

substance use, and exhibits determination to obtain psychoactive

substances by almost any means. (WHO Lexicon, 1994)

The above definition specifically refers to the use of a psychoactive

substance (e.g. narcotics), that periodically or chronically intoxicates

the user. This form of addiction is in direct correlation with the

disease model of addiction (Jellinek, 1960; Parr, 1959; WHO, 2004),

but does not take into account the ‘behavioural’ aspect of addiction

(Alexander, 1985; Griffiths, 1996; Peele, 1975; West, 2006), which

doesn’t necessarily involve the ingestion of psychoactive substance or

intoxicate the user e.g. gambling (Griffiths, 1995). One definition that

does take into account the ‘behavioural’ side of addiction is Robert

West’s definition, a Professor of Health Psychology at the University

of London, who suggests that:

Addiction is a social construct, not an object that can be

uniquely defined. According to the proposed theory, addiction

can be usefully viewed as a chronic condition to the

‘motivational system’ in which reward-seeking behaviour has

become ‘out of control’. (West, 2006, pg.174)


The above definition refers directly to abnormalities within a person’s

‘motivational system’ which is related to specific personality traits

that may exist before addiction takes place such as a tendency to

become anxious or depressed. It also involves a habitual process that

incorporates the user’s social and physical surroundings.

In (Freeman, 92) is an article about addictive behaviors: Addiction is

defined by Bratter and Forest (1985) as a behavior pattern of

compulsive drug use characterized by overwhelming involvement ...

with the use of a drug and the securing of the supply, as well as a

tendency to relapse after completion of withdrawal". The authors state

that the difference between use and addiction is quantitative rather

than qualitative. Addiction is not determined in terms by quantity

alone, but more over, is additionally determined in terms of the effect

on the individual in his or her social context. The main difference

between abuse or problem use and addiction is in the context of the

life situation: Abuse or problem use: the person "must use", there is

an increasing involvement in a compulsive manner; uncontrollable

consequences occur but abuse continues nevertheless.

Addiction: the person "must no stop using"; overwhelming

involvement with a substance or a behaviour is carried compulsively

into the person's daily life. Day to day patterns or routines of living

are disrupted with use, with securing a supply and with a strong

tendency to relapse after completion of withdrawal.

There is no general model for addiction. There are three different

models for addiction described. The disease model focuses on

addiction as illness, the adaptive model looks at is as a way of coping

and the way of-life model emphasizes life-styles or roles.

Common signs of addiction include (following abbreviated as CSA):

1. Preoccupation with a substance, relationship or behaviour

2. A loss of control over the use of a substance or a pattern of

behaviour

3. Concerns expressed by others about the loss of control and the

effects


4. Continued, persistent use of a substance or involvement behaviour

in spite of negative consequences.

What is Internet Addiction?

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) or more broadly, Internet

overuse, problematic computer use or pathological computer use, is

excessive computer use that interferes with daily life. These terms

avoid the distracting and divisive term addiction and are not limited to

any single cause.

IAD was originally proposed as a disorder in a satirical hoax by Ivan

Goldberg, M.D., in 1995. He took pathological gambling as

diagnosed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (DSM-IV) as his model for the description of IAD. It is not,

however, included in the current DSM as of 2009. IAD receives

coverage in the press, and possible future classification as a

psychological disorder continues to be debated and researched.

Young (1999a,b) claims “Internet addiction” is a broad term that

covers a wide variety of behaviours and impulse control problems.

She claims this is categorized by five specific subtypes:

Cybersexual addiction: Compulsive use of adult websites for

cybersex and cyberporn.

Cyber-relationship addiction: Over-involvement in online

relationships.

Net compulsions: Obsessive online gambling, shopping or day-

trading.

Information overload: Compulsive web surfing or database

searches.

Computer addiction: Obsessive computer game playing (e.g.,

Doom, Myst, Solitaire etc.).


However, Griffiths (2000a) has argued that many of these excessive

users are not “Internet addicts” but just use the Internet excessively as

a medium to fuel other addictions.

Since Internet Addiction is often compared to compulsive gambling

the criteria of compulsive gambling similar with other addictions are

listed to: Compulsive gambling (Freeman, 92, (p212-224)):

Similarities with other addictions include (in the following

abbreviated as CSG):

1. Preoccupation with the abusing behaviour,

2. Abusing larger amounts over longer periods of time

than intended,

3. The need to increase the behavior to achieve the

desired effect,

4. Repeated efforts to cut down or stop the behavior,

5. Social or occupational activity given up for the

behavior, and

6. Continuation of the behavior despite social,

occupational or legal problems.

According to Maressa Orzack, director of the Computer Addiction

Study Center at Harvard University's McLean Hospital, between 5%

and 10% of Web surfers suffer some form of Web dependency.

Another supporter, Jeremy Greenfield, Ph.D. of the Center for

Internet Behavior conducted a study with ABC News.com in 1999

and is author of Virtual Addiction. He believes that some services

available over the Internet have unique psychological properties


which induce dissociation, time distortion, and instant gratification,

with about 6% of individuals experiencing some significant impact on

their lives. However, he says it may not best be seen as an addiction

but rather as a compulsion. Greenfield claims that sex, gaming,

gambling, and shopping online can produce a mood-altering effect.

According to the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery (whose

director is Kimberly S. Young, a researcher who has lobbied for the

recognition of net abuse as a distinct clinical disorder), "Internet

addicts suffer from emotional problems such as depression and

anxiety-related disorders and often use the fantasy world of the

Internet to psychologically escape unpleasant feelings or stressful

situations." Over 60% of people seeking treatment for IAD claim

involvement with sexual activities online which they consider

inappropriate, such as excessive attention to pornography or

involvement in explicit sexual conversations online. More than half

are also addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or sex.

In 2008 Jerald J. Block, M.D., Hilarie Cash, PhD, Kim McDaniel

MA, argued that Internet addiction should be included as a disorder in

the DSM-V. Block observed that diagnosis was complicated because

86% of study subjects showing IA symptoms also exhibited other

diagnosable mental health disorders. A 2009 study suggested that

brain structural changes were present in those classified by the

researchers as Internet addicted, similar to those classified as

chemically addicted.

In his essay Internet Addiction: Does it Really Exist? Mark Griffiths

states that “the way of determining whether nonchemical (i.e.,

behavioral) addictions are addictive in a no metaphorical sense is to

compare them against clinical criteria for other established drug-

ingested addictions”, and although his data is dated, and may no

longer represent average internet use accurately, Griffiths comes to

the conclusion that the internet does meet that criteria for addiction in

a small number of users.


Scientists have found that compulsive internet use can produce

morphological changes in the structure of the brain. A study which

analyzed Chinese college students who used the around 10 hours a

day, 6 days a week, found reductions in the sizes of the dorsolateral

prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, supplementary

motor area and parts of the cerebellum as high as 10-20%. On the

other hand, increases in the density of the right parahippocampal

gyrus and a spot called the left posterior limb of the internal capsule

were also found. It has been theorized that these changes reflect

learning-type cognitive optimizations for using computers more

efficiently, but also impaired short-term memory and decision-making

abilities—including ones in which may contribute to the desire to stay

online instead of be in the real world.

Description of Dependent Variable

Mental Health: There is no health without mental health

Mental health it is all about how we think, feel and behave.

Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-

being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the

discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include

an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life

activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Mental

health is an expression of emotions and signifies a successful

adaptation to a range of demands.

Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or

indirectly related to the mental well-being component included in the

WHO’s (World Health Organization) definition of health: "A state of

complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the

absence of disease". It is related to the promotion of well-being, the

prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of

people affected by mental disorders.


Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. It is defined

as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her

own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work

productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her

or his community.

In most countries, particularly low- and middle-income countries,

mental health services are severely short of resources - both human

and financial. Of the health care resources available, most are

currently spent on the specialized treatment and care of the people

with mental illness, and to a lesser extent on an integrated mental

health system. Instead of providing care in large psychiatric hospitals,

countries should integrate mental health into primary health care,

provide mental health care in general hospitals and develop

community-based mental health services.

Approximately 25% of people in the UK have a mental health

problem during their lives. The USA is said to have the highest

incidence of people diagnosed with mental health problems in the

developed world. Your mental health can affect your daily life,

relationships and even your physical health. Mental health also

includes a person's ability to enjoy life - to attain a balance between

life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, mental health

is "emotional, behavioral, and social maturity or normality; the

absence of a mental or behavioral disorder; a state of psychological

well-being in which one has achieved a satisfactory integration of

one's instinctual drives acceptable to both oneself and one's social

milieu; an appropriate balance of love, work, and leisure

pursuits".

According to WHO (World Health Organization), mental health is "a

state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own

abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work

productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his

or her community". WHO stresses that mental health "is not just the

absence of mental disorder".


WHO explains that especially in low- and middle-income countries,

mental health services are very underfunded - both human and

financial. Most resources are channeled into treating and caring for

mentally ill patients, rather than on any integrated mental health

system. Countries should integrate mental health into primary health

care (general practice), provide mental health care in general

hospitals, and improve community-based mental health services,

rather than just providing care in large psychiatric hospitals.

The importance of maintaining a good mental health is crucial to

living a long and healthy life. Mental health when good can enhance,

when poor prevent, someone from living a normal life. According to

Richards, Campania, & Muse-Burke (2010) “There is growing

evidence that is showing emotional abilities are associated with

prosocial behaviors such as stress management and physical health”

(2010). It was also concluded in their research that people who lack

emotional expression lead to misfit behaviors. These behaviors are a

direct reflection of their mental health. Self- destructive acts may take

place to suppress emotions. Some of these acts

include drug and alcohol abuse, physical fights or vandalism. Also

without emotional support, mental health is at risk. According to a

study done by Strine, Chapman, Balluz, and, Mokdad, “Inadequate

social and emotional support is a major barrier to health relevant to

the practice of psychiatry and medicine, because it is associated with

adverse health behaviors, dissatisfaction with life, and

disability” (2008, p. 154).

By receiving emotional support your health can increase and prevent

mental health disorders. Support systems are a valuable asset and

those whom do not have social and emotional support are more likely

to lead to disorders. This support can lead to “an increase

personal competence, perceived control, sense of stability, and

recognition of self- worth and can have a positive effect on quality of

life”(Strine, Chapman, Balluz & Mokdad, 2008).


Definitions of Mental Health:

1. Mental health is defined as the successful performance of

mental functions resulting in productive activities, satisfactory

relationship, the ability to adopt the change and can cope with

adversities from childhood to hate life.

2. According to Strange: Abnormal Psychology, 1965 – “mental

health is no more than a description of learned behaviour that is

socially adoptive & allows the person to cope adequately with

life.”

3. “Mental health includes a number of dimensions: self esteem,

realization of one’s potential, the ability to maintain meaningful

relationship & psychological well being.” – Horwitz & scheid :

Handbook for the study of Mental Health, 1999

4. “Mental health is the adjustment of human beings to the world

& to each other with a maximum effectiveness and happiness. It

is the ability to maintain an even temper an alert intelligence,

socially considerate behaviour & a happy disposation”- Kart

Menninger : the Human Mind, 1945

Characteristics of Mental health:

1. Self Realization

2. Adjustment

3. Productive activities

4. Happiness

5. Self esteem

6. Clear life Goal

7. Clear Philosophy of Life

8. Emotional stability, Maturity

9. Integrated Personality

10. Satisfactory Relationship

11. Autonomy

12. Good physical health


Characteristics of Mental Health:

Self Realization –

Mentally healthy person has confidence in his judgment and abilities

and view setback as problems to be solved rather than an occasion for

the display of anger and emotional outburst.

Adjustment –

Man is a social animal he is born & bought up in a society. In

the process of social adjustment normal reaction to feeling appears to

be essential for mental health.

Productive Activities –

The main goal of mental health is to provide opportunity to the

individuals to develop his potential to the maximum so that he can be

able to do productive activities.

Happiness –

Happiness means that the goal of mental health is to develop a

positive attitude towards life and work so that individual may lead an

efficient life by utilizing maximally his potential abilities.

Self Esteem –

Feeling of self esteem is important in mental health. A person

must be able to accept himself as a person of worth and to give

himself respect.

Sense of Responsibility- The person who is mentally healthy has a

sense of responsibility and is sensitive to the needs of others and

attempts to satisfy those needs for the welfare of others.

Clear life Goal – Mentally healthy individual has a clear concept of his life goals.

He directs his efforts, energy and creativeness towards the attainment

of these goals.

Clear Philosophy of Life- A well adjusted person has a sound

philosophy of life. He lives in the world with the sense of active


social participation & commitment. Life is worth living it has a

meaning..

Satisfactory Relationship – Harry stack Sullivan defined a human being as the totality of his

real and imagined relationships. Satisfactory social intercourse is a

prerequisite not only for a person’s mental health but also for his very

humanity. A mentally healthy person is the one who has good social

relations.

Good Physical Health –

As the proverb goes a sound mind can only exist in a sound

body. Psychology emphasizes that the physical health of the organism

is important in its adaptation to & survival in the world.

Integrated Personality – Integration means a balance of psychic forces

of the individual a unifying outlook on life and resistance of stress.

Autonomy –

A mentally healthy person can take his own decision and

regulate from within & independently.

The intrinsic value of mental health

Mental health contributes to all aspects of human life. It has both

material and immaterial, or intrinsic, values: for the individual,

society, and culture. Mental health has a reciprocal relationship with

the well-being and productivity of a society and its members. Its value

can be considered in several related ways:

Mental health is essential for the well-being and functioning of

individuals.

Good mental health is an important resource for individuals,

families, communities, and nations.

Mental health, as an indivisible part of general health,

contributes to the functions of society, and has an effect on

overall productivity.


Mental health concerns everyone as it is generated in our

everyday lives in homes, schools, workplaces, and in leisure

activities.

Positive mental health contributes to the social, human, and

economic capital of every society.

Spirituality can make a significant contribution to mental health

promotion and mental health influences spiritual life (see

Underwood-Gordon 1999).

Mental health can be regarded as an individual resource,

contributing to the individual’s quality of life, and can be increased or

diminished by the actions of society. An aspect of good mental health

is the capacity for mutually satisfying and enduring relationships.

There is growing evidence that social cohesion is critical for the

economic prospering of communities and this relationship appears to

be reciprocal.


SAMPLE AND SAMPLING

TYPES OF SAMPLING

i. PROBABILITY SAMPLING

Simple random sampling

Systematic sampling

Stratified sampling

Cluster sampling/one-stage

ii. NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING

Quota sampling

Judgment sampling / purposive sampling

Snowball sampling

Tools

Chapter- 2


Sample:

“Traditionally, the sample is always better than the stock you

deliver to the store.”

Calvin Klein

While conducting a survey, it is very difficult to study the whole

universe of problem because it is both costly, time consuming and

complex as well as financially not viable. It is convenient to pick

up a sample out of the universe proposed to be covered by the study.

But the sample should be representing the universe as a whole.

Sampling is a method to make social and several techniques have

been developed or pickup some representative sample of the whole

universe. It is a portion of scope drawn form a larger population.

Sample is a subset of a population. A random sample is a subset

where every item in the population has the same probability of being

in the sample. Usually, the size of the sample is much less than the

size of the population. The primary goal of much research is to use

information collected from a sample to try to characterize a certain

population. As such, you should pay a lot of attention to how

representative the sample is of the population. If there are

problems, with representativeness, consider redefining your

population a bit more narrowly. For example, a sample of 85 smokers

between the ages of 13 and 18 in Rochester, Minnesota who respond

to an advertisement about participation in a smoking cessation

program might not be considered representative of the population of

all teenage smokers, because the participants selected themselves. The

sample might be more representative if we restrict our population to

those teenage smokers who want to quit.

Researchers usually cannot make direct observations of every

individual in the population they are studying. Instead, they collect

data from a subset of individuals – a sample – and use those

observations to make inferences about the entire population.

Ideally, the sample corresponds to the larger population on the

characteristic(s) of interest. In that case, the researcher's conclusions

from the sample are probably applicable to the entire population.


This type of correspondence between the sample and the larger

population is most important when a researcher wants to know what

proportion of the population has a certain characteristic – like a

particular opinion or a demographic feature. Public opinion polls that

try to describe the percentage of the population that plans to vote for a

particular candidate, for example, require a sample that is highly

representative of the population.

Definitions

“A sample is a similar representation of the larger whole”

-Goode & Hatt

“It is a small piece of the population obtained by a probability

process that mirrors, with known precision, the various patterns

and sub classes of the population”

- Balalock & blalock

Sample is a selected part which is representative of the whole

- Chaplin(1975)

Sample is a part of the population selected such that it is

considered to be representative of the population of the whole.

-Reber & Reber (2001)

Sampling

Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g., people,

organizations) from a population of interest so that by studying the

sample we may fairly generalize our results back to the population

from which they were chosen. When a researcher undertakes a

research he has to decide basically two important things namely;

what will be the scope of his study and secondly what will be his

population or universe, ‘population’ refers to ‘all those people with

the characteristics which the researcher wants to study within the

context of a particular research problems’


For an example- a population could be all students of college, all

patients of hospitals, all prisoners of prison.

In statistics and survey methodology, sampling is concerned

with the selection of a subset of individuals from within a

population to estimate characteristics of the whole population.

Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g., people,

organizations) from a population of interest so that by studying the

sample we may fairly generalize our results back to the population

from which they were chosen. Let's begin by covering some of the

key terms in sampling like "population" and "sampling frame."

Crucial Concept: Sampling is the process of selecting research

participants from the population.

Sampling may be defined as the selection of some part of an

aggregate or totality on the basis of which a judgment or

inference about the aggregate or totality is made.

It is the process of obtaining information about an entire

population by examining only a part of it.

The process of selecting sample from the population is called

sampling.

Sample selection: In the presented research work we have

selected sample from QUOTA sampling.

Advantages of Sampling

It involves a smaller amount of subjects, which reduces

investment in time and money.

Sampling can actually be more accurate than studying an entire

population, because it affords researchers a lot more control

over the subjects. Large studies can bury

interesting correlations amongst the ‘noise.’


Statistical manipulations are much easier with smaller data sets,

and it is easier to avoid human error when inputting and

analyzing the data.

Types of sampling

Sampling is of many types but on the basis of population it can

be classified in two types.

1. Probability Sampling

2. Non probability sampling

Probability Sampling

A probability sampling method is any method of sampling that

utilizes some form of random selection. In order to have a random

selection method, you must set up some process or procedure that

assures that the different units in your population have equal

probabilities of being chosen. Humans have long practiced various

forms of random selection, such as picking a name out of a hat, or

choosing the short straw. With probability sampling, every element of

the population has a known probability of being included in the

sample. A probability sampling method is any method of sampling

that utilizes some form of random selection. In order to have a

random selection method, you must set up some process or procedure

that assures that the different units in your population have equal

probabilities of being chosen. Humans have long practiced various

forms of random selection, such as picking a name out of a hat, or

choosing the short straw. These days, we tend to use computers as the

mechanism for generating random numbers as the basis for random

selection.


Types of probability sampling

I. Simple random sampling

II. Systematic sampling (interval random sampling)

III. Stratified sampling(may be proportionate or disproportionate)

IV. Cluster sampling/one-stage

Nonprobability Sampling

The difference between nonprobability and probability sampling is

that nonprobability sampling does not involve random selection and

probability sampling does. Does that mean that nonprobability

samples aren't representative of the population? Not necessarily. But

it does mean that nonprobability samples cannot depend upon the

rationale of probability theory. At least with a probabilistic sample,

we know the odds or probability that we have represented the

population well. We are able to estimate confidence intervals for the

statistic. With nonprobability samples, we may or may not represent

the population well, and it will often be hard for us to know how well

we've done so.

The non probability sampling which is also called judgment

sampling is based on the personal judgment. Elements included in

a judgment sample are result of the navigator’s expert judgment

as to their representativeness. Consequently the probability of

each element being included in the sample is not known.

With non-probability sampling, we cannot specify the

probability that each element will be included in the sample. Also

known as accidental sampling.

Types of Nonprobability sampling:

I. Quota sampling (Used in this Project work)

II. Judgment sampling / purposive sampling

III. Snowball sampling


Quota sampling

Crucial Concept: A quota sample is an attempt to make a sample

representative by having the same proportions of different groups of

people in the sample and in the population.

A mode of sampling which is used to select a person or group of

persons to participate in a research is called quota sampling. This is

done by personally interviewing all interested applicant and selecting

some appropriate candidate for a specific reason. This type of

sampling comes under non probability sampling which is used to

select people on a random basis. Quota sample is a much used

technique of selecting sample groups from different origin with

slightly different demographic features, because most of the

researches are done only in a particular geographical area.

It is very important to select people for a sample group only

from this area to be assured of the fact that all the data which is

obtained after completing the research must be according to the

demand of the researcher which should be clearly stated in the

hypothesis part of research article. The non probability sampling is a

method to select sample of people equally from each classification of

the society of a particular region.

in quota sampling the selection of the sample is made by the

interviewer, who has been given quotas to fill from specified sub-

groups of the population.

For example, an interviewer may be told to sample 50 females

between the age of 45 and 60.

Definition

A sampling method of gathering representative data from a

group. As opposed to random sampling, quota sampling requires that

representative individuals are chosen out of a specific subgroup.

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/sampling.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/method.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/group.html


For example, a researcher might ask for a sample of 100 females, or

100 individuals between the ages of 20-30.

Advantages of Quota Sample

It is an improvement over the judge sampling.

It is an easy sampling technique.

It is most frequently used in social surveys.

Disadvantages of Quota Sampling

It is not a representative of sample.

The method still leaves a lot of freedom to the interviewers to

pick people. This can lead to unintentional selection bias.

It has the influences of regional geographical and social factors

Size of sample

For present study total 40 samples, 20 addicted Internet

users and 20 non addicted users from DSVV campus

were selected. They were selected by Quota sampling

which belongs to non probability sampling.


Tools

In present dissertation researcher used “Mental Health

Scale” to measure the “Mental Health” of subjects which is

prepared by Dr. Kamlesh Sharma, Dr. Bheemrao Ambedkar Shodh

Sansthan (Indore). This questionnaire contains 60 items.

Scoring method

There are 60 statements in the scale. Every statement has

alternative responses “yes”, “indefinite” and “no” the subject has to

choose only one alternative response. The scheme of scoring it as

below on positive statements 2 marks for “yes”, 1 mark for

“indefinite” and 0 mark for “no” and for negative statements adopt

just reverse marking 2 marks for “no” 1 mark for “indefinite” and 0

mark for “yes”.

Positive and Negative Statements:

Statement

Positive- 1, 2, 6, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29,

30, 32, 35, 38, 39, 42, 43, 44, 46, 48, 50, 53, 55, 58, 59, 60 = 30

Negative- 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 31, 33,

34, 36, 37, 40, 41, 45, 47, 49, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, = 30


Interpretation of Raw Scores:

Classification of

Mental Health Girls Boys

Very Good 78 and above 80 and above

Good 66-77 68-69

Moderate 54-65 56-67

Poor 42-53 44-55

Very poor 41 and less 43 and less

Reliability:

The reliability of Mental Health scale by Test-retest (interval of

2 months) and Split-half reliability coefficient was found .86 and .88

respectively.

Validity:

The validity coefficient was calculated by comparing the scale

with Mental health check list of Pramod kumar was found .79.


STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

RESULT TABLE

Chapter- 3


Statistical analysis

In this chapter we record the result obtained from this statistical

analysis of response. The analysis of data requires a number of closely

related operations such as establishment of categories, the application

of these categories to raw data through coding, tabulation and then

drawing statistical inferences. The unwieldy data should necessarily

be condensed into a few manageable groups and tables for further

analysis. Thus, researcher should classify the raw data into some

purposeful and usable categories.

Result

In statistical analysis applied ‘sd’ and ‘t’ testing the stares for the

analysis were obtained on the basis of responses of two groups

Internet Addicted (N = 20) and Non Addicted(N=20) with the help of

Mental health scale.

To ready the result of this work we constructed Null hypothesis then

apply ‘t’ test for result.

Group

Mean

Number

Of

samples

S.D.

SED

df

t-value

Level of

significance

Internet

Addicts 59.84 20 6.63

2.38

38

8.80

0.01 Non

Addicts

80.79 20 8.17

So it is clear from result table that, mean of Addictive users and Non

Addictive users are 59.84 and 80.79 respectively, and SD of Addictive


users and Non addictive users are 6.63 and 8.17 respectively. In table

38 ‘df’ at the level of ‘0.01’ value is ‘2.72’ which is below from t-

value. So my result is highly significant at ‘0.01’ level. That proves

my Hypothesis wrong and makes sure that Internet addiction effects

mental health. My results proved that Internet addiction is harmful for

mental health of Adolescents.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Non Addicts Internet addicts

Axi

s Ti

tle

Axis Title

Graphical representation of the mean of Internet Addicts and

Non Addicts of selected sample


Interpretation and Discussion

Conclusion of results

Chapter- 4


Interpretation and Discussion:

DISCUSSION

Purpose of the present study is to know the effect of Addictive

Internet use on Mental health, by which we can know how risky is

addictive use of Internet. There are several limitations involved in this

study which must be addressed. Initially, the sample size of 40 is

relatively small compared to the estimated 47 million current Internet

users (Snider, 1997). Therefore, generalizability of results must be

interpreted with caution and continued research should include larger

sample sizes to draw more accurate conclusions.

This study aimed to examine the effect of addictive use of the Internet

on the mental health in a population of young people in DSVV, India.

The results suggested that pathological use of the Internet is

detrimental to the mental health of these individuals. After adjusting

for potential confounding factors, there was an increased risk of

depression for those who used the Internet addictively. This result

suggests that young people who are initially free of mental health

problems but use the Internet addictively could develop depression as

a consequence. This study is unique in terms of its ability to

demonstrate the mental health sequelae of addictive use of the

Internet for young people who were initially healthy to begin with.

Results of this study demonstrate direct effect of the addictive use of

the Internet on the mental health of young people. The results

obtained from this study directly implicate the prevention of mental

illness among young people, particularly in developing countries such

as India. The results of the study indicated that young people who use

the Internet pathologically are most at risk for mental problems and

would develop depression if they continued the behavior. As we

understand that mental health problems among adolescents bear a

Significant personal costs as well as costs to the community, early

intervention and prevention that targets at-risk groups with identified

risk factors is effective in reducing the burden of depression among

young people. Hence, a screening program for pathological use of the

Internet could also be considered in all schools to identify individuals

at risk for early counseling and treatment.

As in all studies, there are strengths and weaknesses in this study.

This is a population-based study that includes a random sample of


students. No significant differences have been found between

respondents and no respondents, suggesting a representative sample.

The use of a standardized and validated assessment instrument for the

outcome measure minimized some measurement biases. Moreover,

because this is a cohort study, results provide further information on

the effect of pathological use of the Internet on adolescent mental

Health.

This exploratory study provides a workable framework for further

exploration of addictive Internet use. Individuals were able to meet a

set of diagnostic criteria that show signs of impulse-control difficulty

similar to symptoms of pathological gambling. In the majority of

cases, Dependents reported that their Internet use directly caused

moderate to severe problems in their real lives due to their inability to

moderate and control use. Their unsuccessful attempts to gain control

may be paralleled to alcoholics who are unable to regulate or stop

their excessive drinking despite relationship or occupational problems

caused by drinking; or compared to compulsive gamblers who are

unable to stop betting despite their excessive financial debts.

This paper suggests that there exists an increased risk in the

development of addictive use the more interactive the application

utilized by the on-line user. It is possible that a unique reinforcement

of virtual contact with on-line relationships may fulfill unmet real life

social needs. Individuals who feel misunderstood and lonely may use

virtual relationships to seek out feelings of comfort and community.

However, greater research is needed to investigate how such

interactive applications are capable of fulfilling such unmet needs and

how this leads to addictive patterns of behavior.

Finally, these results also suggested that Dependents were relative

beginners on the Internet. Therefore, it may be hypothesized that new

comers to the Internet may be at a higher risk for developing addictive

patterns of Internet use. However, it may be postulated that "hi-tech"

or more advanced users suffer from a greater amount of denial since

their Internet use has become an integral part of their daily lives.

Given that, individuals who constantly utilize the Internet may not

recognize "addictive" use as a problem and therefore saw no need to

participate in this survey. This may explain their low representation in

this sample. Therefore, additional research should examine

personality traits that may mediate addictive Internet use, particularly


among new users, and how denial is fostered by its encouraged

practice.

Future research should develop treatment protocols and conduct

outcome studies for effective management of these symptoms. It may

be beneficial to monitor such cases of addictive Internet use in clinical

settings by utilizing the adapted criteria presented in this study.

Finally, future research should focus on the prevalence, incidence,

and the role of this type of behavior in other established addictions

(e.g., other substance dependencies or pathological gambling) or

psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-

compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder).

Conclusion:

Finally we can say that in this new Era of technology

addictively using Internet is harmful for mental health. As we know

there is no health without mental health so we must take necessary

steps to prevent people from this kind of addiction. Using Internet is

common in daily life and it makes life easier and knowledgeful, if

used systematically. So a systematic approach of using internet must

be adopted to avoid this addiction.


Suggestions

References

Chapter- 5


Suggestions

This study should be viewed as a starting point from which future

research could take place. It is suggested that future studies employ

more varied personality variables such as self-esteem, Depression,

Anxiety, sensation seeking, introversion-extroversion, personality

type, affective states while using the internet, reasons for behaviors

(e.g., ‘why do you avoid sleep to remain online?) and combinations of

behaviors (e.g., ‘do you consume alcohol while using the Internet?’).

Researcher completed his dissertation work at DSVV

(Hardwar). This work can be done in any other institute or any

other organization.

Researcher studied effect of Internet addiction on mental health

but other aspects related to Internet addiction can be know. Such

as effect of Internet addiction on Memory and etc.

Other Internet addiction factors and formation of Internet

addiction should be Known By which Internet addiction could

be manage.

Study of Internet addiction may be useful for the selection of the

candidate for job or commercial purpose.


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