Internet addiction among secondary school students is at an alarming rate

In the current Information Age, the internet has become a “necessity” in our everyday life. We use it to search for information, watch videos, commune with friends and etc.

Technology provides so much convenience in our daily lives until some of us might feel angry when the internet is slow, or bored when there is no connection. And these are some of the signs of being an internet addict.

In 2017, a report by the National Health and Morbidity Survey revealed that 29% of the active internet users between the age of 13 to 17 were addicted to it. This is an alarming situation as roughly one out of three active secondary school internet users were internet addicts.

The health concern affects students regardless of their age. From the survey, more students were exposed to the internet in an ascending manner from Form 1 to Form 5. Correspondingly, the percentage of internet addicts also increased in a similar trend.

One of the reasons that teenagers can be easily hooked to the internet is due to its accessibility. With the invention of smartphones, one can access the internet in a similar fashion to using a computer. Therefore, one can be an internet addict with just a smartphone and internet connection. The prevalence of being addicted to the internet through smartphone was recorded at the highest percentage at 94.4%.

Furthermore, secondary school students in the urban areas were more likely to be internet addicts (32.2%) compared to their rural counterparts (24.9%). The percentage of internet users in both areas do play a part, 89.1% in the urban and 81.2% in the rural. Additionally, better internet speed can also be a factor for higher prevalence of internet addicts among secondary school students in the urban area.

Therefore, parents need to be aware of such addiction faced by their children as it could harm their social well-being in a long run. Internet is a practical tool in our everyday lives, but it should be used in moderate.