Relationship Between Internet Addiction and Emotional Maturity: A Study on School and College Students

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Internet addiction and Emotional maturity. Emotional maturity involves an individual’s adjustment skill, knowledge about self, and strategies to control self. Internet addiction is excessive use of the internet that hampers other functioning of an individual’s life. The sample of this study involved 80 adolescents out of which 40 adolescents are school going students making 50% of the total sample and the other 40 adults are postgraduate students making another 50% of the total sample. In this study the Internet addiction test (IAT) (Kimberly Young, 1995) is used to measure the level of internet use behaviour among participants. The Emotional Maturity Scale (Yashvir Singh & Mahesh Bhargava) is used to measure emotional maturity of participants. The results of this study found that there is no statistically significant difference between postgraduate and school going students on level of internet addiction. The groups are addicted to the internet up to approximately the same extent. The study also found that there is a weak but positive correlation between internet addiction and emotional immaturity. This study found no statistically significant difference for emotional maturity between school going students and postgraduate students.