Relationship between Internet Addiction, Self-Esteem, and Impulsivity in Library-Going Students

Abstract

The modern era is experiencing a rapid growth in digital technology and internet access. It has changed many people’s live, especially student’s education, learning and interaction with others. Recently, India has witnessed a rise in privately-run libraries, many of which offer limited physical books but provide internet facility. This setup inadvertently exposes students to potential internet addiction, despite libraries being traditionally associated with focused study and academic discipline. Thus, in this study, an effort has been made to study the prevalence of internet addiction among library going students and its association with self- esteem and impulsivity. For this, a total of 120 (60 Male and 60 Female) library going students were selected through incidental sampling. The Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998), Rosenberg Self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and Barratt Impulsivity scale (Spinella, 2007) were used to measure internet addiction, self-esteem and impulsivity respectively. The Pearson correlation was used to analyse the data. The correlation analysis shows that there is a negative correlation between internet addiction and self-esteem (r=−0.610, p<.01), negative correlation between self-esteem and impulsivity (r=−0.477, p<.01), and strong positive correlation between internet addiction and impulsivity (r=0.708, p<.01). The results of this study highlight the necessity for intervention programs that focus on both emotional self-esteem and behavioural regulation to reduce the likelihood of internet addiction. Initiatives designed to improve self-esteem and cultivate impulse control strategies may prove especially advantageous for adolescents and young adults.