Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students

Background: With 4.57 billion people actively using the Internet worldwide, concerns about Internet addiction disorder (IAD) and its effects on daily life have become increasingly significant. This study investigates the intricate relationship between Internet addiction and face-to-face communicatio...

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Main Authors: Mudita R. Sharma, Manisha Gupta, Dolly John Shiju, Shatrughan Pareek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-12-01
Series:MGM Journal of Medical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_304_24
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author Mudita R. Sharma
Manisha Gupta
Dolly John Shiju
Shatrughan Pareek
author_facet Mudita R. Sharma
Manisha Gupta
Dolly John Shiju
Shatrughan Pareek
author_sort Mudita R. Sharma
collection DOAJ
description Background: With 4.57 billion people actively using the Internet worldwide, concerns about Internet addiction disorder (IAD) and its effects on daily life have become increasingly significant. This study investigates the intricate relationship between Internet addiction and face-to-face communication, focusing on how excessive online engagement influences traditional social interactions. It examines the association between Internet addiction and social interaction among nursing students in today’s digitally driven world. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 128 nursing students using convenience sampling. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was employed to assess the severity of Internet addiction, whereas face-to-face social interactions were evaluated using a customized questionnaire. Results: The findings revealed a moderate level of Internet addiction among participants, with a mean IAT score of 45.7. A negative correlation (−0.32) was identified between IAT scores and the quality of face-to-face interactions, indicating that higher Internet addiction levels are associated with reduced interaction quality. Regression analysis further confirmed a significant negative correlation (−0.23) between IAT scores and the quality of social interactions. Although daily hours spent online demonstrated a positive but nonsignificant relationship (0.11) with interaction quality, a negative correlation (−0.17) was observed between the frequency of social media use and the quality of face-to-face interactions. Conclusion: This study underscores the significant impact of Internet addiction on face-to-face social interactions among nursing students. It emphasizes the need for targeted strategies to balance the benefits of digital connectivity with the preservation of meaningful interpersonal communication, providing valuable insights for future research and intervention.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-4a0816b916624a7b974f802fc78ad77c2025-01-17T10:55:34ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsMGM Journal of Medical Sciences2347-79462347-79622024-12-0111473473710.4103/mgmj.mgmj_304_24Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing studentsMudita R. SharmaManisha GuptaDolly John ShijuShatrughan PareekBackground: With 4.57 billion people actively using the Internet worldwide, concerns about Internet addiction disorder (IAD) and its effects on daily life have become increasingly significant. This study investigates the intricate relationship between Internet addiction and face-to-face communication, focusing on how excessive online engagement influences traditional social interactions. It examines the association between Internet addiction and social interaction among nursing students in today’s digitally driven world. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 128 nursing students using convenience sampling. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was employed to assess the severity of Internet addiction, whereas face-to-face social interactions were evaluated using a customized questionnaire. Results: The findings revealed a moderate level of Internet addiction among participants, with a mean IAT score of 45.7. A negative correlation (−0.32) was identified between IAT scores and the quality of face-to-face interactions, indicating that higher Internet addiction levels are associated with reduced interaction quality. Regression analysis further confirmed a significant negative correlation (−0.23) between IAT scores and the quality of social interactions. Although daily hours spent online demonstrated a positive but nonsignificant relationship (0.11) with interaction quality, a negative correlation (−0.17) was observed between the frequency of social media use and the quality of face-to-face interactions. Conclusion: This study underscores the significant impact of Internet addiction on face-to-face social interactions among nursing students. It emphasizes the need for targeted strategies to balance the benefits of digital connectivity with the preservation of meaningful interpersonal communication, providing valuable insights for future research and intervention.https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_304_24digital engagementface-to-face communicationinternet addictionnursing studentssocial interaction
spellingShingle Mudita R. Sharma
Manisha Gupta
Dolly John Shiju
Shatrughan Pareek
Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
MGM Journal of Medical Sciences
digital engagement
face-to-face communication
internet addiction
nursing students
social interaction
title Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
title_full Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
title_fullStr Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
title_full_unstemmed Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
title_short Navigating the digital dilemma: the impact of Internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
title_sort navigating the digital dilemma the impact of internet addiction on social interaction among nursing students
topic digital engagement
face-to-face communication
internet addiction
nursing students
social interaction
url https://doi.org/10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_304_24
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