Interplay of internet addiction and academic stress in determination of mental well-being of university students

Abstract

Students mental health is shaped by the new liberties, obligations, and social pressures that come with university life. Academic stress and excessive internet use are two prevalent and frequently co-occurring influences during this time. Preoccupation with online activities, loss of control over online time, withdrawal when disconnected are characteristics of internet addiction. Another significant factor influencing students. Mental health is academic stress, which includes pressure from assignments, tests, performance standards, competition. Emotional elements, psychological functioning and social well-being are all included in the concept of mental well-being. The research purpose of the present study was to explore how Internet Addiction and academic stress impact mental well-being in university students. A sample size of 154 randomly selected students with an age group of 18 to 25 years. The Internet Addiction Test, the Academic Stress Scale and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale were used to collect data. The effect of internet addiction and academic stress on mental well-being was tested using a 2x2 factorial design. Two-way ANOVA was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Results indicated that internet addiction did not have any significant effect on mental well-being (F=3.470, p>0.05), academic stress had a significant main effect on mental well-being (F=5.973, p