Study of the Pattern of Internet Use and Internet-related Behavior among Medical College Students

Background: In today's day and age, the Internet has had unarguably the largest impact on everyday human life. It would be appropriate to designate/name this age as the "Internet Age." Internet use is facilitating notable improvements in many fields but with increasing use of the internet, many individuals are becoming preoccupied with the internet, unable to control their use, and jeopardizing their employment and personal relationships. We have evaluated the patterns of Internet use among medical students and the changes in behavior pattern observed in students. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study at a tertiary care teaching hospital, a questionnaire was used to collect information about the various aspects and patterns of Internet usage and Internet-related behavior among students. Results: One hundred undergraduate medical students participated in the current study. Students spent more than 17 h/week using the Internet. The time spent on the Internet for work and study-related purposes was equal to time spent on socializing. The questionnaire on feelings and experiences on Internet use indicated addiction and habituation/dependency on the Internet and guilt among some students for Internet addiction. Some students who are addicted to the Internet sought aid from different sources to reduce their dependency on the Internet. Conclusion: Self-control, restricting the use of the Internet for other than study, work and professional purposes, motivation to the disciplined use of the Internet, and the mentoring facility could help reduce Internet addiction in undergraduate medical students.