85% students blame internet for mental health issues: Study

A staggering 85.9% of the students who have suffered from mental health issues at any point in their lives have identified the internet as a contributing factor, finds a study conducted by the Aachol Foundation, a student-based social organisation.

The majority of these students use the internet for leisure activities and many even admitted feeling addicted to it. Furthermore, the excessive use of the internet is also rising, with 6.2% of students spending more than 11 hours on the Internet, the study found.

The results were presented on Saturday through a virtual press conference with the title "Impact of Internet Use on Students' Mental Health: How Much Caution is Necessary?"

The survey was conducted on 1773 participants from February to May of this year. Among them, 49.5% accounted for females, 49.7% for males, and 0.8% for others. 

Furthermore, 13.2% of respondents were between the ages of 16 and 19, 76.3% were between the ages of 20 and 25, and 10.5% were between the ages of 26 and 30.  

Among the students who participated in this survey, 18.6% represented madrasa level and English medium higher secondary level students, 64.3% graduate level students, 8.4% post-graduate level students, and 8.7% represented individuals who are looking for a job or searching for an income source. 

Out of the surveyed students, 72.2% reported experiencing mental health challenges at some point in their lives. Of them, 85.9% of participants think that the internet contributed to their mental health challenges. 

Specifically, 26.1% of students identified the internet as the primary cause of their challenges, while 59.8% of students blamed the internet to some extent. 

The survey findings also indicated that 94.1% of students utilise the internet for academic purposes. However, 52.6% of students find it difficult to focus when they use the internet while studying. 

Terrible consequences

Around 34.3% of the students who participated in the survey felt that their daily lives were being negatively impacted by the use of the internet. Some 57.2 % claimed that it had a "slightly negative" impact on daily lives.

Family and social ties have also suffered as a result of internet use. The survey results show, 23.6% isolated themselves from others and made up a virtual world. 25.7 % waste too much time on the internet for unnecessary reasons.

In addition, 58.7% of respondents admitted that they do not always get enough sleep. Of them, 30.4% attributed their insomnia solely to their internet use. The students suffered a variety of medical issues as a result of using the internet for extended periods of time, including sleep disturbances, discomfort and dizziness, appetite loss, eye problems, and fatigue. 

According to the survey findings, 32.9% of students browse websites with pornographic or sexually explicit content online.

Noting that the internet can be used for both good and evil purposes, Tansen Rose, the President of the Aachol Foundation, shared: "Parents' involvement is particularly important in this situation. It is important to observe the child's whereabouts, activities, and interactions as well as who he/she interacts with and whether he/she engages in any questionable online behaviour."

In this connection, Professor Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury of the Clinical Psychology Department at Dhaka University reflected that the survey results paint a picture of trepidation and lead us to wonder whether the internet contributes to harm. 

"More young people than ever suffer from depression and other socio-emotional illnesses, particularly those aged 19 to 30. The suicide rate is also increasing disturbingly among this age group. The internet appears to have some influence in this situation," he said. 

Aachol Foundation's suggestions for fixing the issue included introducing a "Digital literacy programme" in schools and universities to ensure correct internet use, establishing internet rescue camps and offering students counselling, therapy, and educational programs to help them break free from addiction, as well as ensuring accessible sports and gym facilities, among others.