Internet addiction among medical undergraduate students: Today’s reality and tomorrow’s horizon
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Comment on: Internet addiction among MBBS students at a New Delhi medical college: Prevalence and determinants of a silent pandemic. Dear Editor, We read an article titled “Internet addiction among MBBS students at a New Delhi medical college: Prevalence and determinants of a silent pandemic” published in your journal, which attracted our attention. The authors Abbas et al. express serious concerns over the impact of Internet addiction (IA) on the physical and mental health of undergraduate medical students. This study found that 90% of medical students had some level of IA, and compared to males, females showed a higher percentage of IA. According to the authors, the majority of subjects (96.3%) utilized their smartphones for Internet access, and a maximum (48%) number of them paid INR 300–600 per month for Internet services. This study also emphasized the importance of recognizing IA as a new public health threat and suggested longitudinal studies for further investigation.[1] We fully agree with the authors that in the current digital era, IA is a common concern for the health of medical students. The Internet has emerged as one of the most significant innovations of the twenty-first century, serving as an important source of information for medical students. They prefer online learning and access to various websites for study materials, examination preparation, cutting-edge laboratory information, advancement in medical procedure, treatment, and overall medical research.[2,3] This study supported the reality and stated that the maximum number of MBBS students used the Internet for their coursework (89.7%) and information searches (88.7%). It is an undeniable fact that today’s competitive medical students focus on post-graduation or even higher medical education degrees right from the beginning of their medical schooling[4] and take the massive opportunity of extensive use of the Internet as a source of medical information in diverse ways such as online lectures, videos, images, animations as well as the conduct of medical entrance examinations. Indeed, the Internet made students’ lives easy and enriched, but excessive use of the Internet can cause addiction and medical students are highly vulnerable to IA due to their specific academic, social, and personal needs. Problematic Internet use or IA among medical undergraduates can have notable negative impacts such as academic failure, limited social communication, irritability, eating disorders, and impaired physical health. It can also lead to psychiatric disorders such as sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use. In addition, alcohol abuse, attention deficit, and hyperactivity all have been found to be significantly associated with IA.[3,5] According to the authors, this study applied a questionnaire-based Internet Addiction Test (IAT) to categorize normal users and various types of addiction and also highlighted that only 10% of participants in this study did not have an IA; the remaining 90% had IA to varied degrees, with mild addiction accounting for 54.6% of participants, moderate addiction for 32%, and severe addiction for 3.3% of participants.[1] Does any solution exist for this problem? Recognizing the type of IA, severity levels, and factors triggering excessive Internet use is crucial for treatment planning and prevention. Psychotherapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based interventions, may be effective, and if necessary, pharmaceutical interventions can also be used.[6] In conclusion, we can say that today’s modern life cannot be imagined without the use of the Internet, and medical students are not exceptional. However, there is an urgent need to develop a structured plan including an effective awareness program to flatten the curve of the negative consequences of IA on medical undergraduate students, and it may be an era-defining triumph for all of us. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.
Authors: Nageswari Gandham, Amitesh Datta
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $450
OpenAlex ID: W4402403825