AbstractBackground: There has been an exponential rise in the number of internet users in India. The present study was conducted to assess prevalence of problematic internet use among college students.
Materials and Methods: 140 college students of both genders were provided with a questionnaire consisted of number of hours spent online, the devices used for accessing internet, usual purpose of using internet, and the predominant time of day for internet use and generalized problematic internet use scale-2 (GPISU2).
Results: time spent online/day was 3.42 hours, cost of use/ month was 280.4 rupees. Purpose of use was academic in 14%, shopping in 27%, social networking in 34% and gaming in 25%. Main device of use was laptop in 32%, mobile in 46%, computer in 5% and tablet in 17%. Time of use was morning in 14%, afternoon in 10%, evening in 32% and night in 44%. The difference was significant (P< 0.05).
Conclusion: There is high use of problematic internet use among students. Hence there is need of education regarding harmful effects of internet.
