Internet Addiction Among KNUST School of Medical Sciences and Dentistry (KSMD) Students - A Preliminary Study in Ghana.

Abstract

The rising rate of internet accessibility has brought with it an attendant challenge of Internet Addiction (IA). This study assessed the level of IA and its relationships to loneliness, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life focusing on students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Medical Sciences (KSMD) Kumasi, Ghana. The cross-sectional survey method was used with 122 students conveniently sampled from KSMD. From the findings, no severe internet addiction was found, however, 9.84 % and 41.80 % scored in the moderate and mild internet addiction ranges respectively. The results also indicated a weak positive correlation between internet addiction and loneliness, self-esteem and a weak negative but highly significant association with satisfaction with life. While severe IA is not yet a serious problem, 9.83 and 41.3% of the study population suffered from moderate and mild IA respectively and stood the risk of progressing to the severe end of the IA continuum. Counseling was therefore recommended for students to master control over their internet usage. Keywords: Internet addiction, Loneliness, Self-Esteem, Satisfaction with Life.