Mapping and auditing of internet addiction disorder in selected government departments in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to determine the prevalence of Internet addiction disorder (IAD) amongst the civil servants in the UMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Through a survey, key government departments in the province were selected through systematic and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaires, that were largely structured, were distributed to 52 managers from 4 government ministries, namely, Department of Arts and Culture, Home Affairs, Education and Health. The results indicate that there is high possibility that majority of the respondents may be suffering from IAD given the significant number of respondents spending a lot of time on the Internet each week. In addition, the findings reveal that the respondents do neglect household chores, social and work responsibilities in order to spend more time on the Internet. In conclusion, the Internet is not the enemy just because people become dependent on it. It has many important and necessary benefits.