A Study of Internet Addiction and its Association with Big Five Personality Traits in Indian Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Internet use has become an indispensable part of our lives. Adolescents are the ones who
are particularly vulnerable to internet addiction. Problematic Internet use (PIU) or internet addiction is that
manner of using internet which can lead to psychological, social, educational, or vocational problems in
one’s life. In today’s world as computer and Internet use has become a staple of everyday life, there runs a
risk of overuse and dependence, which has lead to addiction and moreover, may lead to personality problems
and other psychopathologies.
Method: A non- experimental study was conducted among adolescents between the age of 15-17 years
having access to internet facility in daily routine(n=100). Big Five Personality Inventory was administered
to assess the personality and Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT: Young, 1998) was self-administered by
the students after being briefed with the instructions. Subjects were classified into mild users, moderate users
and addicts for comparison. It was hypothesized that a significant negative correlation will exists between
Internet addiction and Big Five Personality Traits.
Result: Approximately 40% of the students were found to be addicted, 25% were moderate users and 35%
were mild users. Users found addicted scored poorly on the Big Five Personality Traits as hypothesized
indicating negative correlation.
Conclusion: The findings from this study identified varied levels of internet usage among adolescents which
could serve as a crucial factor in understanding its effects on the personality. The findings further imply that
there is a need for early interventions such as setting boundaries or professional help in addition to detecting
early warning signs of underlying psychopathologies.