Internet Addiction in Malaysia Causes and Effects

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Verdana;">The Internet started as a divine gift to the human society, it was meant to enlighten the human society by transferring knowledge, making available all the information needed for human well being, growth and prosperity. But as the Inter</span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">net grew, it created its own set of problems</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">—one of the key ones being Internet Addiction. According to Dr. Jerald J. Block, from the Center for Internet Addiction, “Internet addiction” affects as many as one in eight Americans. Block also defined Internet addiction as a compulsive activity involving excessive use, withdrawal and negative repercussions including social isolation, lying, low achievement and fatigue. As the Internet grows in Malaysia, Internet addiction is surfacing as a key problem, particularly amongst the younger generation here. This research outlines a method to exa</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Verdana;">mine the level of Internet addiction amongst Malaysian youth. The purpose of our study is to identify the use of Internet among Malaysian youth and the relation of excessive use to the addictive level. We have devised an online survey to study the Internet use among the youth; the findings of this study indicate that the youth</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Verdana;">are indeed</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Verdana;">susceptible to Inter</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Verdana;">net addiction.</span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span> </p

Internet use among university students: A reason for concern?

“…The internet has modified the way individuals think and occupies a place in most aspects of people's lives (Kapahi et al, 2013). However, the misuse of the internet is becoming an increasing problem.…”

“…Adiele and Olatokun (2014) indicate that PIU occurs mostly through internet usage for intrinsic reasons. PIU can be described as the excessive use of the internet, which leads to biopsychosocial problems (Kapahi et al, 2013). PIU is not listed as a disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (Kardefelt-Winther, 2016).…”

Assessing the Validity of Western Measurement of Online Risks to Children in an Asian Context

“…For many children, the Internet is fully integrated into their daily lives. Higher Internet usage may expose children to higher risks and negative activities, such as playing violent video games, visiting pornographic websites, and cyberbullying (Kapahi, Ling, Ramadass, & Abdullah, 2013;Masrom, Hasnaa, Mahmood, & Zainon, 2013). According to Malaysian news (Ismail, 2011), children spend an average of 11 hours a week online, and many are online 19 hours a week.…”

Facebook Addiction among Malaysian Students

“…This places Malaysia in the highest rank among countries in the region. This case is not limited only to adults; another study which was done on a random sample of Malaysian youth suggests that a great proportion (64%) of studied individuals considered themselves as internet addicts [28]. This is a new threat to healthy living style and it can be said that Malaysian internet users are at a high risk of being Internet addicts.…”