Tracing the Threads of Addiction: Qualitative Exploration of Psychosocial Factors Contributing Towards Internet Addiction Among University Students

The Internet as a tool for educational, services, entertainment and socializing purposes has become one of the quintessential components of today`s lifestyle. Due to its excessive use students are getting highly into the garb of internet addiction. The present study employed a qualitative study to investigate internet addiction and the psychosocial factors contributing to it among university students (N = 215). Based on the scores of the Internet Addiction Test, the participants were considered either for the high internet addiction group or for the low internet addiction group. To explore the contributing factors of internet addiction, 16 Focus Group Discussions were conducted, with 8 high internet addiction groups and 8 low internet addiction groups. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed contrasting trends between these two sets of groups. The study suggested various psychosocial factors which might be contributing towards internet addiction during later stages of life, from the perspective of the study, the university life of an individual. The factors contributing may start as early as childhood access to phones, a hedonistic consumption lasting for more than four hours, faulty and under skilled parental restriction on internet usage. All this gets compounded with dysfunctional family dynamics, and lack of preparedness for the social world. These factors have been discussed thoroughly in light of existing literature.