IMPACT OF INTERNET ADDICTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

The rapid expansion of internet technology has significantly transformed the academic, social and personal lives of college students. Although internet access provides important opportunities for learning, communication and information sharing, excessive and uncontrolled internet use
may interfere with psychological functioning and overall wellbeing. The present quantitative study examined the relationship between internet addiction and psychological wellbeing among college students and investigated whether internet addiction significantly predicts psychological
wellbeing. A quantitative research approach with a correlational survey design was adopted. A sample of 100 college students was considered for the study. Internet addiction was assessed using Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT), while psychological wellbeing was assessed using
the Psychological Well-Being Scale developed by Carol D. Ryff. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlation and simple linear regression were employed for data analysis. The illustrative results showed a significant negative relationship between internet addiction and
psychological wellbeing (r = −.572, p < .001). Simple linear regression further indicated that internet addiction was a significant negative predictor of psychological wellbeing, explaining approximately 32.7% of the variance in psychological wellbeing (R² = .327). The findings
suggest that higher levels of problematic internet use are associated with lower psychological wellbeing among college students. The study highlights the importance of digital wellbeing education, preventive counselling and responsible internet-use practices within higher education
institutions.