According to study researcher Phil Reed from Swansea University in the UK. "The results suggest that students with high levels of internet addiction may be particularly at risk from lower motivations to study, and, hence, lower actual academic performance."
The research found a negative relationship between internet addiction and motivation to study. Students reporting more internet addiction also found it harder to organise their learning productively and were more anxious about their upcoming tests.
The findings also found that internet addiction was associated with loneliness and that this loneliness made study harder.
Amount of time students spend on the internet and its effects
About 25 percent of the students reported that they spent over four hours a day online, with the rest indicating that they spent between one to three hours a day. In addition to the links between levels of internet addiction and poor study motivation and ability, internet addiction was found to be associated with increased loneliness.
Loneliness can make studying harder
According to the researchers, the poorer social interactions that are known to be associated with internet addiction make loneliness worse, and, in turn, impact on motivation to engage in a highly social educational environment such as a university.
