Internet Overuse on College Campuses: A Survey and Alaysis of Current Trends

Abstract

The changes wrought in the last 10 years alone are sufficiently awesome to astound and confuse any Rip Van Winkle who may have managed to sleep through the decade. As with all man-made marvels, however, along with the much touted fabulous benefits and glittering accomplishments, it seems there always exist undesirable side effects. One side effect of the technological revolution with the potential to cause harm is an inclination by some people, most notably students in higher education, for excessive and compulsive Internet use. Often called Internet addiction, this disorder is particularly prevalent on the campuses of colleges and universities, and for some students, it has the potential to be as destructive as excessive use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs. This chapter talks about Internet overuse on college campuses in general and discusses a survey of 305 University of Guam students regarding their Internet use.