Abstract

Background: Internet has invaded into our daily activities. There is rising concern over increased Internet usage especially among younger generation. Internet overusage affects them at various levels of academics, interpersonal relationship, and physical and health aspects. Medical definition of Internet addiction is based on compulsive act of using Internet despite one’s best interest.
Objective: To estimate the level of Internet addiction among medical interns and understand patterns of Internet usage among them.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among interns of medical college in March 2016. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire which contained sociodemographic, Internet usage pattern information and Young’s 20-item Internet addiction test (IAT). Severity of Internet addiction was graded as per the scale. Result: According to IAT, of 130 study participants, 70 (53.85%) were normal users, 41 (31.54%) showed mild, and 19 (14.61%) showed moderate levels of Internet addiction. Mean duration of Internet use/day was found to be 2.25 ± 1.07 years. Majority [120 (92.31%)] of the study participants used smartphone. Males were more addicted to Internet than female subjects. Using 3G speed of Internet was significantly associated with Internet addition. Conclusion: Internet addiction is identified as a matter of concern among medical interns. Awareness needs to be created regarding Internet addiction/problematic Internet use and developing a healthy and safe Internet use. Preventive measures should be instituted promptly to forestall the possible influence of Internet addiction on students.