Heavy Internet Use leads to Academic Unseriousness in Teens

Researchers from the Department of Psychology ,at the University of  Helsinki have found that excessive Internet use in teens,  particularly bordering on addiction leads to lack of interest to work hard in school, in teens.

The research suggests that the most critical stage for tackling the problem of digital addiction and school burnout(lack of desire to attend or work hard in school) is age 13-15. The most effective way of supporting adolescents’ mental health and preventing excessive internet use is to promote school engagement, to build up students’ motivation to learn, and to prevent school burnout.

The study further states that, depressive symptoms and school burnout in late adolescence are more common among girls than boys. Boys suffer more from excessive Internet use than girls.

The research is connected to the Mind the Gap project that studies thousands of students for Internet use and psychological issues. The bottom line is not god. “These results show that, among adolescents, excessive internet use can be a cause of school burnout that can later spill over to depressive symptoms,” said Katariina Salmela-Aro, a researcher for the project.

However, the onus lies on the parents to determine, how much Internet is too much.