Understanding the Association Between Global Self-esteem and Internet Addiction in High School Students

Internet addiction has become very prevalent among the students of high schools in 2020, especially during the isolation phase, caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Millions of Indian high school students have been forced to stay at home and attend their classes through the online mode. It may become a serious problem until proper protocols and access to outside resources become a norm. This study was constructed using a cross-sectional design with 71 high school students consented to participate from Delhi, NCR using Purposive sampling methods. It is a reality, that people have been prone to psychological problems, when in isolation and feelings of sadness and low self-worth have been observed. It is possible for high school students to feel this disconnect, become lonely and resort to excessive internet usage. The survey consisted of two scales, which are Internet Disorder Scale 15, commonly known as IDS-15 and the Contingencies of Self-worth scale. The results indicate a significant & positive correlation between the IDS-15 and the CSW dimension “Approval from others”. The results from this study can help understand important problems faced during internet addiction research during COVID-19 outbreak and how new studies can be conducted by keeping them in mind.