Impacts of Problematic Internet use Among Adolescents of Pakistan: A Qualitative Inquiry

Article Information

Title: Impacts of Problematic Internet use Among Adolescents of Pakistan: A Qualitative Inquiry

Authors: Kiran Saleem, Nelofar Kiran Rauf

Journal: Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal (PAFMJ)

HEC Recognition History

Category	From	To
Y	2024-10-01	2025-12-31
Y	2023-07-01	2024-09-30
Y	2021-07-01	2022-06-30
Y	2020-07-01	2021-06-30
Y	1900-01-01	2005-06-30

Publisher: Army Medical College, Rawalpindi.

Country: Pakistan

Year: 2024

Volume: 74

Issue: 4

Language: English

Keywords: AdolescentsInternet useInternet addiction disorderProtective factors.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the impacts of problematic Internet use among adolescents of Pakistan.
Study Design: Qualitative study (Interpretive Paradigm).
Place and Duration of Study: National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad Pakistan, from Nov 2020 to Jan 2021.
Methodology: For the indigenous exploration of problematic Internet use and its impacts on adolescents of Pakistan, eight focus group discussions were carried out online. Half of the focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents (13-19 years) and the remaining half were done with parents of adolescents. Data was transcribed and thematic analysis was done.
Results: Three main themes, including contributing factors to adolescents’ problematic Internet use, impact of problematic Internet use, and protective factors, emerged. Majority of the themes were in line with existing literature such as contributing &amp; protective factors of adolescents’ problematic Internet use, impacts of problematic Internet use on the lifestyle, social &amp; academic life, physical, developmental and mental health of adolescents. A few positive impacts of Internet use were also identified which were also found parallel to the previous literature. The new identified theme in the current data was identified as cultural impacts that were indigenous to Pakistani society. Codes that emerged under this theme included, degeneration of Muslim society, challenging social/religious norms, more demands for privacy, weakening of family system, generation gap, brand consciousness and acculturation.
Conclusion: The study provides insight to the detrimental impacts of problematic Internet use among adolescents of Pakistan, which includ
Conclusion: The study provides insight for the detrimental impacts of problematic internet...

Disclaimer: The following sections are produced through an intensive multi-stage analytical pipeline developed by DefinePK, utilizing advanced natural-language processing, domain-specific knowledge models, and automated cross-referencing systems. Despite the rigor and computational effort involved, the generated summary may still contain inaccuracies or incomplete interpretations. Users are strongly advised to verify all critical information against the original paper and its authoritative sources.

Research Objective

To explore the impacts of problematic Internet use among adolescents of Pakistan.

Methodology

Qualitative study using an Interpretive Paradigm. Eight online focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents (13-19 years) and parents of adolescents. Data was transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Methodology Flowchart

                        graph TD;
    A["Ethical Approval"] --> B["Participant Recruitment"];
    B --> C["Online Focus Group Discussions"];
    C --> D["Data Transcription"];
    D --> E["Thematic Analysis"];
    E --> F["Identify Themes and Sub-themes"];
    F --> G["Formulate Findings"];

Discussion

The study's findings on contributing factors, impacts, and protective factors largely align with existing literature. However, it uniquely identified cultural impacts specific to Pakistani society, such as the erosion of religious practices, increased privacy demands, weakening family ties, and acculturation due to foreign media influence.

Key Findings

Three main themes emerged: contributing factors to problematic Internet use, impacts of problematic Internet use, and protective factors. Contributing factors included family, academic, and environmental/situational factors. Impacts were observed in lifestyle, social and academic life, physical, developmental, and mental health. New indigenous cultural impacts identified included degeneration of Muslim society, challenging social/religious norms, increased demand for privacy, weakening of the family system, generation gap, brand consciousness, and acculturation. Some positive impacts were also noted.

Conclusion

Problematic Internet use among adolescents in Pakistan leads to detrimental mental, physical, and social issues, necessitating effective interventions from parents and mental health professionals.

Fact Check

- 87.35 million Internet users in Pakistan represent 36.7% of the total population.
- The study was conducted from November 2020 to January 2021.
- Eight focus group discussions were held with 53 participants.

Mind Map

Loading PDF...

Loading Statistics...

DefinePK

Select Collection