Internet Usage and Mental Health among High School Students of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu

Technology plays a vital role in all of our lives today. One area that has seen tremendous growth and development at a swift pace all over the world is the internet. Internet has taken the center stage in the daily routine of the modern day people. It cannot be refuted, that this advancement is most sought out by adolescents. Many authors even acknowledge that adolescents are most vulnerable to the internet than any other age group, and how it affects mental health has been a concern to many mental health professionals. This study investigates internet usage and mental health among 656 high school students of class 9-12 of Kanyakumari district, south India. T-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearsons product moment correlation were employed for analysis of the data. The findings reveal that males used the internet more than females. Usage was more among urban students and 17 year olds used the internet more. Mental health was higher among females.17 year olds had higher mental health than other age groups. No significant correlation was found between internet usage and mental health of high school students.