INFLUENCE OF INTERNET-ADDICTION ON EDUCATIONAL PROCRASTINATION AMONG LEARNERS OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA KADUNA STATE-NIGERIA  

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of Internet-Addiction on Academic Procrastination among Students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna-State Nigeria. The study stated three objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses. Research design used for the conduct of the study was the Expost Facto design. The population for the study was 33,470, a sample of

380 proportionate male and female students were used for this study. The Bio data form, adopted

Internet Addiction Test IAT (Young, 1998) and adopted Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students PASS (Solomon &Rothblum, 1984) were instruments used for collecting data for the study. Both instruments of IAT and PASS have reliabilities of 0.90 and 0.79 respectively. The data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation; t-test and ANOVA to answer the research questions and hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that significant difference exists between male and female students in their level of internet-addiction and academic procrastination (t= 3.427, p= 0.004). Furthermore, significant differences exists among students of different levels of study in their level of internet-addiction and academic procrastination (f=12.56, p=0.000), also, a significant difference exists among students of different faculties of study in their level of internet-addiction and academic procrastination (f=5.173, p=0.000). Finally, the study recommend that the University management, Psychologists, as well as lecturers, parents and or guardians of students regularly sensitize their wards on the negative influence of internet social media platforms on their personal and or academic life with emphasis on the males and Arts and Social Sciences students‟ altogether.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the Study

Internet revolution has indeed redirected the course of human endeavors in all

ramifications of our lives, it has made an unprecedented impact on all human activities since it was developed in the third-quarter of the 20^th century, including education, business, banking, entertainment, governance, communication, intra-cultural and inter-cultural relations and advancements between tribes, states, nation-states and or continents in the most astonishing manner ever witnessed before in the entire earth. Thus, the amazing reshaping and transformation of education and the future of learning to a new fashion and unusual platform all over the globe via internet cannot be over-emphasized.

It is not improper to say that internet technology has re-structured our entire universe in general, as has triggered a new world order on how human beings interact and communicate; thus, the growth of digital technologies and the growth of  internet technology have enabled quick reproduction of information and its global distribution, and have also led to the proliferation of information resources available through different formats and modes of representation and easy access to it has been adjudged to be unprecedented in human history. Indeed internet technology has dramatically changed educational landscapes and contributed to the resurgence of resource-based learning in the modern world (Hill &Hannafin, 2011)

Furthermore, the invaluable impact of internet to teaching and learning environment is worth mentioning, since via internet, students can easily get access to all the learning materials needed for their studies and as well get information through several internet-domains, apparently, the continuous growth of online universities that foster distance learning all over the universe are vivid examples of the inestimable values and benefits that internet has bequeathed to education and learning in recent times.

However, as with all technologies, in addition to facilitating student‟s educational lives to a laudable extent, internet has been recently fingered to be the major source of students‟ numerous academic and moral problems as well as other internet users. To note, indiscriminate use of internet creates a vast mixture of positive and negative influences on internet-users that cannot be detached from the overall successes or failures that students will eventually attain in their educational pursuit and in their lifetime in general (Nwabueze&Aduba, 2014)

To wit, internet provides all people, irrespective of their age, gender, geographical locations, cultural backgrounds and or religious inclinations with potentially entertaining distracters such as the social media platforms that facilitates dual or group chatting like Facebook, Watsapp, Twitter, Instagram, as well as access to online games and other forms of music and movies entertainment which all have grave consequences on the active participants, most especially students of tertiary institutions.

Students of tertiary institutions are noted for their high reliance on internet for the facilitation of their constant communication with friends, family members and other distant relatives, thus, one of the most common reasons for the high use of internet by students of tertiary institutions is to communicate and relate with friends. It is pertinent to note that internetaddiction has been fingered to be the major cause of delay in completing mandatory academic work by students in order to spend more time online, feeling that life without internet is boring, feeling upset and irritated when internet cannot be used at predetermined times as well as feeling lonelier when compared with those peers who do not excessively use internet (Nalwa&Annand, 2003).What is then the influence of internet-addiction on academic procrastination among students in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria? And how can we help to curb or reduce internetaddiction among students? These and other issues constitute the thrust of this study.

      1.2       Statement of the Problem

 Internet-addiction is the indiscriminate and excessive use of internet, it is popularly adjudged to be a common Psychological disorder of the 21^st Century which is very prominent among male and female young adults between the age range of 15-30 years and this anomaly has become more apparent and obvious among students of tertiary institutions as shown by data in recent times (Ahmed &Qazi, 2011). Students of tertiary institutions and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in particular have been noted for their high reliance on internet in order to seek solace or escape from anxiety, stress, loneliness, and or depression as well as to gain emotional support. Some other students have also become addicted to internet due to reasons such as continued unhappiness, being overly shy of others and their inability to relate with their peers among other numerous reasons, whereby in trying to escape from the aforementioned they end up becoming Academic Procrastinators.

Most academic procrastinations are sustained by students due to excessive use of internet or internet-addiction which is widely acknowledged to be the third most addictive behavior in our present age after alcohol and drugs. It was reported in a review research article by Chou, Condron and Belland (2005) on internet-addictionthat most internet-addicts had suffered from poor time management skills while using internet among other frequent problems. It is noteworthy that this negative trend is on the increase currently and students of tertiary institutions, particularly those of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria are not left out of this. It is disturbing to note that it may be almost impossible to relieve them of such addiction if not quickly detected.  The internet-addiction may manifest via several ways which covers varied degrees and or modes of internet-usage such as cyber-sex addiction, cyber-relationship addiction, information overload, and or compulsions etc (Young, 1999).

Cyber-sex addiction is the continuous surfing of internet pornographic sites for attainment of sexual pleasure by internet-addicts, cyber-relationship addiction is also the excessive use of social networking sites to create relationships with other people on the internet rather than spending such crucial time in accomplishing academic obligations such as assignments, projects, research, this may even destroy relationships with people in real-life. Information overload simply implies too much online surfing by people which ultimately leads to decreased productivity at school and also alienates one from his immediate family members and or friends in school. Compulsions also means the excessive time spent on internet games, trading, gambling and or auction activities which leads to over-spending and other numerous financial problems at school or the home.

Furthermore, internet-addicted students have been noted to highly exhibit varied negative emotional symptoms which range from feeling of guilt while in the midst of others, isolation of themselves from others due to such guilt, dishonesty about what they do online, euphoric feelings when online using smartphones or computer, inability to keep to fixed timings and schedules with people or the authority such as class or timings for tutorials, avoidance of compulsory duties such as assignments and projects, anxiety, depressions to mention but a few. In comparison, the physical symptomatic characteristics of internet-addicts are backaches due to very long sessions of sittings, headaches, weight gain or loss, insomnia which implies the inability of a person to sleep, as well as blurred or strained vision.

Obviously, the short-term effects of internet-addiction include non-accomplishment or postponement of mandatory school tasks otherwise known as academic procrastination, forgotten responsibilities, as well as weight gain and in some others weight loss. The long term effects are seen more in physical symptoms such as backache, neck pain and vision problems caused by strains and pains due to very long-time spent in staring at the screen of mobile phones or computer. To note, another long-term effect of internet-addiction can be bankruptcy especially when such time spent online is on shopping, gaming or gambling.

Oberlin College of Computer Science in Marlene (2016), opined that  irrespective from being dependent on the internet for most of their life activities or achievement, addicts of internet may even develop „technostress‟ wherein they internalize how a computer works, such as accelerated time and perfect results. It can also cause social withdrawal; making the individual to feel better at ease while interacting with people online rather than in their physical persons. What then is the influence of internet-addiction on Academic Procrastination and how can internetaddicted students be aided to achieve academic successes?

Based on the aforementioned issues outlined regarding internet-addiction, the study therefore deems it necessary to investigate on the influence of internet-addiction on academic procrastination among students of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna-state Nigeria.

 

       1.3   Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are to:-

1. Examine the difference between male and female internet-addicted students in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
2. Investigate the differences among internet-addicted students of different levels of study in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
3. Determine the differences among internet-addicted students of different faculties of study in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

 

1.4    Research Questions

1. What is the difference between male and female internet-addicted students in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University?
2. What are the differences among internet-addicted students of different levels of study in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria?
3. What are the differences among internet-addicted students of different faculties of study in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria?

      1.5       Research Hypotheses

1. There is no significant difference between male and female internet-addicted students in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
2. There is no significant difference among internet-addicted students of different levels of study in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
3. There is no significant difference among internet-addicted students of different faculties of study in their level of academic procrastination in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

1.6      Basic Assumptions

For the purpose of this study, the following assumptions are:-

1. It is assumed that gender has influence on Internet-addiction and academic procrastination level of students in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
2. It is assumed that students' level of study has influence on their internet-addiction levels.
3. It is assumed that faculty of study has influence on the internet-addiction level of students      in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

      1.7       Significance of the Study

Internet-addiction among students is currently a major cause of concern for researchers parents, and guardians, as such finding the possible ways of addressing this negative trend that has grave impact on the academic procrastination of students in tertiary institutions such as those in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is inevitable for the betterment of education, therefore, the findings in this study are aimed at modifying students‟ behavior, particularly those of AhmaduBello University Zaria; to be conscious of the ample advantages and negative effects of excessive internet-use, thus, imploring them to take advantage of the internet for their academic and general successes in life.

The research findings is also aimed at assisting Lecturers in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria with substantive evidence and information in order that they may understand the salient reasons why students do not meet with their daily or weekly academic obligations such as completion of assignments and group works due to internet-addiction. The outcome of this study is also hoped that parents or guardians of wards will be prompted on the reality that internet is among the most common sources of distraction on the commitment of their wards to learning.

Furthermore, the study is projected to provide psychologists and or counselors with useful clues and solutions that may be employed in helping internet-addicted students among their clients as well as prompting their minds towards the prevalence of students‟ internetaddiction as an emerging threat to academic successes of students. The study is also intended to serve as an awareness to tertiary institutions, such as the management of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in particular, for enactment of necessary laws or regulations that may be used to regulate addiction of students to internet and restrict them from immoral behavior, particularly in University campuses.

The research findings would also be of ample importance to policy makers and the general society as well as clinicians and or Psychologists for helping internet-addicted students, for the organization of seminars and or workshops that may sensitize the general public on the ills of internet-addiction. Furthermore, publishing this research and the recommendations inherent in Journals of Educational Psychology would serve as a reference material for Psychologists, Counselors, Governmental and Non –Governmental Organizations and other related groups or Agencies of Education. Finally, the study is intended to be an eye-opener to all intellectuals, and or lecturers, most important to note, it is meant to serve as a meaningful contribution to the already existing body of knowledge on internet-addiction and academic procrastination.

      1.8       Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The scope of this study isAhmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna-State Nigeria, which has a total number of twelve faculties. Specifically, the study is limited to the undergraduate students of six major faculties of the university only; they are Administration and Arts, Medicine and Science, as well as Education and Social sciences. This is because the number of students enrolled in these faculties is higher if compared with those of other faculties, as well as the fact that they were chosen based on their absolute distinctiveness of disciplines in the spheres of learning; two (2) pure Arts, two (2) pure Sciences and two (2) Humanities faculties only out of the entire 12 faculties of the University. The key variables of this study are internet-addiction and academic procrastination. The study will also involve the male and female students as well as all the different levels of students commensurately from the aforementioned selected faculties in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.This is hoped to pave way for better comparison and effective generalization of results of the studies regarding students gender, level and their faculty of study.

INFLUENCE OF INTERNET-ADDICTION ON EDUCATIONAL PROCRASTINATION AMONG LEARNERS OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA KADUNA STATE-NIGERIA  

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