Mental health impacts of information and communication technology usage in South Africa

Abstract

This study examined mental health issues affecting the group of individuals who are in the social media contact list of the researchers. This was done by administering a closed structured questionnaire, covering information from participants’ demographic characteristics, duration of time spent on ICT usage, to their perceived health effects thereof. Male respondents, largely unemployed are active ICT users, addicted to the Internet, and also suffer from unspecified ailments. Aged 31–35 and above, half of men and all women participants spend more than 5 h per day. High-intensive ICT use is associated, in general, with concurrent symptoms of information overload, depression and Internet addiction. It is insignificantly associated with composite stress. Medium intensive ICT use is correlated with fatigue and depression in equal measure but in opposite direction. There are significant differences in demographic attributes as they explain intensity of ICT Usage. The older the employed survey participants are, the less they suffer from composite stress. However, black South Africans suffer significantly from composite stress, fatigue and depression, though negatively from internet addiction. The results also indicate that South African men have negative experiences of composite stress, depression and internet addiction. Educated South Africans have negative experiences of fatigue, but positive experiences of composite stress, depression and internet addiction. Low intensive use of ICT has no impact on composite stress, fatigue and depressive moods of survey participants. It impacts negatively on internet addiction. Medium intensive use of ICT impacts positively on survey participants’ experiences of fatigue, but negatively on composite stress, depression and internet addiction. High-intensive use of ICT impacts positively on survey participants’ experiences of composite stress and depression.