Internet Addiction among High School Students in Baghdad City

BACKGROUND: The escalating need for the Internet is becoming a concern globally, various agents made                       the internet use addictive to all ages. Recently internet addiction is being considered as a psychiatric disorderOBJECTIVE: To measure high school students' prevalence of internet addiction and its association with internet activities, socio-demographic factors and academic performance.METHODS:A convenient sample of 526 students from 6 high schools in Baghdad. Using internet addiction test and a questionnaire to enquire about the socio-demographic factors from November 2020 till February 2021.RESULT: Internet addiction prevalence was 45.82%, internet addiction severity was (13.3 % mild, 23.4 % moderate and 9.1 % severe). Internet addiction prevalence was higher in Al-Rusafa district and students with chronic illness, internet addiction prevalence was lower in female students with higher academic performance using internet for browsing and studying.CONCLUSION:High internet addiction prevalence was associated with male high-school students with low academic performance.