Internet abuse among the adolescents: a study on the locale factor

Adolescence is the stage of transition. Though the Internet is a useful source of information and channel for speedy communication, its abuse among the adolescents is of much concern. The rural and urban communities differ in many respects including the accessibility and use of the Internet. The present study focuses on the locale factor in the abuse of the Internet by the adolescents. The study is conducted on a sample of 150 adolescents in Kerala State in India using a structured questionnaire. The results show that as compared to the urban adolescents, the Internet abuse is more among the rural adolescents. This may be because of their ignorance about the seriousness of the matter.