The use of the internet, and in particular web browsing, offers many potential advantages for educational institutions as students have access to a wide range of information previously not available. However, there are potential negative effects due to factors such as time-wasting and asocial behaviour. In this study, we conducted an empirical investigation of the academic performance and the web-usage pattern of 2153 undergraduate students. Data from university proxy logs allows us to examine usage patterns and we compared this data to the students' academic performance. The results show that there is a small but significant (both statistically and educationally) association between heavier web browsing and poorer academic results (lower average mark, higher failure rates). In addition, among good students, the proportion of students who are relatively light users of the internet is significantly greater than would be expected by chance.
Recent research at colleges and universities has suggested that some college students’ academic performance might be impaired by heavier use of the Internet. This study reviews the relevant literature and presents data from a survey of 572 students at a large public university. Heavier recreational Internet use was shown to be correlated highly with impaired academic performance. Loneliness, staying up late, tiredness, and missing class were also intercorrelated with self-reports of Internet-caused impairment. Self-reported Internet dependency and impaired academic performance were both associated with greater use of all Internet applications, but particularly with much greater use of synchronous communication applications such as chat rooms and MUDs, as opposed to asynchronous applications such as email and Usenet newsgroups.