Are Teenagers Experiencing School Burnout Because Of Too Much Internet?

A research team from the University of Helsinki and Department of Psychology in Finland did a study on Internet usage, and found that too much engagement online (either through computers or mobile devices) among teenage users leads to school burnout, a term used to describe a general lack of desire to perform well in school or even go to classes altogether. 

Of course, some may be wondering just where does one draw the line between excessive or not. According to the researchers, the most critical time for addressing the issue of Internet addiction in relation to school burnout is when kids are aged between 13 years to 15 years old. The research group added that the most effective method of providing support for teenagers’ mental welfare, and at the same time, ensuring that excessive Internet usage is prevented, is to encourage better engagement in school and learning activities. This way, teenagers are motivated more to learn about new stuff, and avoid school burnout.

The study conducted by the team of researchers is actually related to the Mind the Gap project. This endeavor aimed to take a closer look at the link between Internet usage among teenagers, especially those attending school, and their overall mental health. After studying thousands of cases, the project’s findings did not sound promising. As pointed out by Katariina Salmela-Aro, one of the researchers involved in the project, too much Internet can directly cause school burnout. What is worrying is that in some cases, school burnout can lead to depression, or worse.

For sure, parents play a big role in all of this, for better or worse. Ultimately, it is really up to them when to say enough is enough, when too much Internet usage has caused some negative effects on their children. Unfortunately, there is almost never any credible guideline provided for parents of today, especially when it comes to monitoring their kids’ Internet use. Moreover, the study conducted by the University of Helsinki never offers any recommendations either. 

Some say that with the coming of the Internet age, there is just too much happening all at once -- too many viral videos to watch, too many Twitter accounts to follow, too many memes and Vines to check out and share -- that quite simply brings about information overload. With adults, some have the discipline to take a step back and get away from it all for just a bit. But with kids, they often have the endless curiosity and the unbridled enthusiasm to gobble up everything the Internet has to offer. And the result is that they often have little energy left for school stuff, and soon if left unchecked, maybe anything else worth experiencing in the real world.