Digital Duality: Reconciling the Positive-Negative Paradox of Internet Usage on Academic Achievement

Author(s)	Ms. Preeti Preeti, Prof. Dr. Santosh Kumar Sharma
Country	India
Abstract	The rapid expansion of internet access has significantly influenced students’ academic and social lives. Students use the internet for educational purposes such as online learning, information searching, and communication, as well as for recreational activities including social media, gaming, and entertainment. However, research on the relationship between internet usage and academic achievement has produced conflicting findings. Some studies report positive effects on learning and academic performance, while others highlight negative impacts such as distraction, procrastination, and excessive screen time. Several studies also report no significant relationship. One major reason for these inconsistencies is the lack of distinction between Academic Internet Use (AIU) and Recreational Internet Use (RIU). Therefore, this review study examines recent literature and proposes the Dual-Use Differentiation Model (DUDM) to explain how different types and intensities of internet usage influence students’ academic achievement.
Keywords	Internet Usage, Academic Achievement, Academic Internet Use (AIU), Recreational Internet Use (RIU), Digital Learning,Screen Time,Digital Behaviour,Internet Addiction,Technology-Enhanced Learning, Dual-Use Differentiation Model
Field	Sociology > Education
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-05-30
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.79596

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research