Abstract:

In this age of technological imperative, the Internet has significantly impacted all areas of society and has transformed the ways things are done, businesses are conducted and educational goals achieved. The rapid expansion of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the educational field (schools and universities) over the latest decades demonstrate that new technologies are highly integrated within the educational process, with a huge impact on learning and teaching. Moreover, the internet has gained significance as a socializing tool, becoming a solid virtual platform for entertainment and social interaction. The benefits of the Internet have been highly praised in numerous research papers (such as rapid access to information and other learning resources), but a growing literature has demonstrated its negative effects especially related to its excessive use which adversely affects one’s health (addiction, psychological distress exhaustion), social life (social isolation) or academic performance (lower engagement and lower grades). From this perspective, the internet as an educational tool can be a double-edged sword, which can either develop or impede students’ academic engagement and, consequently, their educational performance. In this context, the study aims to analyze the dynamics of Internet use among Romanian youth and to assess the relationship between the Internet use and their academic engagement.