The emergence of Web 2.0 has changed the landscape of the Internet allowing for more web applications that encourage social interaction on the Internet (Chawinga & Zinn, 2016). Web 2.0 has spread the use of the internet with much hype, especially in higher education institutions in developing countries such as Malawi. Unfortunately, so many negative attributes can come along with this versatile technology. For instance, the proliferation of the internet and social media has exposed many youths to the effects of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying among others has negative effects despite the development and growth of technology (Makori and Agufana, 2020). Although technological advancements have provided many conveniences in terms of communication, especially among students it has also exposed them to several emotional and safety threats. Arguably, the internet and social media have changed the culture of self-expression where individuals who feel anonymous hide behind their digital screens and attack others in countless ways. The internet has successfully dissolved the physical boundaries to communication and interaction (Longe et al., 2009).
Internet addiction is a common phenomenon and refers to excessive use of the internet which is characterized by uncontrollable urges associated with access to the internet (Teng et al., 2022). Internet addiction has been linked to higher rates of impulsivity including several common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, loneliness as well as suicide ideation and suicide attempts (Teng et al., 2022).
Suicide is very common among the youth (Meter et al., 2022). Currently, suicide among the youth has emerged as a public health concern (Putra et al., 2021). Suicide behavior is an umbrella term that includes suicide ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts. Previous research found that suicide ideation is experienced by one-fifth of medical students in Africa. Some of the factors associated with suicide ideation in the African region include female gender use of alcohol and depression (Kaggwa et al., 2022). Suicide ideation includes thoughts about ending one's life. Suicide thoughts are strongly linked to death by suicide. Globally factors associated with suicide vary over space and time. Unfortunately, the cases of suicide are on the rise despite interventions designed to curb the social issue. The prevalence of suicide ideation was recorded at 7.2% in Malawi and is higher than in 10 other lower-income countries (Pengpid, S., & Peltzer, 2021).
A study conducted among Chinese adolescents found a strong link between suicidal ideation and problematic internet addiction (Huang et al., 2020). In contrast, a study in Korea found using the Internet was associated with lower levels of suicidal thoughts based on the mediation effect of the Internet to reduce depression through increased social relationship satisfaction among adults (Jun et al., 2017). Clearly, there is a variation in the association between internet addiction and suicidal thoughts across contexts. It is widely accepted that adults use the internet differently from the youth who have championed this technology, especially in university settings. Needless to say, there is a controversy regarding the effects of the internet on suicide ideation.
Regardless of the poor ICT infrastructure in Malawi, the adoption and use of the Internet are high among the student community (Chaputula et al., 2012). However, Literature suggests that the excessive use of the internet is strongly linked to chronic mental disorders. Among Malawian youth sources of mental health issues emanate from four main pillars including relationship issues, poverty-related socio-economic situations, and lack of discussion on mental health issues (jumbo et al., 2022). there obvious disparity related to gender and mental health. For instance, more males are at risk of developing mental problems than females despite the fact that more females use the internet in Malawi (Manda et al., 2021). Nevertheless, it remains unclear how these negative effects of the internet induce mental thoughts of suicide and ultimately result in suicide among university students in Malawi.
Indeed, a comprehensive examination is needed to design prevention strategies for high-risk population groups (Meter et al., 2022). Specifically, the adoption of a holistic approach to mental health issues in the school setting considering the rise of the use of the Internet (Putra et al., 2021). Again, mental health programs can take advantage of the Internet as a tool to mitigate suicide rates. Studies show that online communication patterns of individuals with suicidal thoughts can advance the prevention of death by suicide (Mok et al., 2015).
University Students experience a low quality of life mainly emanating from academic pressure (Huang et., 2020). Previous research has investigated the correlation between SI and IA among school-going youth and the majority of studies are conducted in Asia (Shinetsetseg et al., 2022, Kang et al., 2023, Huang et al., 2020, Zhang et al., 2024, Kuang 2020, Teng et al., 2023). Despite the rapid proliferation of mobile technology among African youths (Porter et al., 2012 ), there is a dearth of research on Suicide ideation and Internet addiction in African contexts. Therefore, this paper aims at examining the relationship between internet addiction and suicide ideation among university students in Malawi.