Introduction:

Internet use is a common tool in the life of university students. However, excessive use can lead to addiction and have biopsychosocial consequences, including poor academic performance.

Objective:

To relate internet use and the perception of academic performance in Latin American university students in 2024.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional, observational, and correlational design was employed. The study population consisted of university students of both sexes residing in Paraguay, Peru, and Cuba during 2024. The variables were measured using an online questionnaire. Internet use was calculated using Young KS’s Internet Addiction Test, and the perception of academic performance was measured using another 5-question test. The data were subjected to inferential statistics. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee.

Results:

Two hundred seventy-one subjects entered the study, 188 (69.4%) of whom were women with a median age of 19 years, and 83 (30.6%) were men with a median age of 20 years. They were from Peru, Paraguay, and Cuba. The most common degree program was medicine. The internet addiction test found that 82.66% had average internet use, 16.24% had problematic use, and 1.11% had addictive use. In addition, 30.6% of the subjects perceived themselves as having good academic performance, and 69.4% as having poor academic performance. When analyzing both variables, a significant association was found between the two (OR 2.45, CI 95% 1.09 - 5.5).

Conclusions:

A significant correlation was detected between problematic and addictive internet use and poor academic performance. It is recommended to monitor excessive internet use among university students and to apply preventive measures and appropriate therapies to those affected, such as motivational interviews and cognitive-behavioral therapy, among others.

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