Academic achievement, rates and how to use the Internet in high school boys and girls

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the rate and type of internet usage with educational achievement of boys and girls in high schools. The research method was correlation one. Statistical population included 545184 students of first grade of Shiraz high schools from four educational districts that 600 students of them were selected as research sample by using random multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data instruments were included: Internet addiction questionnaire made by Demetrovics (2008) and self made questionnaire for measuring the rate and type of internet usage and GPA of students’ grade as an index of academic achievement. Findings indicated the significant differences among boys and girls students in terms of using search engine motors, searching articles from internet, creating web pages, using internet games and other entertainments. As, the amount of boys students’ usage was more than girls. Also, there was a negative relationship between students’ Internet addiction and their academic achievement. Attention should be made to the gender differences related to the students’ internet usage and the amount of their dependence to Internet, because of its importance for students’ social and academic life. There should be informative educational programs for avoiding the bad results of addiction to internet.