Students who use digital technology excessively are less motivated to engage with their studies, according to research conducted at Swansea University and the University of Milan. The said students also are more anxious about tests. The effect is made worse by increased feelings of loneliness which were produced through the use of digital technology. Yikes!
Two hundred and eighty-five university students, enrolled on a range of health-related degree courses, participated in the study. They were assessed for their use of digital technology, their study skills and motivation, anxiety, and loneliness. The study found a negative relationship between internet addiction and motivation to study. Students reporting more internet addiction also found it harder to organise their learning productively, and were more anxious about their upcoming tests. The study also found that internet addiction was associated with loneliness, and that this loneliness made study harder.
According to Phil Reed, a professor at Swansea University, the findings suggest that “students with high levels of internet addiction may be particularly at risk from lower motivations to study, and, hence, lower actual academic performance”.
More details about this over at Neuroscience News.
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