Psychological Immunity, Attachment, and Technology: Exploring the Influence of Technology on Attachment and Psychological Immunity of Secondary School Students

Abstract

Technology is influencing various domains of human life such as education. Employment, purchase behavior, psycho-social and socio-emotional engagement. Studies reveal that the use of social media has hampered and negatively influenced the social attachment among youth especially adolescents causing a sense of social isolation, dependence on virtual avatars, increased distraction, anxiety attacks, and relatively poor social connectedness. This has been found to adversely impact the social functioning and attachment of the individual which further adversely influences the Psychological Immunity.

Research has pointed out the adverse effects of technology use on the physical health and immunity of individuals by affecting vision, posture, mental health, and emotional well-being. The present study makes use of a survey research design to collect data from 300 senior secondary school students (class XI), studying in private and public schools of Delhi-NCR with the aim of exploring the adverse influences of technology on their social attachment relationships and Psychological Immunity. The participants responded on a self-developed, validated questionnaire modeled on a 5-point Likert scale.

The findings clearly indicate that students are dependent on technology often treading the thin line between optimal use and overuse. The study found the overuse of technological devices in form of tablets, smartphones, laptops, and desktops along with i-pods and smartwatches, among students owing largely to the sudden shift from offline to remote classes due to the Covid -19 pandemic. The students reported poor social connectedness and low levels of social attachment to parents and siblings among both private and government school students. Also, it was seen t influence and impact the Psychological Immunity of the respondents.

The study recommends the appropriate and monitored usage of technological devices among school-going adolescents, the need for training in mindfulness, and other positive behavioral management supports. It is imperative for parents and teachers to understand the emotional needs of the students and provide need-based psycho-social support and emotional care. There is also a need to connect adolescents with counseling services to facilitate the development of resilience and positive self-esteem.