The Impact of Technology Use on Student Psychological Wellbeing: A Technostress Meta-Analysis

Jay Jeffries

 

Abstract

       Technostress has been evaluated in online commerce, job satisfaction, adult populations, and integration in educational or organization contexts. The use of technology has also been shown to predict anxiety and depression in its consumers. However, a student-centered meta-analysis that analyzes these psychological outcomes through use of published or unpublished studies and that also considers moderating variables has not been accomplished. This meta-analysis investigates 127 effect sizes from 37 independent study samples (n = 37) in 32 studies (k = 32) that reported anxiety or depression symptomatology in K-12 or higher education students (N = 9893 participants, age of students ranged from 11.2 to 24.4, MAge= 17.2). There exists a significant association between psychological stress, as measured by anxiety or depression symptomatology, and technology use (r = .20, 95% CI [.16, .25], p < 0.05). Three moderators were introduced into the meta-regression model to understand variation in effect due to between-study characteristics and contexts. The percent of female participants was significant in explaining the variability in correlation ( = 0.009, p < 0.05). Studies that measured depression symptoms did not have a significantly different relationship with technology use than those that evaluated anxiety ( = -0.074, p > 0.05). Lastly, the average age of the sampled participants was significant in moderating the correlation between technology and psychological stress ( = -0.037, p < .05). This suggests a small-to-medium, yet significant, role in student mental health, which can be used to add depth to the research of technostress in students. Future research should consider the complex ramifications of technostress on educational outcomes to achieve a greater understanding of its consequences.