Online Education/ Technostress Impacts on Emotional Wellbeing of University Students

Abstract

In today's technology-driven world, technostress has emerged as a critical concern, especially in the competitive academic environment. Technological advancements have made life increasingly dependent on digital tools, a reliance that was significantly amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, technology use was predominantly associated with businesses and employees; however, students in formal education institutions are now heavily reliant on technology for academic, social, and leisure activities. With online learning becoming the norm across schools, colleges, and universities, the widespread use of technology for course delivery, exam administration, and daily communication has become a defining feature of modern education. While technology undoubtedly streamlines many aspects of life, its pervasive use also has a darker side, particularly in the form of technostress. This research focuses on how technostress affects the emotional well-being of university students, emphasizing its role in shaping their mental health and overall academic experiences. Technostress arises when individuals struggle to adapt to or effectively use information and communication technologies, leading to frustration, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. University students, hailing from both urban and rural backgrounds, are especially vulnerable to the adverse emotional effects of technostress. Public universities, where many of these students are enrolled, are central to this study. Technostress can be broken down into distinct components, including techno-invasion (constant connectivity), techno-complexity (challenges in learning new technologies), techno-insecurity (fear of being replaced by technology), and techno-uncertainty (rapid changes in technological tools). Despite the growing relevance of this issue, there is limited empirical research examining the link between technostress and emotional well-being, particularly in regions like Bihar. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the prevalence and impact of technostress among postgraduate students in public universities. The findings are intended to provide valuable insights for academics and practitioners, shedding light on how technostress influences students' emotional resilience and mental health in contemporary academic settings.