Technology plays a growing role in how college students learn, communicate and build relationships. But as digital platforms and artificial intelligence become more woven into daily life, colleges are grappling with how these tools affect students’ mental health and overall well-being.
Recent research and reporting highlight five issues: a link between heavy social media use and loneliness, concerns about young men’s internet habits, students seeking emotional support from AI, digital gambling and efforts to encourage more face-to-face interaction.
A University of Cincinnati study drawing on survey responses from nearly 65,000 students ages 18 to 24 at more than 120 colleges found that over half may experience loneliness. About 13 percent of respondents were classified as excessive social media users, spending at least 16 hours a week on the platforms. Compared with students who did not use social media, those spending 16 to 20 hours weekly were 19 percent more likely to report loneliness. The difference rose to 38 percent among those using social media for at least 30 hours a week.
The study’s lead researcher, Madelyn Hill, an assistant professor at Ohio University, said colleges could educate students about the possible effects of excessive use and encourage time limits and in-person connections.
Internet use and social isolation are also among concerns raised about young men. Survey research presented at a September symposium on young American men found that more than half of men ages 18 to 30 spend over five hours online each day. Discussions at the event addressed how technology use intersects with other challenges, including mental health and college enrollment.
Meanwhile, some students are turning to AI for comfort, connection and advice as colleges work to meet mental health needs. A survey by The Rithm Project of nearly 2,400 people ages 13 to 24 found that about one in three had spoken with AI for emotional or relationship support or interacted with an AI character, the nonprofit’s chief research and development officer, Alison Lee, said.
Digital gambling is another area where colleges may have limited visibility. In an Inside Higher Ed survey of 5,034 undergraduates at 310 mostly public two- and four-year institutions, 15 percent said they had participated in online sports betting, prediction-market trading or other digital wagering since starting college. The share was 25 percent among men. Only 11 percent of surveyed student-success administrators said their institution viewed digital wagering as an escalating mental health or financial safety crisis, while many students said it deserved more attention.
Jhenai W. Chandler, vice president for research and policy at NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, said digital wagering should be included in campus prevention efforts and discussions about mental health and financial wellness.
Some institutions are also exploring ways to encourage students to disconnect. Cornell University’s weeklong Cornell Unplugged initiative invited students, faculty and staff to reduce technology use and spend more time interacting face to face. Suggested activities included putting devices away during meals, attending in-person events and trying tech-free or tech-light classroom exercises. The Initiative aims to prompt discussion about when technology supports learning and when its use may be counterproductive or damaging, said Steven Jackson, chair of Cornell’s Sustainable Computing Working Group and vice provost for academic innovation.
Sources: Inside Higher Ed.