SMARTPHONES AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING: A STUDY AMONG ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN MADURAI DISTRICT

Abstract

In the contemporary digital era, smartphones have become an indispensable part of everyday life, especially among college students. College students are at a crucial stage of personal and emotional development. They face multiple pressures such as academic workload, career uncertainty, family expectations, and peer competition. In this context, smartphones can act both as a support system and a source of stress. On one hand, they help students stay connected, access educational resources, and seek emotional support through online communities. On the other hand, excessive usage may result in digital addiction, fear of missing out, reduced face-to-face interaction, and emotional instability. Therefore, understanding the balance between beneficial and harmful usage of smartphones is essential for promoting healthy emotional well-being among students. Moreover, the increasing penetration of affordable smartphones and internet services has made digital technology accessible to almost every student. While digital connectivity enhances learning opportunities, it also increases the risk of emotional dependency on mobile devices. Prolonged screen time, constant notifications, and social comparison on digital platforms may contribute to emotional exhaustion and decreased well-being. Hence, it is important to scientifically examine how smartphone usage patterns influence emotional well-being among college students. The study is based on both primary and secondary data. To analyze the Impact of Smartphone Use on Emotional Well-Being of Arts and Science college students in Madurai District 80 students are selected as samples using convenient sampling method. The collected data were analyzed with the help of various statistical measures such as Percentage and Weighted average technique.