Technology Use Among College Students: Implications for Student Affairs Professionals

The purposes of this study were to explore the extent to which technology disrupts and occupies the time of a college student and to determine the degree to which these disruptions contribute to perceived stress. A 71-item survey to assess perceived stress, technology use and disruptions, and social support was administered to 299 undergraduate students. The results indicate 25% of participants have problems with disruptions from technology, and more disruptions from technology are related to higher levels of perceived stress. Experiencing disruptions from technology is a significant problem among college students and needs to be addressed by student affairs professionals.