Effect of Smartphone Addiction on Various Dimensions of Social Maturity among Higher Secondary School Students

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of smartphone addiction on various dimensions of social maturity among higher secondary school students. The present study was conducted on a sample of 150 higher secondary school students from Jalgaon district, Maharashtra. The Smartphone Addiction Scale was used as a scrutiny test to identify students with high and low levels of smartphone addiction. On the basis of total scores, 75 students with high smartphone addiction and 75 students with low smartphone addiction were selected through the extreme group technique. Social maturity was measured with Rao’s Social Maturity Scale. The dependent variables included all nine dimensions of social maturity: work orientation, self-direction, ability to take stress, communication, enlightened trust, cooperation, social commitment, social tolerance, and openness to change. The mean, standard deviation, and an independent-samples t-test were used for statistical analysis. The findings revealed that students with low smartphone addiction scored significantly higher than students with high smartphone addiction on all dimensions of social maturity as well as on total social maturity. The study suggests that excessive smartphone use may weaken personal, interpersonal, and social adequacy among adolescents. The findings have practical value for teachers, parents, school counsellors, and educational planners who seek to promote balanced digital habits and healthy psychosocial development among higher secondary school students.