Most college students tend to fit within the age range of a young adult. Jennie Boyd from College Everything states that the average US college student ranges from 17 to 24. As people that are part of a younger demographic, you have a plethora of distractions and other things that may wander outside the realm of your studies that pique your interest. Some students may be attempting to pursue a job to build equity in tandem with attending college and learning a craft.

While others may occasionally want to engage in the more entertaining festivities college life offers, like parties or social gatherings. There are many ways the average college student could have their attention averted away from their responsibilities as a student. Still, the internet holds much more influence over the status and interests of a person. It controls many of the narratives in modern society and has now been incorporated into every aspect of civilization, so inescapable and unwavering.

With the introduction of the internet into our daily lives, we can connect to people on the other side of the world. We do this without having to step foot on any form of transportation. Even with that being the case, there are still higher reports of feelings of loneliness. Without face-to-face, hand-to-hand contact, it can be harder to develop real interpersonal bonds.

The internet has also made it so you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to do most things, which makes us less exposed to other people. ScienceDaily states that research shows students who excessively indulge in digital technology have less motivation to invest in their studies and have increased anxiety about tests. There’s also evidence to suggest that this impact was ladened by internet-induced feelings of loneliness.

With the loneliness the internet tends to cause, it’s also common for excessive exposure and internet usage to produce higher cases of depression. It’s also common for many who are regularly online to fall victim to developing insecurities about one’s own life and or appearance. This is due to seeing influencers bolster the facade of their lives with staged video vlogs and photoshopped pictures. HelpGuide.org shows that even once you’re aware of the manipulation of a post made to social media, you can still be made to feel insecure about your physical presentation and life circumstances. National Library of Medicine also shows that internet use has been linked to anxiety and depression and has had significant impacts on their social life and their relationship with their families. Depression, anxiety, and insecurity could make focusing on studies much harder.

Many with insecurities may spend their time obsessing over influencers’ falsified looks and fabricated lives. And those with depression and anxiety may be so unmotivated or anxious that they continuously procrastinate and push their studies aside. This is due to overthinking or feeling mentally and emotionally drained. Studying and staying focused is a lot harder when the device you’re likely using to study has another window of distractions opened. It’s even more complicated when the contents of that window cause many problematic and distracting thoughts within your mind.

Several things could operate as distractions in the life of a college student. But the sheer power and influence the internet has in your daily life compounds its ability to distract you. Excessive internet use has been shown through research to produce higher cases of depression, anxiety, and insecurity. These all can derail your studying process and break your line of engagement with your responsibilities as a college student.

Has there ever been a time when you found yourself being ripped away from your studies due to the influence of the internet?

Zada Luby is a first-year student at Gwinnett Technical College; she’s a nursing major who loves art, nature and helping her community grow. Follow her interests and more here.

Jennie Boyd

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