University students’ relationship with technology: Psychological effects on students

The concept of digital natives is a frequently heard concept today. We live intertwined with technology. As in every field, technology has also taken its place in the fields of education. In addition to the advantages of technology products that facilitate the life of university students academically, physically, psychologically and socially, they also have negative effects in terms of physical, psychological and sociological aspects. Especially due to the misuse of smartphones, mobile Internet and social media, university students experience many problems such as technology addiction, nomophobia, netlessphobia and problematic social media use. In terms of socialisation, it is seen that university students are more affected by the psychological factors brought by technology, as they use it extensively in their academic studies and access to information. For this purpose, this study aims to determine the views of university students on the psychological effects of technology. Within the scope of this general purpose, a study was conducted with 84 university freshmen. In order to reach the aim of the research, five open-ended questions developed by the researcher were asked. As a result of the research, it has been revealed that university students have problems because they do not use technology correctly. This situation disrupts social relationships and affects communication. The use of technological tools by students may cause social phobia, communication problems, academic success, emotional turmoil and physical harm to physical health. For conscious use, it can be recommended to inform students by giving trainings.     Keywords: University, digital natives, technology, psychology, education, media;