Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(1): 6-11, 2016 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujer.2016.040102 Emotional Maturity of Internet Users Kiran Lata Dangwal*, Shipra Srivastava Department of Education, University of Lucknow, India Copyright © 2016 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Internet has been emerged as a most powerful creation of a collaborative and constructive environment and tool for communication and exchange of information all over providing a platform for the development of reflective space the world. More recently the web 2.0 tools has provoked a for today’s digital natives (Srivastava & Dangwal, 2015). revolution and unlocked a new dimension in the field of Internet is very popular in today’s young generation, to communication and technology; this ongoing digital publish information. It is an innovative form to transact text revolution has touched and turned almost every sphere of life or information from one place on globe to another fairly, of its users whether its physical, social, emotional, moral or quickly, cheaply and easily. Internet communication, ethical. For internet users it is the need of hour to be especially instant messaging has become an essential feature emotionally mature to manage and monitor their own of young generation’s social lives. It is emerging as a tool to emotions, to assess the emotional state of others, to deal with attract young children. Face-to-face interaction and some the situations accordingly and purposefully. Quite often it telephone conversations have been partially replaced with has been observed that young internet users get emotionally email and instant message communication. Most of the involved in this virtual world and act in that emotional flow youths are seeing internet as an easy way to communicate which sometimes results in an emotional trauma leaving with friends and be entertained. Social networks are the its impression for long. The purpose of this study was hallmark of the modern age. This is the first time in history, to investigate about the emotional maturity of internet users when peoples are connected via electronic social networks and to find out that is there any gender difference in that are unlike anything the world have ever seen.What their emotional maturity. Findings revealed that the started out as a hobby for some computer literate people has young internet users are not emotionally mature. Results become a social norm and way of life for people from all showed that there is significant gender difference in over the world (Boyd and Ellison 2007). emotional stability, independence and total emotional The Internet culture was developed by early computer user maturity of internet users under study. Females who use (male scientists, mathematicians and technologically emailing along with chatting are more emotionally stable in sophisticated computer users). Earlier the Internet was comparison to males. dominated by males but now the use of internet by females has increased over the years, from a ratio of 9:1 to 2:1, Keywords Emotional Maturity, Internet, Online females use the Internet less and in different ways to men. Communication, Networks With Internet interactions, research has found that males' online communication is status enhancing and adversarial while females' online communication is supportive and tentative. Often males dominate mixed-gender online 1. Introduction discussion groups and when females try to dominate, they are ignored, trivialized or criticized by the males. Most of the Present era is the era of technology more precisely times, it is seen that the young internet users involve information and communication technology; Information themselves emotionally in virtual world. and Communication Technologies (ICT) has important implications. Internet is the most widely used element of ICT, It has been emerged into a major source of information 2. Emotional Maturity which has extensive coverage and rapid access. Internet is a big network which connects large number of computers. The role of emotions in each and every individual’s life is These networks can share the variety of information and can an important as life itself. The term emotions refer to feelings communicate with each other. More recently the web 2.0 and its distinctive thoughts, psychological and biological tools has provoked a revolution and unlocked a new states and range of propensities to act (Goleman, 1995). The dimension in the field of communication and technology as concept mature emotional behavior at any level is that which the previous passive users are now turned into active and reflects the outcome of emotional development. creative participants in this techno world. It is helping in the Emotional maturity is an internal development of Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(1): 6-11, 2016 7 balancing the mind and intellect with the external reality. If a much less chaotic than people who are emotionally person is truly emotionally mature, he or she has and acts immature. with integrity. If a person has integrity, his or her attitudes According to Ellison 2013, these days the use of internet and behaviors are emotionally mature. Emotional maturity is in our society as well as in our colleges has bloomed .The the ability to understand reality and facts and the quality of new generation which is growing up with these new response to a situation by detaching from the pulls and technologies can work more effectively with these pushes of pleasant and unpleasant feelings. technologies than the old generation. The youth are highly According to Chamberlain (1960), an emotionally mature engaged in using internet. There are many reasons for which person is one whose emotional life is well under control. It is internet and other digital technologies are used, but the need of everyone who would like to have right communication is still the number one. With the emergence understanding. A right understanding makes a person and increased usage of web 2.0 tools and social networking matured. Emotionally matured person sees the world as it is sites its effect on various aspects of individual’s personality. without distortion of perception. It is about understanding Although as all other things internet use also has positive and facts. For an emotionally matured person, there is always a negative effects sometimes it can be used as stress busters way out in any circumstances. An emotionally stable child but on the contrary use of internet to the addictive level can has a capacity to make effective adjustments with himself, cause various health disorder. While investigating the members of the family and his peers (Smithson 1974). Effects of Personality on Social Network Disclosure: Do Emotionally Intelligent Individuals Post Inappropriate 2.1. Characteristics of Emotional Maturity Content? Newness et al (2012) found that individuals scoring 1. The ability to experience and understand own deepest high on emotional intelligence and honesty/integrity feelings and needs, and to be able to act on and express these disclosed less inappropriate social network content. Honest feelings and needs in appropriate and constructive ways. 2. and emotionally intelligent individuals seem to understand The ability to act on and react to life circumstances with the negative implications of disclosing inappropriate social intelligence, sound judgment and wisdom. network content. Emotional maturity and stability of today’s 3. The ability to recognize, empathize with and respect the young generation internet users is also one of the important feelings and needs of others. issues we should be concerned about but not much 4. The ability to delay the immediate satisfaction of our researched. Whether today’s young generation internet users own needs, so that one may attend to other more pressing are emotionally mature or not and if yes what is the level of needs or actions. their maturity? Is there any gender difference in emotional 5. The ability to love - to allow another's needs, feelings, maturity of internet users? What is the level of emotional security, and survival to be absolutely paramount - just as if stability, social adjustment, personality integration and these were our own. related dimensions of emotional maturity of male and female 6. The ability to adapt flexibly and creatively to life's internet users? In this paper researcher focused on the changing circumstances and conditions. investigation of gender difference in emotional maturity and 7. The ability to channel one’s energy, both positive and its five different dimensions of today’s internet users. negative, into constructive contributions to oneself, to others, and to communities. 3. Objectives 8. The willingness and ability to be responsible and (1) To study the emotional maturity of Internet Users. accountable for our own circumstances and actions in life, (2) To compare the Emotional Maturity of male and and the ability to differentiate our responsibilities from those female Internet Users. of others. (3) To compare the various dimensions of Emotional 9. The ability to relate comfortably and freely with others, Maturity of male and female Internet Users. to like and be liked by others, and to maintain healthy and mutually satisfying relationships. 4. Hypothesis 10. The ability to choose and develop relationships that are healthy and nurturing, and to end or limit relationships that Based on the above objectives the following hypotheses are destructive or unhealthy. were derived: Emotional maturity predicts ability to manage and Ho1: There is no significant difference in the emotional monitor own emotions, to assess the emotional state of others maturity of male and female internet users. and to influence their opinions while effectiveness reflects Ho2: There is no significant difference in emotional emotional intelligence. The most outstanding mark of stability of male and female internet users. emotional maturity is the ability to deal with the situations Ho3: There is no significant difference in emotional accordingly and purposefully and even in the extreme development of male and female internet users conditions be emotionally stable and under control. Ho4: There is no significant difference in social Individuals who are emotionally mature generally find that adjustment of male and female internet users. they are more comfortable with themselves, and find those Ho5: There is no significant difference in personality things in life that include other people more enjoyable and integration of male and female internet users 8 Emotional Maturity of Internet Users Ho6: There is no significant difference in independence of Student teachers 121.67 (tab 2). male and female internet users. Hence, it could be inferred that female internet user students are more emotionally mature than male internet user 5. Delimitations students but the mean values of both male and female internet users fall under the high side which shows that both The sample of the study is limited to students having age genders are not emotionally mature. between 18 to 25 years and who use internet (emailing along Table 2. Gender-wise difference in emotional maturity of internet users with chatting) one hour daily or four times a week, from at Value least last one or more years. Thus the Conclusions of the Standard S.No. Gender N Mean SE.D of study cannot be extended beyond this population sampled. Deviation T-Test 1 Male 62 140.40 24.90 5.33 3.51* 6. Design of the Study 2 Female 33 121.67 24.70 The‘t’ value obtained 3.51 (tab 2) is significant at both The present study was a Descriptive Research as 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance thereby, rejecting the null information was gathered from a sample of internet users hypothesis that there exists no significant difference in drawn from a cross section of population of students within emotional maturity of male and female internet users. It the age group of 18 to 25 years and who use internet shows that there is significant difference in the emotional (emailing along with chatting) one hour daily or four times a week, from at least last one or more years. maturity between male and female internet users. The reason Sample and Sampling Technique - The sample for the behind this may be that the young generation when chat present study was selected randomly from college students online with virtual friends, or make new acquaintances in using internet. 250 students were surveyed who were using virtual spaces where nobody has a prefabricated assumption internet but among 250 surveyed students only 95 students about their personalities. were found who were using email along with chatting from at least one year regularly. Thus data collected from only these 95 students were taken for the study. Tools used – Two questionnaires were used as a survey instruments for this research-In order to measure emotional maturity, Emotional Maturity Scale (EMS) developed by Singh and Bhargava (1990) was used. To get the information related to working on internet a self-made questionnaire “Internet information based questionnaire” which included different demographic questions, was used. Analysis of Data- The data was analysed through descriptive as well as inferential statistics. In order to study Figure 1. Graphical representation of Gender-wise difference in emotional the significant differences in emotional maturity and its maturity of internet users various dimensions (five dimensions) of male and female Result-3 Gender-wise difference in Different internet user students’ gender, t-test was employed. Dimensions of Emotional Maturity of internet users The data analysis for different dimensions of emotional 7. Results and Findings maturity of internet users showed that students in the study were not emotionally mature. An examination of Table 1 Result- 1 Emotional maturity of internet users - The depicts that there is significant gender difference in analysis of data revealed that the mean value of emotional emotional stability, independence and total emotional maturity of students using email along with chatting from at maturity while there is no significant difference in emotional least one year regularly was 131.04 as shown in table (1). development, social adjustment, and personality integration. This mean value falls under the high side which indicates Mean in the table shows that females who use emailing along that the internet users are not emotionally mature. with chatting are more emotionally stable in comparison to Table 1. Emotional maturity of internet users males. High score of mean value shows that males are emotionally unstable. More and more, children grow up with S.No. Number Mean Interpretation digital fantasies and computers act as both their playmates 1 95 131.04 Not Emotionally Mature and their original friends when it comes to life's mysteries Result-2 Difference in Emotional maturity of internet and secrets. In many cases it was observed that the girls who users with respect to genders have continuous communication with their net friends (for While studying the difference in terms of gender on the last one year or more) they are too much involved Emotional maturity of internet users analysis of the data emotionally with them. Generally female don’t make too indicated that the mean score of male Student was found to many net friends while male make more than five friends and be higher 140.40 in comparison to mean score of female chat at the same time with all. Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(1): 6-11, 2016 9 Table 3. Gender wise difference in Different Dimensions of Emotional Maturity of internet users Dimensions of Emotional Maturity Gender N Mean SD SE.D CR value Male 62 28.13 10.45 Emotional Stability 1.55 6.75* Female 33 17.18 4.08 Male 62 28.68 10.99 Emotional Development 2.47 0.47 Female 33 29.85 11.73 Male 62 28.60 11.47 Social Adjustment 2.28 1.62 Female 33 24.88 10.13 Male 62 28.11 11.99 Personality integration 2.58 0.80 Female 33 26.03 11.97 Male 62 26.89 10.00 Independence 2.10 2.44** Female 33 21.76 9.62 Male 62 140.40 24.90 Total Emotional Maturity 5.33 3.51* Female 33 121.67 24.70 * = Significant at .05 level ** = Significant at .01 level 3.1 Analysis of result on dimensions of emotional 0.05 or 0.01 level of significance thereby, accepting maturity of students in Emotional Stability reveals the null hypothesis that there exists no significant that the mean score of male student is higher 28.13 in difference in social adjustment of male and female comparison to mean score of female student 17.18 internet users. It shows that there is no difference in (tab 3). Hence, it could be inferred that female the social adjustment of both male and female internet user students are more emotionally stable internet users. than male internet user students. The ‘t’ value 3.4 Analysis of result on next dimensions of emotional obtained 6.75 (tab 3) is significant at both 0.05 and maturity of internet users i.e. Personality Integration 0.01 level of significance thereby, rejecting the null showed that the mean score of male student is higher hypothesis that there exists no significant difference 28.11 in comparison to mean score of female student in emotional stability of male and female internet 26.03 (tab 3). Hence, it could be inferred that male users. It shows that there is significant difference in internet user students have better personality the emotional stability between male and female integration than female internet user students. The ‘t’ internet users. value obtained 0.80 (tab 3) is neither significant at 3.2 Analysis of result on second dimensions of 0.05 or 0.01 level of significance thereby, accepting emotional maturity of internet users i.e. Emotional the null hypothesis that there exists no significant Development showed that the mean score of female difference in personality integration of male and student is higher 29.85 in comparison to mean score female internet users. It shows that there is no of male students 28.68 (tab 3). Hence, it could be influence of gender on the personality integration of inferred that male internet user students are more internet users using email along with chatting from at emotionally develop than female internet user least one year regularly. students. The ‘t’ value obtained 0.47 (tab 3) is neither 3.5 Further analysis of data on independence the last significant at 0.05 or 0.01 level of significance dimension of emotional maturity of internet user thereby, accepting the null hypothesis that there students reveals that the mean score of male student exists no significant difference in emotional is higher 26.89 in comparison to mean score of development of male and female internet users. It shows that there is no influence of gender on the female student 21.76 (tab 3). Hence, it could be emotional development of internet users. inferred that male internet user students are more 3.3 Analysis of result on social adjustment the next independent than female internet user students. The dimensions of emotional maturity of internet users ‘t’ value obtained 2.44 (tab 3) is significant at both depicts that the mean score of male students is higher 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance thereby, rejecting 28.60 in comparison to mean score of female the null hypothesis that there exists no significant students 24.88 (tab 3). Hence, it could be inferred difference in independence of male and female that female internet user students are more socially internet users. It shows that there is significant adjusted than male internet user students. The ‘t’ difference in the independence between male and value obtained 1.62 (tab 3) is neither significant at female internet users. 10 Emotional Maturity of Internet Users Figure 2. Graphical representation of Gender-wise difference in different dimensions of emotional maturity of internet users The analysis of findings clearly depicts that there is no  Try to see yourself as others see you. Ask important significant difference in social adjustment, personality people for feedback about your behavior. Face your integration and independence of male and female internet reality and deal with it. users. The mean scores of the above three dimensions (tab 3)  Use internet not only for enjoyment but take it also as a fall under the high category, which shows that the social learning platform adjustment, personality integration and independence of  Try to make it a part of your life not your life male and female internet user students are not very good.  Consider before making emotional relations with The reason behind this may be that when young generation virtual friends. gets constant attention and sympathy from their virtual  Practice acting selfish and unselfish, and notice how friends then the digital world becomes their natural people react. surroundings, locales where they feel comfortable in, places  Search for a meaningful sense of life and find where they do not have to mold their actions and behaviors to worthwhile goals. As you find your sense of life and meet a specific norm. you'll find a joy that is reserved for the emotionally mature. For Parents 8. Suggestions  Share your child's email account and password For Students  Always keep an eye on what your child is following on internet It is important to create real social and emotional  Keep a friendly relationship with your child. assistance to improve social interaction abilities among  Talk with your child about the people he or she is young generations. Following are the suggestions to develop meeting online emotional maturity among young generation internet users:  Set a rule that your child never arranges an in-person  Try to make face to face interaction with people don’t meeting without your presence throw yourself into the virtual world without cautions.  Place the computer in a busy part of the house, like the  Keep an eye on your digital footprints. family room, so you can see what your child is doing. Universal Journal of Educational Research 4(1): 6-11, 2016 11 There is need to help teachers to shift their role from Human-Computer Interaction Institute, hypothesizes, "Many knowledge providers, likely to be taken over by computers, users may be substituting Web browsing or chat rooms for to tutors and facilitators that help individuals take advantage their stronger, real-life relationships." of the inexpensive knowledge sources that will be on the Internet and learn the social and emotional competencies necessary for success. And also there need to create life-long learning opportunities for youths that take advantage of REFERENCES different time, different place education made possible by e-learning. Those opportunities need to reinforce social and [1] Agarwal, J.C. (1966). Research in Education-An Introduction. emotional learning, as well as knowledge acquisition, as Arya Book Depot: New Delhi. opposed to further isolating from each other. [2] Anastasi, A. (1968). 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