IMPACT OF

DIGITAL
EDUCATION ON
MENTAL HEALTH
OF STUDENTS
BASED IN INDIA
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What is the impact of social isolation
on the mental health of students?
2. What is the impact of digital divide
and in particular, gendered digital
divide, on the mental health of
student?

2
MOTIVATION
Since the beginning of 2020, the entire world has
been struggling with the COVID-19 infection and
attempting to keep it under control.
The most widely accepted and used strategy for
controlling infection rates was social distancing.
This led to the closure of all education institutions
across the world and a shift to conduction classes in a
digital environment.
The restriction on physical movement paired with
sudden cut-off from peer interaction led to extreme
social isolation for students of all ages.
Additionally, the requirement of digital devices and
limited or no access to these devices for poorer strata
of society caused an entire section of people to be left
behind in terms of their education.
Childhood and adolescence are critical phases in
every person’s life and experiencing such major
shocks in these phases can cause long-lasting impact
3
on overall development of people.
 SOCIAL ISOLATION AND MENTAL HEALTH

PSYCHOLOGICAL PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH

HEALTH

- ANXIETY - RISK OF CARDIAC

- SADNESS INFLAMMATION
- DEPRESSION - OBESITY
- GUILT - HYPERTENSION
- PTSD - DIABETES
- SUICIDAL IDEATION - HIGHER CORTISOL
LEVELS (STRESS
HORMONE)

4
 PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH
3
Symptoms of Depression
2.58
• Several studies examining the relationship between
1,2,3 2.5
2
social isolation and depression have found that increasing 1.5 1.37
level of isolation at age 7 increases the risk of depression, 1
1 1

with the probability of depression even higher with 0.5

isolation at age 15. 0

Higher BMI Smoking and Alcoholism

• When compared to low levels of isolation, longer Low Isolation Levels Higher Isolation Levels

durations and chronic isolation were strongly correlated Suicidal Ideation

with increased suicidal ideation. 1.6
1.37
1.4
• A direct result of confinement was that there was a 1.2
1
1

noticeable increase in levels of anxiety, sadness, and guilt 0.8

among the younger population. 4 0.6
0.4
0.2
• The experience of being cut off from the real world and 0
Low Isolation Levels Higher Isolation Levels
inability to be in contact with their peers, children started
showing higher levels of fear, worry, nervousness and PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
helplessness. 3
2.58
2.5
• Furthermore, children symptoms of Post Traumatic 2
Stress Disorder were 30% higher among children who had 1.5
1
1.37
1
been completely isolated during the pandemic. 1
0.5
0
Higher BMI Smoking and
Alcoholism 5
Low Isolation Levels Higher Isolation Levels
 PHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH
General Health Indicators
3
2.58
2.5
2
• Studies show that children and adolescents who
5 1.5
1
1.37
1
experienced longer durations of social isolation
1
0.5
were at a higher risk of cardiac inflammation and 0
Higher BMI Smoking and Alcoholism
other metabolic ailments.
Low Isolation Levels Higher Isolation Levels
• It was also found that the impact of social
isolation on developing diseases as an adult was Impact of Different Factors on Health
1.2
greater than the impact of factors such as food, 1
1 1
0.8
physical activity and smoking. 0.6
0.4

• Furthermore, it was found that social isolation 0.2

0
0
Higher BMI Smoking and
increased chances of high BMI, smoking and Alcoholism

Adulthood Issues
alcoholism in the future.6,7 3
2.58
2.5
2
1.5 1.37
1 1
1
0.5
0
Higher BMI Smoking and Alcoholism
6
Low Isolation Levels Higher Isolation Levels
DIGITAL DIVIDE IN INDIA
• India is a country of vast differences.
Things that might be essential for
survival for some people might be
considered a luxury by others.
• In India, there are certain sections of
the population that do not have
access to digital devices or do not
have a steady internet connection.
• India is home to one of the largest
student populations of 315 million
students, about 50% of which are
girls. 9

7
 TWO ASPECTS OF DIGITAL DIVIDE
RURAL-URBAN DIVIDE
• Even with a 45% growth in the rural
population using internet services in India,
about 60% of the rural population does not
have access to the internet.11
• Even though the number of households that
own at least one smartphone doubled from
~30% in 2020 to ~60% in 2021, about 40% of
school going children do not have access to
the smartphones for the purpose of
education. 10
• Only 25% of the rural population is digitally literate as
compared to 61% of the urban population.
VIRTUAL LEARNING
DIGITAL DIVIDE
ACADEMIC PHOBIA
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS
According to a study conducted, the
impact of virtual learning on
psychological distress of students due to
digital divide causing academic phobia
has a coefficient of 0.795.13
GENDER DIVIDE
• According to the NFHS-5 report11, only 33%
women in the age bracket of 15-49 years
have ever used the internet as opposed to
more than 50% of men with the proportion
falling to 25% women in the rural regions
as compared to 44% men.
• In the age group of 15-24, on average 44%
women have used the internet as opposed
to 57% men in the same age bracket.
• Only 54% of women own a mobile phone
that they use themselves.
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 DIGITAL DIVIDE

• In June 2020, a 14 year old girl died by suicide in Kerala as her father
lost his job and was unable to purchase a smartphone for her online
education.14
• Another similar case occurred in Karnataka when a girl in high school
died by suicide as her parents were unable to provide her with a
smartphone to attend her online lectures.
• Only 47% of homes have a 12 hour electricity supply with 36% of
schools in the country having no access to electricity at all.15

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 THE WAY FORWARD
• First and foremost, the government, at the center and state level, needs to take
the issue of mental health in all age groups, but especially the young population,
more seriously and begin by collecting data on these issues on a regular basis.
• The existing programmes to combat digital illiteracy such as National Digital
Literacy Mission need to be ramped up and people from economically weaker
sections need to be encouraged to include technology in their daily lives post
these programmes.
• Although there is a large difference in scale, the UK’s system of forming bubbles
and conducting physical classes even during times of high infection rates can be
adapted to help students maintain balance in their everyday lives.
• Schools need to ensure that there is a psychological counsellor present in the
school at all times to help students manage their mental health.

10
THANK YOU
ANUSHA.SHARMA@WARWICK.AC.UK
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