Emotional Well-Being and Academic Life Balance: University Students' Narratives on the Effects of Digital Hyperconnection

Abstract

This qualitative study, grounded in a phenomenological-interpretive design, aimed to explore university students’ experiences regarding digital hyperconnectivity, emotional well-being, and the balance between academic and personal life at a private university in Viña del Mar, Chile. The sample consisted of 18 Occupational Therapy students (mean age: 22.4 years; 61.1% female, 27.8% male, 5.6% non-binary; representing a diverse range of undergraduate academic years from second to fifth). Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding following grounded theory guidelines, with the assistance of Atlas.ti v25 software, to identify emerging categories and establish conceptual relationships. Findings were organized into two analytical categories. The first, Experiences and perceptions of digital hyperconnectivity, portrays hyperconnectivity as a taken-for-granted everyday condition shaped by intensive device use and the predominance of social media, streaming platforms, and artificial intelligence tools; within this category, a tension emerges between recognized practical/pedagogical usefulness and distracting or compulsive patterns of use. The second, Emotional well-being and balance in academic life, highlights the impact on emotions, time management, sleep, and relationships, as well as disconnection strategies to restore balance (time limits, mental breaks, and offline activities). In conclusion, digital hyperconnectivity is significantly associated with emotional well-being and the academic-personal life balance. Students’ narratives suggest that technology can enrich learning when accompanied by regulation, media literacy, and deliberate disconnection practices. Therefore, context-sensitive institutional interventions are needed to promote conscious disconnection, digital identity education, and a pedagogical design that integrates digital tools through a critical and ethical approach.