Living Online: Assessing Digital Stress in Contemporary Educational Contexts Through the Digital Stress Scale

Chengankal Lakshmi^1* & Martha Karunakar^{2    
1}Assistant Professor, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai. *Corresponding Author.
²Associate Professor, Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Kalavakkam, Chennai.

^{Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 2, 2026. https://doi.org/10.21659/rupkatha.v18n2.05
Full-Text PDF Issue Access}

Abstract

The first quarter of the twenty-first century witnessed the rapid growth of digital technologies, yet their psychological impact on students and teachers is not fully understood. This research paper examines the prevalence of digital stress among students and presents the results of a pilot study using a multidimensional Likert Scale. Developed by Hall et al. (2021), the Digital Stress Scale consists of five components: Availability Stress, Approval Anxiety, Fear of Missing Out, Connection Overload, and Online Vigilance. Using purposive sampling, a mixed group of students, teachers, and working professionals (N=106) reported on the 24-item scale. The study also evaluated the feasibility and appropriateness of the scale in the Indian classroom context. Across the five subscales, 42-47% of all respondents reported typical experiences of digital stress, and approximately 15-20% experienced elevated levels of digital stress. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient demonstrated reliability and internal consistency of the subscales (?=0.83). The factor analysis (Principal Component Analysis) indicated digital stress as a common underlying construct and the Pearson correlation coefficient demonstrated the correlation between the five subscales. The findings suggest that DSS can function as an early, reliable psychometric tool that can inform and strengthen teacher observation of digital stress..

Keywords: Digital Stress, Student Anxiety, Digital Addiction, Connection Overload, Online Vigilance, Digital Technology for Education.