Impact of Social Media Usage on Spiritual Intelligence Among College Students

In recent years, the proliferation of social media platforms has had a profound impact on virtually every aspect of society. Through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and countless others, billions of people across the globe are able to connect, share, and exchange ideas like never before (Kietzmann et al, 2011). This digital revolution has fundamentally transformed the way we communicate, learn, and interact on a daily basis. However, the rapid ascendance of social media has also sparked concerns regarding its effects on emotional and psychological well-being (Dhawan et al, 2022).

The excessive or inappropriate use of social media has been linked to negative outcomes, including increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. These platforms can distort perceptions of reality, exacerbating feelings of inadequacy and social comparison that undercut emotional and spiritual growth (Galanter, 2005). Individuals with high spiritual intelligence are often described as having a deep sense of inner peace, compassion, and a desire for personal growth and self-actualization. They possess the ability to navigate life's challenges with wisdom, resilience, and a broader perspective, drawing strength from their spiritual beliefs and practices(Sadiku et al, 2021).

In the context of students and young adults, spiritual intelligence can play a significant role in personal development, decision-making, and overall well-being. It can provide a sense of grounding, purpose, and resilience during the often turbulent and transformative years of academic and personal growth. Additionally, spiritual intelligence may contribute to a deeper understanding of one's place in the world, fostering a sense of connectedness and ethical responsibility (Ferreira,2014).As the influence of social media continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to gain a deeper understanding of how it affects the emotional and spiritual well-being of individuals, particularly at the critical stage of graduation. Therefore, the current study was caried out to find the difference in spiritual intelligence between the social media users and non-social media users.

The current research work has descriptive research design since it aimed to describe the spiritual intelligence of a population. It involved the survey method through a standard questionnaire to know the level of spiritual intelligence of the graduate students of Sri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan.The current research work is based on the population variable such as social media users and non-user of social media users. Thus, the research used the stratified sampling method.Accordingly, the samples were taken to know the spiritual intelligence from following eight different population groups.
1. UB-SMU: Urban Boy Social Media User Graduate Students

2. RB-SMU: Rural Boy Social Media User Graduate Students

3. UG-SMU: Urban Girl Social Media User Graduate Students

4. RG-SMU: Rural Girl Social Media User Graduate Students

5. UB-NSMU: Urban Boy Non-Social Media User Graduate Students

6. RB-NSMU: Rural Boy Non-Social Media User Graduate Students

7. UG-NSMU: Urban Girl Non-Social Media User Graduate Students

8. RG-NSMU: Rural Girl Non-Social Media User Graduate Students

In the current research, the 600 graduate student samples were taken from the six selected colleges of study area. The students were asked to fill the standard questionaries for the measurement of spiritual intelligence. Among the 600 graduate students, the 300 students were taken as social media users and 300 students as non-social media users. Further, from each set of 300 graduate students, the 150 were taken as boys and 150 as girls graduate students. From each set of 150 boy and 150 girl students were divided into urban and rural groups. The full composition of the samples is shown in the figure (Figure-1).

Figure 1: Structure of the sample on the scale of three variables (Social media usages, Gender, and locality)

To assess and quantify spiritual intelligence, the current study used a customised Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale (ISIS) adopted from Amram and Dryer (2008). The adopted Integrated Spiritual Intelligence Scale (ISIS) contained 40 questions and scored on the 5-point Likert scale with 200 absolute score. The study implemented the forward scoring system that suggests linkage of higher score with greater spiritual intelligence and lower score with poorer spiritual intelligence.

After collection of the primary data, the descriptive statistics were used to summarize the survey responses. This study was conducted in accordance with ethical guidelines to ensure the confidentiality and anonymity of all participants. Informed consent was obtained from each participant prior to the commencement of the study.

The impact of social media on spiritual intelligence among students is a complex issue with both positive and negative aspects. Social media can significantly affect spiritual growth through shared beliefs, messages, and religious teachings. It allows individuals to access faith-based material and content, share religious content, and engage with others about faith, promoting individual and corporate responsibility (Beckham, 2023; Smith et al, 2021). Social media can also provide spiritual and faith-based information without barriers and difficulties, uplifting one's spiritual health through shared philosophies, mottos, epigrams, and quotes from famous people (Brubaker and Haigh, 2017).

In concern to spiritual intelligence of the graduate students, the values of the integrated spiritual intelligence scale (ISIS) for the social media users and non-social media users were received as per the curve (Figure-2, Figure-3, Figure-4).The study found that the average value of the integrated spiritual intelligence scale (ISIS) for the social media users as164.89 and value of the emotional maturity scale (EMS) for the non-social media users as 153.58.  It reveals that the value of integrated spiritual intelligence scale (ISIS) is found to be high in the social media users. It provides a confirmation that the use of social media among graduate students is responsible for the increase in the spiritual intelligence. Since impact of social media on spiritual intelligence among students is a complex issue, hence few studies have also endorsed the similar results and provided the justification for increased spiritual intelligence  due to the accessibilityof inspirational content. Social media platforms are fullof inspirational quotes, stories, and content that can inspire contemplation, self-reflection, and a sense of awe and reverence for the human experience. Exposure to such content may foster spiritual growth and insights (Syrdal and Briggs, 2018; Valenzuela et al, 2017).

Additionally, few studies provide the explanation for elevated spiritual intelligence as exposure to diverse beliefs and philosophies by social media. The social media provides access to a vast array of information, perspectives and resources related to spirituality. Exposure to diverse beliefs, philosophies, and teachings can broaden students' awareness and understanding of existential and transcendent concepts, and further it can potentially enhance spiritual intelligence of students (Campbell, 2012; Helland, 2016; Khan and Martinez,2023).

The study analysed the spiritual intelligence among different categories of graduate students based on the gender and locality. The study found that UG-SMU (Urban Girl Social Media User Graduate Students) and UB-SMU (Urban Boy Social Media User Graduate Students) exhibited the highest values of integrated spiritual intelligence scale (ISIS) (169.05 and 161.45). Correspondingly,UB-NSMU (Urban Boy Non-Social Media User Graduate Students) and UG-NSMU (Urban Girl Non-Social Media User Graduate Students) exhibited the lowest values of integrated spiritual intelligence scale (ISIS) (150.84 and 152.81). It inferences that social media usage is responsible for increased spiritual intelligence.

Moreover, it was observed that in concerned to gender, the girls keep more spiritual intelligence and more specifically in social media usages group. It provides the explanation that girls have tendency to search and view the spiritual contents on internet. The algorithms of the social media platforms serve the similar content repetitively with unlimited scrolling on phone or computer. Ultimately, it could favour to rise the spiritual intelligence. Along this, the rural background and absence of social media accessibility girls preserve more spiritual intelligence due to the family heritage and social influences.

Figure 2: Distribution of Spiritual Intelligence in the sampled students

Figure 3: Average value of Spiritual Intelligence in different categories of graduate students

Figure 4: Status of the Spiritual Intelligence in SMU and NSMU Graduate Students

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