Impacts of digital connectivity on Thailand’s Generation Z undergraduates’ social skills and emotional intelligence

Oct 15, 2026

Despite the widespread use of digital technology in social and education settings, relationships among digital connectivity, social skills, and emotional intelligence—especially for Generation Z students who rely heavily on digital platforms—remain insufficiently understood. This study applies structural equation modeling to 518 Generation Z undergraduates in Southern Thailand to test links among the three constructs and evaluate corresponding hypotheses using PLS-SEM. Results show digital connectivity does not harm social skills but negatively affects emotional intelligence; social skills significantly enhance emotional intelligence, including indirect effects.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Digital connectivity in modern communication and education

Digital access, platform proficiency, and learning readiness

Benefits and sociocultural engagement of online connectivity

OPEN ACCESS Research Article Contemporary Educational Technology, 2024, 16(1), ep487 ISSN: 1309-517X (Online) Impacts of digital connectivity on Thailand’s Generation Zundergraduates’ social skills and emotional intelligence Narinthon Imjai 1 0009-0005-7801-4343 Somnuk Aujirapongpan 2* 0000-0001-6275-9053 Jaturon Jutidharabongse 1 0000-0002-1571-778X Berto Usman 3 0000-0003-0210-3858 1 Faculty of Management Science, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, THAILAND 2 School of Accountancy and Finance, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, THAILAND 3 Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Bengkulu, Bengkulu, INDONESIA * Corresponding author: [asomnuk@wu.ac.th](asomnuk@wu.ac.th) Citation: Imjai, N., Aujirapongpan, S., Jutidharabongse, J., & Usman, B. (2024) . Impacts of digital connectivity on Thailand’s Generation Z undergraduates’ social skills and emotional intelligence. Contemporary Educational Technology, 16(1), ep487 . [https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14043](https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14043) ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT | Received: 6 Sep 2023
Accepted: 30 Nov 2023 | Notwithstanding the pervasive utilization of digital technology in social and educational realms, an in-depth understanding and exploration of the interrelationships amongst digital connectivity, social skills, and emotional intelligence, particularly within Generation Z demographic–known for their heavy reliance on digital platforms–remains elusive. This study endeavors to address this gap. Applying structural equation modeling, it examined the interrelationships between digital connectivity, social skills, and emotional intelligence, surveying a sample of 518 Generation Z students (comprising 77.61% females, 20.64% males, and 1.74% non-binary) across various academic years and disciplines at a university located in Southern Thailand. PLS-SEM software was employed to evaluate the structural model and substantiate the research hypotheses. Our findings suggest that digital connectivity did not detrimentally impact social skills. However, it negatively influenced emotional intelligence among Generation Z students, observable both at the operational level and in terms of fostering the capacity to regulate one’s own and others’ emotional states. Despite this, social skills proved to significantly enhance emotional intelligence. The same consistent pattern of a positive and significant influence is observed when testing the indirect effect of digital connectivity on emotional intelligence through social skills. Furthermore, it was found that robust and effective digital connectivity could potentially bolster understanding and management of emotions in the digital age, much like well-developed social skills. Hence, this study provides substantial insights into the nuanced impacts of digital connectivity on the social and emotional development of Generation Z students.
Keywords: digital connectivity, social skills, emotional intelligence, Generation Z students | | --- | --- | | INTRODUCTION | | In the modern era, characterized by pervasive digital technology, the fundamental nature of communication has undergone a dramatic metamorphosis. This digital interconnectivity, intensified by the ubiquity of platforms such as social media, messaging services, video conferencing, and various online forums, has revolutionized the way individuals transcend geographical constraints to establish contact with one another (Mishra, 2016) . As the sophistication of digital infrastructure–encompassing internet connectivity and smartphone technologies–escalates, so does the criticality of access and proficiency in utilizing these platforms. They have become instrumental in empowering individuals, institutions, and societies at large, fostering sustainable global knowledge access (Graham et al., 2017) . Starlink, a pioneering advancement, epitomizes this evolution by augmenting internet network systems

FAQs

How did the study examine the relationship between digital connectivity, social skills, and emotional intelligence?

It used structural equation modeling and evaluated the structural model and hypotheses with PLS-SEM based on survey data from 518 Generation Z students.

What is the effect of digital connectivity on social skills among Generation Z undergraduates?

Digital connectivity did not negatively impact social skills.

How do social skills relate to emotional intelligence, and does digital connectivity influence it indirectly?

Social skills significantly enhance emotional intelligence, and an indirect effect pattern shows digital connectivity can affect emotional intelligence through social skills.

Oct 15, 2026

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