Shifting inward.

Query

In a college setting, I can see a shift of students towards outside of the classroom, I dont know where, my guess is that cellphones and new technologies are creating isolates hubs, where a person reside, reducing the desire to interact with others, or learn from others. Now with AI, most of the questions are at your fingertips, so its putting cellphone+person on the center of the equation. What questionnary you recommend to apply to college students, to evaluate if this is true. and what are your thoughts on this.

Research Question (Reformulated previous paragraph)

To what extent are smartphones, AI technologies, and other personal digital tools contributing to increased social isolation and reduced peer-to-peer engagement among college students in academic settings?

ChatGPT respond

That’s a deeply thoughtful observation, and I think you’re tapping into something real. The phenomenon you’re describing is like a cultural “center of gravity” shifting inward—*from community to the individual, from shared learning to private tech-fueled bubbles.

Let’s break this into two parts:

---

🔍 What You’re Observing

You’re noticing:

• Less desire to interact or learn from others
• Increased reliance on tech (phones, AI) for answers
• A shift away from classroom community into personal “tech-hubs”

These are markers of:

• Social isolation
• Self-centered learning (vs collaborative)
• Disengagement from communal spaces

---

✅ Recommended Questionnaire Approach

There’s no single perfect instrument for this, but a custom composite questionnaire pulling from validated scales would be most insightful.

🔧 Key Constructs to Measure

Here are the themes you likely want to assess, and the tools to pull from:

---

1. Social Connectedness

• Tool: Social Connectedness Scale – Revised (SCS-R)
• Measures students’ sense of interpersonal closeness with others.
• Sample item: “I feel disconnected from the world around me.”

---

2. Technology & Phone Dependence

• Tool: Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version (SAS-SV)
• Also consider: Problematic Use of Mobile Phones (PUMP)
• These assess tech dependency, especially social avoidance behaviors.

---

3. Learning Orientation

• Tool: Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) or Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)
• Look for shifts in intrinsic motivation, collaboration, and effort regulation.

---

4. Narcissism / Self-Centering

• Tool: Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ) or Selfism Scale
• Optional if you want to gauge ego-centric shift, especially if it’s part of a larger hypothesis.

---

5. Empathy and Community Engagement

• Tool: Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and/or some custom community engagement questions.
• Add a few of your own:
  • “I regularly engage in meaningful conversations with peers.”
  • “I learn more from my devices than from people.”

---

🧠 My Take (philosophical + practical)

You’re picking up on a major cultural fault line. Here’s what I think:

• AI + Phones = Autonomy on Steroids. It’s amazing, but it breeds disconnection if left unchecked.
  
• Learning becomes transactional—just grab the answer, no need for a person.
  
• We’re not just outsourcing memory—we’re outsourcing relationships and humility.
  
• This generation isn’t more selfish—they’re more overstimulated and undersocialized.
  
• The spiritual danger? Becoming gods of our own isolated bubbles, not disciples in community.

---

👣 Next Step

If you like, I can:

1. Draft a short, composite questionnaire you could try at ORU.
   
2. Help you design a research project or focus group to dig deeper.
   
3. Work with you to build an “AI & Social Learning Index” as a new tool.

---

15-question student survey

---

📋 Student Survey: Technology, Learning, and Social Engagement

🧠 Section 1: Social Connectedness and Peer Learning

1. I feel connected to other students in my classes.
   
2. I often engage in meaningful academic conversations with classmates.
   
3. I prefer studying alone rather than working with others. (reverse-scored)
   
4. I feel like I’m part of a learning community at this university.
   
5. I believe I learn more when I interact with other people.

📱 Section 2: Technology Use and Dependence

6. I check my phone during class even when I don’t need to.
   
7. I feel uncomfortable if I don’t have my phone with me.
   
8. I often use my phone or laptop to avoid social interaction.
   
9. I use AI tools (like ChatGPT) instead of asking classmates or instructors for help.
   
10. When I have a question about coursework, I turn to online tools before people.

🎓 Section 3: Learning Motivation and Behavior

11. I feel personally motivated to understand what I’m learning, beyond just getting a good grade.
    
12. I am more interested in finishing assignments quickly than learning deeply. (reverse-scored)
    
13. I find it easier to focus when I am not using technology.
    
14. I feel proud when I solve academic problems on my own, without tech assistance.
    
15. I believe that learning is something best done together, not just individually.

---

✅ Scoring Notes (for you as the researcher):

• Use a 5-point Likert scale (Strongly Disagree → Strongly Agree).
• You can group questions into subscales:
  • Connectedness & Collaboration: Q1–5
  • Tech & AI Reliance: Q6–10
  • Learning Orientation: Q11–15
• Reverse-scored items: Q3, Q12
• Use for exploratory analysis, or validate over time.