Email this article Connected yet Isolated: Digital Social Disruption and Its Impact on Learning and Interaction in Rural Elementary Education
), Sriyanto Sriyanto(2), Subuh Anggoro(3), Anang Widhi Nirwansyah(4), Văn Kim Hoàng Hà(5)
| 
Country:
(1) Master of Primary Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia
(2) Master of Primary Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia
(3) Department of Preservice Elementary Teacher, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia
(4) Department of Geography Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, Indonesia
(5) University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam
Corresponding Author
Recent technology and gadget use have profoundly affected children and how they communicate and learn, including those living in remote areas. The goal of this study is to understand the emerging social phenomenon of digital social disruption and its ramifications for social communication and academic engagement, with a focus on elementary school children in rural areas and on intensive technology use. The study's rural context is digital social disruption and its impact on children's social engagement and learning. The study employs a qualitative approach and a case study design. Data were obtained through community and classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with parents, students, and teachers, and relevant documents collected from school and home. When relating the discovered themes to the three forms of digital social disruption, it was identified that the first digital social disruption involves the transition from a participatory social engagement to a digital individualised participation where social empathetic engagement and social/interpersonal skills are noticeably diminished; the second involves a prevalent digital distraction and poor collective learning culture that causes a focus deficiency on academic achievement tasks; and lastly, the school and family collaboration in fostering children's digital capacities has been poor resulting in inadequate digital supervision. Rural youth social ecosystems are being impacted by digital individualization through the dismantling of established social collectives. The study recommends that more responsive digital literacy programs and school-family collaboration on the responsible use of technology, and revitalizing children’s social engagement are important.
Keywords: social disruption, digital era, social interaction, learning concentration
Abidin, I. H. Z., Abd Patah, M. O. R., Majid, M. A. A., Usman, S. B., & Zulkornain, L. H. (2024). A practical guide to improve trustworthiness of qualitative research for novices. Asian Journal of Research in Education and Social Sciences, 6(S1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2024.6.S1.2
Ahmed, S. K. (2024). The pillars of trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 2, 100051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100051
Akar, S. G. M., & Özer, M. (2025). Digital game addiction in elementary students: The impact of digital literacy, parental styles, and background variables. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 9(1), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202531537
Akbar, M., & Wijaya, G. (2024). Digital literacy of rural areas in Indonesia: Challenges and opportunities. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.1-11-2023.2344347
Almeida, M., Silva, P., Frizzo, G., & Fitzpatrick, C. (2024). “It was a Survival Tool”: Parental Perspectives of Preschoolers Media Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic. In Digital Media and Early Child Development: Theoretical and Empirical Issues (pp. 187–198). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69224-6_13
Aprilita, A. (2024). Human resource management strategies for generation Z: Challenges and opportunities in the digital era to increase career maturity. Advances In Social Humanities Research, 2(2), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.46799/adv.v2i2.187
Bal, M., Kara Aydemir, A. G., Tepetaş Cengiz, G. Ş., & Altındağ, A. (2024). Examining the relationship between language development, executive function, and screen time: A systematic review. PloS One, 19(12), e0314540. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314540
Beck, U. (2016). The metamorphosis of the world: How climate change is transforming our concept of the world. John Wiley & Sons.
Blumer, H. (1986). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. University of California Press. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=HVuognZFofoC
Crawford, M. (2020). Ecological Systems Theory: Exploring the Development of the Theoretical Framework as Conceived by Bronfenbrenner. Journal of Public Health Issues and Practices, 4(2), 2–7. https://doi.org/10.33790/jphip1100170
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage Publications.
Davis, K., Anderson, M., Yang, C.-C., Choukas-Bradley, S., Bell, B. T., & Slovak, P. (2025). Cross-disciplinary perspectives on youth digital well-being research: Identifying notable developments, persistent gaps, and future directions. Journal of Adolescent Research, 40(2), 259–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584241291
Erikson, E. H. (1993). Childhood and society. W. W. Norton. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=5JrjqzBMHa8C
Fitzpatrick, C., Almeida, M. L., Harvey, E., Garon-Carrier, G., Berrigan, F., & Asbridge, M. (2022). An examination of bedtime media and excessive screen time by Canadian preschoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Pediatrics, 22(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03280-8
Gath, M., McNeill, B., & Gillon, G. (2023). Preschoolers’ screen time and reduced opportunities for quality interaction: Associations with language development and parent-child closeness. Current Research in Behavioral Sciences, 5, 100140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crbeha.2023.100140
Izzaki, M. I., Rahayu, T., Prasetya, Y. Y., & Risdiana, Z. (2025). The impact of ICT use in learning on students’ social interactions. Al Irfan: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Dan Penelitian, 1(1), 14–20. https://doi.org/10.64877/alirfan.v1i1.13
Jourdren, M., Bucaille, A., & Ropars, J. (2023). The impact of screen exposure on attention abilities in young children: a systematic review. Pediatric Neurology, 142, 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2023.01.005
Jungselius, B. (2024). A scoping review of current research on social media use among children and adolescents. Discover Psychology, 4(1), 116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-024-00226-2
Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and effort (Vol. 1063). Citeseer. https://doi.org/10.2307/1421603
Kiing, J. S., Kang, Y. Q., Mulay, K. V., Lim, T. S., Chong, S. C., Tan, M. Y., Chan, Y. H., Lim, A. S., & Aishworiya, R. (2024). Screen time and social-emotional skills in preschoolers with developmental, behavioural or emotional issues in Singapore. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore, 53(7), 410–419. https://doi.org/10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023384
Kivimaa, P., Laakso, S., Lonkila, A., & Kaljonen, M. (2021). Moving beyond disruptive innovation: A review of disruption in sustainability transitions. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 38, 110–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2020.12.001
Kumar, N. (2026). Smartphone User Statistics 2026 (Worldwide Data). Demandsage. https://www.demandsage.com/smartphone-usage-statistics/
Kundu, A., Bej, T., & Mondal, G. C. (2023). Elementary math class in face-to-face, fully online, and flipped mode: A comparative study on students’ achievement and satisfaction. E-learning and Digital Media, 20(4), 331–351. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530221109700
Lestari, I. P., Novitri, & Amelia, F. (2024). Factors related to gadget use and social interaction in school-age children. Citra Delima Scientific Journal of Citra Internasional Institute, 7(2), 148–155. https://doi.org/10.33862/citradelima.v7i2.372
Li, Y. (2024). Children’s development in the digital age: Impact of technology, family, and pandemic on education and well-being. In Early Child Development and Care (Vol. 194, Issues 13–14, pp. 1245–1250). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2024.2440687
Madigan, S., Eirich, R., Pador, P., McArthur, B. A., & Neville, R. D. (2022). Assessment of changes in child and adolescent screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(12), 1188–1198. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4116
Maghfirah, A., Alfadia, D., Nuraida, A. A., & Sembiring, I. N. B. (2025). The influence of gadgets and social media on elementary school children’s language skills. QISTINA: Jurnal Multidisiplin Indonesia, 4(1), 408–417. https://doi.org/10.57235/qistina.v4i1.6138
Maihasni, M., Fachrina, F., Anggraini, N., & Ariesta, A. (2025). Social cohesion and social media threats to families in the digital era. Society, 13(2), 796–813. https://doi.org/10.33019/society.v13i2.833
Mekonen, L. D., Kumsa, D. M., & Adamu Amanu, A. (2024). Social media use, effects, and parental mediation among school adolescents in a developing country. Heliyon, 10(6), e27855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27855
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2018). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook. SAGE Publications.
Moleong, L. J. (2019). Qualitative research methodology: revised edition. PT. Remaja Rosda Karya.
Morgan, H. (2024). Using triangulation and crystallization to make qualitative studies trustworthy and rigorous. The Qualitative Report, 29(7), 1844–1856. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.6071
Nagy, B., Kutrovátz, K., Király, G., & Rakovics, M. (2023). Parental mediation in the age of mobile technology. Children & Society, 37(2), 424–451. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12599
Nasution, R. A. (2024). Dampak penggunaan gadget pada anak di Desa Jambur Padang Matinggi Kecamatan Panyabungan Utara Kabupaten Mandailing Natal (Doctoral dissertation, UIN Syekh Ali Hasan Ahmad Addary Padangsidimpuan).
Naveeda, & Wajahat, S. (2024). E-learning experiences of students in Pakistan during COVID-19: Barriers and perceptions. E-Learning and Digital Media, 21(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530231217945
Pausas, J. G., & Leverkus, A. B. (2023). Disturbance ecology in human societies. People and Nature, 5(4), 1082–1093. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10471
Presta, V., Guarnieri, A., Laurenti, F., Mazzei, S., Arcari, M. L., Mirandola, P., Vitale, M., Chia, M. Y. H., Condello, G., & Gobbi, G. (2024). The impact of digital devices on children’s health: A systematic literature review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk9040236
Rega, V., Gioia, F., & Boursier, V. (2023). Problematic media use among children up to the age of 10: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(10), 5854. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105854
Sanaullah, S. (2021). Understanding social disruption in armed conflict: Its significance for post-conflict reconstruction in Swat Valley, Pakistan. Conflict, Security & Development, 21(5), 615–639. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2021.1991156
Steinsbekk, S., Bjørklund, O., Valkenburg, P., Nesi, J., & Wichstrøm, L. (2024). The new social landscape: Relationships among social media use, social skills, and offline friendships from age 10–18 years. Computers in Human Behavior, 156, 108235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108235
Stevic, A., Schmuck, D., Thomas, M. F., Karsay, K., & Matthes, J. (2024). Distracted children? Nighttime smartphone use, children’s attentional problems, and school performance over time. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 44(2), 223–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/02724316231164734
Unicef. (2023). Online knowledge and practice of parents and children in Indonesia: a baseline study, 2023. 234.
Van Grunsven, J., & Marin, L. (2024). Technosocial disruption, enactivism, & social media: On the overlooked risks of teenage cancel culture. Technology in Society, 78, 102602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102602
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (Vol. 86). Harvard university press.
Weiss, H. A., & Bonell, C. (2025). Smartphone use and mental health: going beyond school restriction policies. The Lancet Regional Health–Europe, 51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101237
WHO. (2019). Guidelines on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep. In the World Health Organization. World Health Organization.
Wu, D., Dong, X., Liu, D., & Li, H. (2024). How early digital experience shapes young brains during 0-12 years: A scoping review. Early Education and Development, 35(7), 1395–1431. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2023.2278117
Yin, R. K. (2017). Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage Publications.
Zonyfar, C., Maharina, M., Sihabudin, S., & Ahmad, K. (2022). Digital literacy: Strengthening student ethics and interactions on social media. JMM (Jurnal Masyarakat Mandiri), 6(2), 1426. https://doi.org/10.31764/jmm.v6i2.7274
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
View My Stats