Digital Technology, Problematic Use, and Socio-Economic Consequences: A Multidimensional Empirical Study

The rapid diffusion of digital technology has significantly transformed educational systems, labour market participation, and socio-economic interaction. Although digital access improves connectivity and information availability, increasing patterns of problematic digital use among university students raise concerns regarding productivity and human capital development. (a) This study examines problematic digital use from an economic perspective by conceptualizing digital engagement as a time-allocation problem where attention functions as a scarce productive resource. (b) The paper proposes an integrated framework combining human capital theory, behavioural economics, and digital inequality perspectives to explain how engagement-driven digital environments influence students’ educational investment decisions. (c) The analysis suggests that excessive digital engagement can distort rational time allocation, fragment attention, and reduce learning efficiency, thereby influencing socio-economic outcomes. (d) The findings provide insights for universities, policymakers, and digital platform designers to develop strategies that promote balanced digital engagement and support sustainable human capital formation in the digital era.