Existential attitudes of academic youth in a post-pandemic digital society

• Katarzyna Nowak

  Wydział Filologiczno-Pedagogiczny UTH Radom

  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2031-3074

The aim of this article was to determine the existential attitude of academic youth. Research was undertaken to determine the direction of this attitude and to what extent it depends on a sense of satisfaction with life, selected demographic and Internet use variables. The theoretical basis of the research was based on the assumptions of existential psychology and philosophy. Tools such as Grulkowski's To Be and Have Attitude Scale (SPBiM), Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) developed by Juczyński and a personal data questionnaire were used. The research group consisted of a total of 198 students. The results of the research showed that academic youth in general are characterised by an average degree of existential attitude („to be” and „to have” at the same time). Statistical analyses made it possible to identify its main correlates and determinants. The direction of the attitude „to be” was stronger the higher the age of the respondents, the education of the father and the better the relationship with him, as well as the greater number of friends they had and being a person of faith. On the other hand, a negative correlation occurred in relation to time spent online; the greater the number of hours spent online, the more the students were characterised by „to have” attitude. The results indicate that the variables of age, religiosity, father figure and interpersonal relationships are important in shaping the attitude „to be”, while excessive digital activity favours the attitude „to have”.

1. Katarzyna Nowak, Wydział Filologiczno-Pedagogiczny UTH Radom

   dr n.hum. in the field of psychology, a graduate of the Catholic University of Lublin (2003), psychologist, psychotherapist, since 2005 an assistant professor at the University of Technology and Humanities in Radom; author of the monograph Quality of life in mental illness (2010) and scientific articles in the field of clinical psychology. Member of the Polish Psychological Association. She completed a 4-year training course in psychotherapy at the Rasztów Institute of Group Analysis in Warsaw (2004), constantly improves the psychotherapist's workshop, and conducts psychotherapeutic practice under supervision.

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