Analysis of the relationship between technology addiction and moral maturity levels of Turkish generation Z high school students

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between the level of technology addiction and the level of moral maturity among Turkish Generation Z high school students. The research was conducted during the 2023-2024 academic year with 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students studying in three different types of high schools (Anatolian High School, Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, Imam Hatip High School) located in the Başakşehir district of Istanbul. The sample of the study consists of 466 students who are Turkish nationals and were born after the year 2000, studying in these three high schools in the Başakşehir district of Istanbul. This study, which aims to analyze the relationship between technology addiction and moral maturity levels of Turkish Generation Z high school students, is based on a quantitative paradigm and employs a correlational research model. During the data collection process, the "Technology Addiction Scale" and the "Moral Maturity Scale" were used, along with the "Personal Information Form" prepared by the researcher. The SPSS 22.0 software package was utilized for the analysis of the obtained data. When examining the findings of the study, it is observed that the technology addiction level and the moral maturity level of Turkish Generation Z high school students are influenced by some demographic variables. Significant differences were found between the level of technology addiction and variables such as age, type of high school, grade level, and time spent on the internet. Furthermore, significant differences were found between the moral maturity level and variables such as family economic status and time spent on the internet. Based on these findings, the study concluded that as the level of technology addiction, including behaviors such as using social networks, instant messaging, online gaming, and browsing websites, decreases, the level of moral maturity among Turkish Generation Z high school students increases.