• Kirti Trivedi
• Prof. Anil Kumar Panda

The rapid growth of internet penetration and social networking site (SNS) usage in India has significantly influenced the social, academic, and personal lives of undergraduate (U.G.) students. The impact of digital involvement in promoting or impeding social maturity has emerged as a crucial field of study given the ways in which social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn have influenced patterns of contact. Interpersonal competence, responsibility, adaptability, and self-control are the four elements that determine social maturity, and the setting of digital engagement has led to a reconfiguration of these elements. This investigation looked into the relationship between students in undergraduate programs in India and their views towards internet and social networking site (SNS) usage, with a special emphasis on gender and variances based on faculty. The research utilised a review-based technique, exclusively relying on secondary sources such as academic publications from the years 2015–2025, government papers, policy documents, and national polls. Thematic analysis was utilised to organise the data according to three major dimensions: the attitudes of the participants towards the internet and social networking sites, their social maturity in digital participation, and variances particular to faculty members and demographic groups. The findings showed that while excessive dependence and misuse led to immaturity in offline relationships, an excessive reliance on validation, and a decrease in empathy, positive and constructive attitudes towards internet and SNS use encouraged decision-making abilities, adaptability, and interpersonal confidence. With female students frequently exhibiting more balanced and sympathetic interaction and male students showing higher risks of competitive or hostile online behaviour, gender emerged as a crucial moderator. Results were further differed by faculty backgrounds, with professional course students exhibiting higher levels of career-driven, organised digital maturity than the more varied patterns seen in non-professional faculties. The conclusion emphasized that internet and SNS use significantly shaped social maturity among U.G. students, with outcomes contingent upon attitudes, gender, faculty, and socio-cultural contexts. Recommendations included digital literacy programs, counseling initiatives, faculty specific skill development, gender-sensitive interventions, and longitudinal research to track evolving digital behaviors.

Internet attitudes, social networking, social maturity, undergraduate students, India

"A STUDY ON THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE ATTITUDE, SOCIAL MATURITY OF U.G. STUDENTS WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR GENDER AND FACULTY", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 9, page no.e658-e670, September-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2509476.pdf

"A STUDY ON THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE ATTITUDE, SOCIAL MATURITY OF U.G. STUDENTS WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR GENDER AND FACULTY", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 9, page no. ppe658-e670, September-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2509476.pdf