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FORMOSA NEWS - Surabaya - A newly synthesized study shows that intense school performance demands and unchecked digital tool usage are driving a hidden psychological crisis in young learners. The comprehensive research, authored by researchers Nursida, Ganes Gunansyah, Neni Mariana, and Suryanti from Universitas Negeri Surabaya in Indonesia, was published in June 2026. The team integrated insights from child developmental neuropsychology, critical pedagogy, and child development theory to examine the psychological outcomes of modern classroom shifts. Their analysis reveals that the combined force of educational technology and high achievement standards significantly challenges the developing emotional and cognitive capacities of elementary school students, highlighting the urgent need for a more humanistic approach to digital education.
The Digital Shift and Academic Demands in Modern Classrooms
Primary education has shifted dramatically as digital tools, electronic learning platforms, and online homework systems replace traditional face-to-face classroom environments. This rapid integration occurred alongside increasingly competitive school environments and heavy parental expectations regarding standardized performance metrics. While educational platforms offer expanded flexibility and resources, they also force young children into advanced cognitive and attentional challenges. Understanding how these factors overlap is critical for developing educational policy that preserves long-term childhood emotional resilience and social development.
How the Study Was Conducted
To map the combined impact of educational technology and school expectations, the research team from Universitas Negeri Surabaya conducted a qualitative systematic literature review. Following the rigorous PRISMA 2020 framework, the authors screened 539 scientific papers across global databases, including Scopus and Web of Science. The investigators narrowed their final analysis to 25 core peer-reviewed journal articles and empirical studies published between 2021 and 2025. This timeline ensured that all analyzed data accurately reflected modern post-pandemic digital learning environments. The research team evaluated the data using an interactive model of data reduction and thematic tracking to isolate the exact drivers of primary school psychological stress.
Key Findings: A Compounding Cycle of Stress
The synthesis revealed that academic demands and school digitalization are not separate problems; instead, they interact to create a negative psychological cycle for primary school students:
These findings show that treating technology use and academic stress as independent factors fails to protect young learners. Educational structures have expanded competition beyond the physical classroom into digital spaces, exposing children to continuous peer comparisons via online dashboards and performance tracking software. To break this cycle, schools, parents, and educational policymakers must transition toward a humanistic-digital learning framework. This model requires balancing digital assignments with screen-free instruction, embedding socio-emotional learning into daily school routines, and adjusting homework loads to match childhood neurodevelopmental capacities.
Author Profiles
Nursida, S.Pd. is a postgraduate researcher at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, specializing in primary education, child developmental psychology, and contemporary pedagogical frameworks.
Dr. Ganes Gunansyah, M.Pd. is an academic and researcher at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, focusing on elementary education development, critical pedagogy, and social sciences instruction.
Dr. Neni Mariana, M.Pd. is an expert in foundational curriculum design and instructional methods within the Faculty of Education at Universitas Negeri Surabaya.
Prof. Dr. Suryanti, M.Pd. is a professor of elementary education at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, specializing in child development, humanistic educational models, and teacher training.
Source
Nursida, Ganes Gunansyah, Neni Mariana, dan Suryanti. Mental Health Crisis in Elementary School Students: The Hidden Impact of Academic Pressure and Digitalization. Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS). Vol. 5, No. 6 2026. Hal. 1405-1420
DOI :https://doi.org/10.55927/fjas.v5i6.71
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas
The Digital Shift and Academic Demands in Modern Classrooms
Primary education has shifted dramatically as digital tools, electronic learning platforms, and online homework systems replace traditional face-to-face classroom environments. This rapid integration occurred alongside increasingly competitive school environments and heavy parental expectations regarding standardized performance metrics. While educational platforms offer expanded flexibility and resources, they also force young children into advanced cognitive and attentional challenges. Understanding how these factors overlap is critical for developing educational policy that preserves long-term childhood emotional resilience and social development.
How the Study Was Conducted
To map the combined impact of educational technology and school expectations, the research team from Universitas Negeri Surabaya conducted a qualitative systematic literature review. Following the rigorous PRISMA 2020 framework, the authors screened 539 scientific papers across global databases, including Scopus and Web of Science. The investigators narrowed their final analysis to 25 core peer-reviewed journal articles and empirical studies published between 2021 and 2025. This timeline ensured that all analyzed data accurately reflected modern post-pandemic digital learning environments. The research team evaluated the data using an interactive model of data reduction and thematic tracking to isolate the exact drivers of primary school psychological stress.
Key Findings: A Compounding Cycle of Stress
The synthesis revealed that academic demands and school digitalization are not separate problems; instead, they interact to create a negative psychological cycle for primary school students:
- Structural Academic Stress: High performance metrics, constant standardized testing, and fear of failure act as chronic psychological burdens, which directly trigger school-related anxiety and emotional exhaustion.
- Cognitive Overload: Intensive screen exposure, constant digital notifications, and interactive multimedia platforms exceed the working memory capacity of young learners, causing mental fatigue and fragmented attention.
- The Socio-Digital Feedback Loop: Students facing intense academic expectations spend significantly more time on digital learning platforms. This heavy usage triggers cognitive exhaustion, lowers learning efficiency, causes performance to slip, and ultimately results in renewed academic pressure
- Impaired Neuropsychological Functioning: Prolonged exposure to these compounding educational demands disrupts executive functions, including planning, working memory, emotional control, and frustration tolerance
- Shifts in Motivation: Extensive engagement with gamified digital learning platforms shifts child motivation away from natural curiosity and toward short-term, external digital rewards and external validation.
These findings show that treating technology use and academic stress as independent factors fails to protect young learners. Educational structures have expanded competition beyond the physical classroom into digital spaces, exposing children to continuous peer comparisons via online dashboards and performance tracking software. To break this cycle, schools, parents, and educational policymakers must transition toward a humanistic-digital learning framework. This model requires balancing digital assignments with screen-free instruction, embedding socio-emotional learning into daily school routines, and adjusting homework loads to match childhood neurodevelopmental capacities.
Author Profiles
Nursida, S.Pd. is a postgraduate researcher at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, specializing in primary education, child developmental psychology, and contemporary pedagogical frameworks.
Dr. Ganes Gunansyah, M.Pd. is an academic and researcher at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, focusing on elementary education development, critical pedagogy, and social sciences instruction.
Dr. Neni Mariana, M.Pd. is an expert in foundational curriculum design and instructional methods within the Faculty of Education at Universitas Negeri Surabaya.
Prof. Dr. Suryanti, M.Pd. is a professor of elementary education at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, specializing in child development, humanistic educational models, and teacher training.
Source
Nursida, Ganes Gunansyah, Neni Mariana, dan Suryanti. Mental Health Crisis in Elementary School Students: The Hidden Impact of Academic Pressure and Digitalization. Formosa Journal of Applied Sciences (FJAS). Vol. 5, No. 6 2026. Hal. 1405-1420
DOI :
URL: https://journalfjas.my.id/index.php/fjas
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