Utilization of Digital Technology by Gen Zs for Academic Writing

The pervasive integration of digital technology into the lives of Generation Z (Gen Z) has prompted significant inquiry into its impact on their academic development, particularly concerning language and writing competencies. This study investigates the utilization of digital technology by Gen Z students in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, and its perceived influence on their academic writing development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected via a survey and a qualitative writing task from 275 university and polytechnic students. Findings reveal a dichotomy between Gen Z's immersion in informal digital communication (dominated by social media apps like WhatsApp) and their pragmatic use of academic writing tools (such as Grammarly and Mendeley) primarily for efficiency and error correction. However, a significant gap was observed between tool usage and genuine writing development; limited participant elaboration and the presence of AI-generated text suggest that technology often serves as a compensatory crutch rather than a scaffold for building core writing skills. The study concludes that the influence of digital technology on academic writing is not inherent but is mediated by the criticality and purpose of its use. It recommends that educational interventions move beyond mere tool adoption to include structured integration into the writing process and explicit instruction in digital literacy to ensure technology acts as a bridge to, rather than a replacement for, cognitive engagement in writing.