The relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies: a review of modern research

In the current social situation, there is concern about the nature of the impact of digitalization on the emotional sphere of the individual, which is insufficiently studied in psychological science. The article provides an overview devoted to the problem of the relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies. It aims to summarize the results of modern studies on this relationship. To achieve this aim, 35 full-text versions of articles describing the relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies published in 2018-2023 were analyzed, of which 15 were written by Russian and 20 - by foreign authors. The results of the conducted research were analyzed based on the cultural and historical approach. The author identifies branches of psychology that deal with the relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies as a research problem: educational psychology, cyberpsychology, health psychology, and psychotherapy. The analysis of the results of the study confirmed the existence of a relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies. The latter contributes to the development of the former. The transfer of the negative impact of digital technologies on the development of emotional intelligence in children and adolescents has not received full empirical confirmation. The study established the role of emotional communication with parents when children and parents view digital content together. Emotional intelligence promotes productive interaction on online platforms. The connection between emotional intelligence and video games is negative. There are different strategies for using information and communication technologies to regulate emotions: positive and negative. The study confirmed the perception of remote interaction with a psychotherapist as empathic. The discussion section of the article attempts to summarize the main aspects of the relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies, and describes the limitations of the review undertaken. The study concludes that the relationship between emotional intelligence and the use of digital technologies is ambiguous in nature. It is positive in the process of learning, communication, managing emotions, and building therapeutic relationships. The negative nature of the relationship is manifested in the course of interaction with digital content and during gaming activities. The results obtained can be used in the relevant branches of psychological science and in psychological practice.