## 2 Methodology
### Source of the Data, Data Collection, and Field Work  
We use original data generated by the authors of the present study and acquired from Uttarakhand undergraduate and postgraduate management students. Because we wish to apply our findings to a larger community in Uttarakhand, which is heterogeneous in terms of background, knowledge, and understanding, stratified random selection with proportional sample allocation is considered. Therefore, each university was divided into strata, and samples were gathered from each strata utilizing random sampling. Because each university has a varied number of students, we collected data employing proportionate allocation. As the overall population, that is, management students who use  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l} \hline \hline
**Variable Definition Stage** & **Content** \\ \hline Concept & Academic performance. \\ Dimensions & Academic performance in each of the subjects \\  & approved by the student. \\ Indicators & Grade obtained out of 10 points in each of the subjects approved by the student. \\ Index: GPA & Weighted average of the grades of the subjects according to the credits of each one. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Operationalization of academic performance variable.  
smartphones, is roughly 800, we considered a sample size of \(n=252\) to \(n=278\) with a 10% and 5% margin of error, respectively, based on [42].  
To meet our objective, data were collected through a survey of undergraduate and postgraduate management students from five distinct Dehradun institutions. This sample must reflect the appropriate demographic characteristic for our study. The questionnaire constructed for the present investigation has 43 questions that are clear, non-offensive, and simple to answer, in addition to including both closed-ended and open-ended questions. The instrument asked for responses related to demographic, academic, and technological factors. The data gathered are employed to compare the usage of WhatsApp among various age groups and programs. To ensure that the data collected are reliable and of high quality, we first briefed and taught the respondents about the survey, and then, we considered a pilot study on 30 students (17 postgraduates and 13 graduates).  
The pilot survey took place from 12 March 2020 to 18 March 2020. The data were collected after applying the final questionnaire from 25 March 2020 to 10 April 2020. This was the timeframe of the lockdown at the national level in India, and pupils had plenty of time to read and deliver the necessary data. We distributed the questionnaire (by employing a Google form) to 340 students of whom 258 answered (response rate 75.8%), indicating that the survey is legitimate [43]. Correct usable responses were obtained and then utilized for the data analysis.  
The variables to be used investigate five categories as follows: (i) personal: gender, age, academic year, GPA, school, and university demographic data; (ii) appropriation: factors or points that aid in WhatsApp adoption; (iii) incorporation: time spent per day on WhatsApp, why use WhatsApp, what features are employed, and types of data transferred; (iv) objectification: the value of WhatsApp; and (v) conversion: challenges and addiction factors.