The Effectiveness of Self-Regulation Based Group Guidance in Reducing Students' Tendency Towards Excessive Digital Device Use
Abstract
Excessive digital device use has become an increasing concern among students due to its negative effects on concentration, social interaction, and self-regulation. This study investigated the effectiveness of self-regulation-based group guidance in reducing students' tendency toward excessive digital device use. A quantitative quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control-group design was employed involving 16 junior secondary school students, who were equally assigned to experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the Digital Device Use Tendency Scale (Cronbach's α = .931) and analysed using tests of normality and homogeneity, paired-samples t-tests, and independent-samples t-tests. The experimental group demonstrated greater improvement than the control group, as reflected in a higher normalized gain score (50.38% vs. 43.49%) and a statistically significant difference between groups (p = .039). These findings suggest that self-regulation-based group guidance is effective in reducing students' tendency toward excessive digital device use and offers a promising school-based preventive intervention for promoting healthier digital behavior.
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