The Impact of a Digital Literacy Intervention on Internet Addiction and Social Skills in Undergraduate Students
Keywords:
Digital Literacy, Internet Addiction, Social Skills, Undergraduate Students, Randomized Controlled TrialAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a digital literacy intervention on reducing internet addiction and enhancing social skills among undergraduate students.
Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 undergraduate students from Romania, randomly assigned into intervention (n = 15) and control groups (n = 15). The intervention consisted of ten sessions, each lasting 60–75 minutes, delivered twice weekly over five weeks. The content included digital literacy skills such as self-regulation, critical evaluation of online information, ethical communication, emotional regulation, and face-to-face social interactions. Data were collected at pre-test, post-test, and at a five-month follow-up using the Internet Addiction Test (Young, 1998) and Social Skills Inventory (Riggio, 1986). Statistical analysis involved repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests, performed using SPSS version 27.
Findings: Results indicated significant improvements in both internet addiction and social skills among the intervention group compared to the control group. For internet addiction, the intervention group’s mean scores significantly decreased from pre-test (M = 71.86, SD = 5.24) to post-test (M = 56.43, SD = 6.15) and remained low at follow-up (M = 58.02, SD = 6.47), while the control group showed negligible changes. Social skills significantly improved from pre-test (M = 251.34, SD = 14.09) to post-test (M = 279.67, SD = 15.02) and remained stable at follow-up (M = 276.43, SD = 15.84) for the intervention group. ANOVA results revealed significant interaction effects of group × time for internet addiction (F(2,54)=32.74, p<.001, η²=.555) and social skills (F(2,54)=25.92, p<.001, η²=.490). Bonferroni post-hoc tests confirmed these significant differences.
Conclusion: The findings are suggesting the intervention value as a preventive and developmental tool in higher education settings.
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