Impact of Digital Detox on Stress Levels and Sleep Quality

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19181425

Arpita Kackar (Department of Psychology, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan)

This study examined the effect of digital detox intervention techniques on the stress levels and sleep quality of young adults. The rapid use of technology in daily life has led to an increase in screen time. Rapid technology has led to increased screen time and is considered as the main reason behind psychological stress and disturbed sleep patterns. In the present study, the independent variable was the limited use of smartphones and social media, while perceived stress and sleep quality were the independent variables. It was hypothesized that participation in a digital detox intervention program would lead to a significant reduction in perceived stress and a significant improvement in sleep quality. 60 college students (30 males & 30 females) aged 18-25 years were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The digital detox two-week intervention program was designed in such a way that involved limiting screen time, avoiding social media use after 8 PM and promoting more offline activities such as reading, physical exercises, engaging in some sport activity and face to face social interaction. Standardized psychological tool namely the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) by Sheldon Cohen, Thomas Kamarck and Robert Mermelstein (1988) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), by Buysse et al. (1989) were used. Paired t-test showed that there was a significant reduction in stress levels from pre test to post test (M=22.48 to 16.21; t=6.87, p < .01). In the same way, sleep quality showed significant improvement with PSQI score which decreased from 9.36 to 5.21 (t=7.14, p < .01). The findings showed the effectiveness of digital detox intervention in improving psychological well-being.