Psychoeducation Of “Digital Mindfulness” To Reduce Doomscrolling Behavior In Students

Hanifa Ashaditya Khamila Putri; Djudiyah

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.5080

Hanifa Ashaditya Khamila Putri Pascasarjana Psikologi, Universitas Muhammadiyah,Malang,Indonesia
Djudiyah Pascasarjana Psikologi, Universitas Muhammadiyah,Malang,Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.5080

Keywords: Doomscrolling; Digital Mindfulness; Psychoeducation.

Abstract

The phenomenon of doomscrolling, or the tendency to overconsume negative information through digital media, has become a significant mental health challenge among college students. Reliance on real-time information amidst uncertainty triggers anxiety and a decline in psychological well-being. This study aims to test the effectiveness of a Digital Mindfulness-based psychoeducation program in reducing doomscrolling behavior in college students. Using a quantitative approach through a one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design, the study was conducted with 37 participants selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using the Doomscrolling Scale and analyzed using a paired sample t-test. The results showed a significant decrease in participants' doomscrolling scores after the intervention, from an average of 72.95 to 48.76 with a significance value of p = 0.000 (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that Digital Mindfulness psychoeducation is effective in helping college students increase awareness of digital behavior, recognize emotional triggers, and build cognitive defenses against maladaptive social media algorithms. The implications of this research underscore the importance of integrating digital mental health literacy into higher education curricula as a preventative strategy. This program is expected to serve as the foundation for institutional policies supporting a healthier digital ecosystem, helping students develop adaptive self-regulation skills, and maintaining psychological well-being amidst increasingly complex information flows. The results of this study provide theoretical and practical contributions to the development of proactive psychological intervention models for young people in the digital age.

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