The effect of digital detox on psychological well-being in college students

The pervasive integration of digital technology into daily life has raised significant concerns regarding its impact on mental health, particularly among university students.Digital detox, defined as the intentional reduction or cessation of digital device use, has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate negative effects and promote psychological wellbeing (PWB).However, empirical evidence within the Indonesian context remains limited.This quantitative, cross-sectional study aimed to examine the effect of digital detox practices on the psychological well-being of university students in Jakarta, Indonesia.A purposive sample of 310 students (71.9% female; M age = 20-21 years) who reported prior digital detox experience completed online measures, including the Digital Detox Scale and a short-form adaptation of Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale.Due to non-normal residuals, a bootstrapped simple linear regression analysis was conducted.Results indicated that digital detox practice was a significant positive predictor of psychological well-being (β = .355,p < .001),accounting for 12.6% of the variance (R² = .126).Supplementary non-parametric analyses revealed no gender differences but found that students who had taken academic leave reported significantly higher levels of both digital detox and PWB.The type of primary digital platform used was associated with PWB but not with detox practices, while the duration of daily digital use showed no significant relationship with either variable.The findings suggest that deliberate digital disconnection is a meaningful, though not exhaustive, contributor to student well-being.Practical implications include integrating digital wellness education and structured detox strategies into university mental health and academic support programs.Study limitations, including the cross-sectional design and localized sample, are discussed, alongside recommendations for future longitudinal and experimental research.