Validation of the Screen Dependency Scale in Indonesian Version to Measure Screen Addiction in Children

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technology has profoundly impacted children’s lives, increasing the risk of screen addiction, which poses threats to children’s social, emotional, and physical well-being. To address this issue in Indonesia, a culturally adapted version of the Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) was developed and validated in this study. The SDS, originally designed in English, assesses screen dependency across four dimensions: Preoccupation, Behavior, Activity, and Tolerance. A sample of 261 parents of children aged 3-7 years in East Java participated by completing the Indonesian version of the SDS. Validity tests indicated that each item significantly correlated with the overall score, demonstrating strong item validity, with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.625 to 0.845. Reliability analysis revealed high internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.938, indicating excellent reliability. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) further validated the four-factor structure, with model fit indices such as CFI (0.922) and TLI (0.902) supporting the scale’s robustness. Although the RMSEA value (0.099) was slightly above the ideal threshold, it remained within an acceptable range for exploratory research. These results affirm the SDS as a reliable and valid instrument for measuring screen addiction among Indonesian children, offering a critical tool for educators, counselors, and researchers in combating this issue. Future studies should consider applying the SDS to broader age groups and longitudinal designs to track screen dependency trends over time and refine its cultural applicability in diverse Indonesian settings.