Digital Overload and Lack of Offline Activities as Predictors of Emotional Dysregulation
Keywords:
emotional dysregulation, digital overload, offline activity, emotion regulation, lifestyle balance, IraqAbstract
This study aimed to examine the predictive roles of digital overload and lack of offline activity engagement in emotional dysregulation among adults in Iraq. A correlational descriptive design was used with a sample of 330 participants selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie table. Participants completed three standardized instruments: the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Digital Overload Scale (DOS), and the Offline Activity Engagement Scale (OAES). Data were analyzed using SPSS-27. Descriptive statistics were computed, followed by Pearson correlation analyses to assess bivariate relationships between emotional dysregulation and each independent variable. A linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the joint predictive capacity of digital overload and offline activity engagement on emotional dysregulation. Assumptions of normality, linearity, homoscedasticity, and multicollinearity were assessed and met. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between digital overload and emotional dysregulation (r = .61, p < .01), and a significant negative relationship between offline activity engagement and emotional dysregulation (r = –.54, p < .01). Linear regression analysis showed that digital overload (B = 1.14, β = .45, p < .01) and offline activity engagement (B = –0.89, β = –.39, p < .01) were both significant predictors of emotional dysregulation, accounting for 48% of its variance (R² = .48, F(2, 327) = 147.56, p < .01). The findings suggest that high digital overload increases the risk of emotional dysregulation, while frequent engagement in offline activities serves as a protective factor. These results highlight the psychological importance of lifestyle balance in an increasingly digital world and emphasize the need for interventions targeting digital behavior and offline engagement to support emotional health.
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