The Effects of Digital Detox on Digital Phobias, Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Academic Performance

Year 2026, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 209 - 225, 08.03.2026

Özkan Özbay , Selma Durmuş Sarıkahya , Sevil Çınar Özbay

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.26.13.2

https://izlik.org/JA42ER22GJ

Abstract

With the integration of digital technologies into daily life, university students' digital media usage habits have begun to significantly impact their academic achievement, psychological well-being, and self-regulation skills. This study aims to examine the effects of digital detox practices among university students on their levels of digital phobia, academic motivation, self-efficacy perceptions, and academic performance. A descriptive and correlational research design was adopted. The sample consisted of 451 undergraduate students studying in the Faculties of Education, Health Sciences, and Engineering at a public university in Turkey during the spring semester of the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Fırat Nomophobia Scale, the Fırat Netlessphobia Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale, the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, and students’ self-reported academic performance scores. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, t-tests, and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. The study found that students who practiced digital detox had significantly higher levels of academic performance, motivation, and self-efficacy, and significantly lower levels of nomophobia and netlessphobia. According to the regression analysis, academic motivation and self-efficacy significantly predicted digital detox behavior, whereas digital phobia levels did not have a significant predictive effect. These findings suggest that academically competent students are more likely to engage in digital detox practices to sustain their academic success. Accordingly, it is recommended that university curricula integrate content aimed at raising awareness of digital detox and implement educational programs that promote such practices, as a supportive intervention to enhance students’ academic and psychological well-being.

Keywords

Digital detox , Nomophobia , Netlessphobia , Academic motivation , Academic self-efficacy , Academic performance

Project Number

This project was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Artvin Çoruh University (Project No: 2024.M65.02.01

References

• Akdeniz Kudubeş, A., Özbay, Ö., Beşaltı, M. et al. (2025) Development and psychometric analysis of the digital detox scale. Psychiatric Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-025-10220-z
• Alanzi, T. M., Arif, W., Aqeeli, R., Alnafisi, A., Qumosani, T., Alreshidi, A., Alhawsawi, S., Alnakli, R., Alotaibi, A., & AlOthman, M. (2024). Examining the impact of digital detox interventions on anxiety and depression levels among young adults. Cureus, 16(12): e75625. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.75625
• Amez, S., & Baert, S. (2020). Smartphone use and academic performance: A literature review. International Journal of Educational Research, 103, 101618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101618
• Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Macmillan.
• Berte, D. Z., Mahamid, F. A., & Affouneh, S. (2021). Internet addiction and perceived self-efficacy among university students. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19(1), 162–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00160-8
• Brockmeier, L. C., Keller, J., Dingler, T., Paduszynska, N., Luszczynska, A., & Radtke, T. (2025). Planning a digital detox: Findings from a randomized controlled trial to reduce smartphone usage time. Computers in Human Behavior, 168, 108624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108624
• Burr, C., Taddeo, M., & Floridi, L. (2020). The ethics of digital well-being: A thematic review. Science and Engineering Ethics, 26(4), 2313-2343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-020-00175-8
• Cheever, N. A., Rosen, L. D., Carrier, L. M., & Chavez, A. (2014). Out of sight is not out of mind: The impact of restricting wireless mobile device use on anxiety levels among low, moderate and high users. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 290–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.05.002
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
• Grüning, D. J., Riedel, F., & Lorenz-Spreen, P. (2023). Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(8), e2213114120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213114120
• Güney, B. (2017). Digital culture transition in digital addiction: Netlessphobia. e-Journal of New Media, 1(2) 207-213. https://doi.org/10.17932/IAU.EJNM.25480200.2017.1/2.207-213
• Hanley, S. M., Watt, S. E., & Coventry, W. (2019). Taking a break: The effect of taking a vacation from Facebook and Instagram on subjective well-being. Plos One, 14(6), e0217743. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217743
• Hatlevik, O. E., & Bjarnø, V. (2021). Examining the relationship between resilience to digital distractions, ICT self-efficacy, motivation, approaches to studying, and time spent on individual studies. Teaching and Teacher Education, 102, 103326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103326
• Hietajärvi, L., Maksniemi, E., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2022). Digital engagement and academic functioning. European Psychologist, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000480
• Jauhar, A. A., Ashraf, S., Mubashir, A., Sharif, M., Farooq, K., & Gardezi, A. A. (2025). Assessing the effect of digital detoxification on psychological burden among adults in Pakistan. Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), 14(1), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.61506/01.00574
• Jerusalem, M., & Schwarzer, R. (1981). Fragebogen zur Erfassung von Selbstwirksamkeit. In R. Schwarzer (Ed.), Skalen zur Befindlichkeit und Persönlichkeit (Forschungsbericht Nr. 5). Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Psychologie.
• Kanbay, Y., Akçam, A., Özbay, S. Ç., Özbay, Ö., & Fırat, M. (2022). Developing Fırat nomophobia scale and investigating its psychometric properties. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 58(4), 2534-2541. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.13090
• Kanbay, Y., Fırat, M., Akçam, A., Çınar, S., & Özbay, Ö. (2022). Development of Fırat netlessphobia scale and investigation of its psychometric properties. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 58(4), 1258–1266. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppc.12924
• Karagüven, M. H. Ü. (2012). The adaptation of the academic motivation scale into Turkish. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12(4), 2599–2620.
• Karasar, N. (2013). Scientific research methodology. Ankara: Nobel Publishing
• Keller, J., Roitzheim, C., Radtke, T., Schenkel, K., & Schwarzer, R. (2021). A mobile intervention for self-efficacious and goal-directed smartphone use in the general population: Randomized controlled trial. JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 9(11), e26397. https://doi.org/10.2196/26397
• Lambert, J., Barnstable, G., Minter, E., Cooper, J., & McEwan, D. (2022). Taking a one-week break from social media improves well-being, depression, and anxiety: a randomized controlled trial. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(5), 287–293. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0324
• Lanaj, K., Johnson, R. E., & Barnes, C. M. (2014). Beginning the workday yet already depleted? Consequences of late-night smartphone use and sleep. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 124(1), 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.01.001
• Lepp, A., Barkley, J. E., & Karpinski, A. C. (2015). The relationship between cell phone use and academic performance in a sample of US college students. Sage Open, 5(1), 2158244015573169. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015573169
• Li, P., Chen, J., Duan, Z., Xu, W., & Feng, Y. (2024). Relationship between problematic smartphone use and graduate students’ research self-efficacy: A moderated mediation model. Behavioral Sciences, 14(12), 1191. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121191
• Maier, C., Laumer, S., Sun, H., Thatcher, J. B., & Weitzel, T. (2024). Proposing shocks and dissatisfaction to explain quitting and switching a service: An image theory perspective. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 25(2), 362–406. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00857
• Marx, J., Mirbabaie, M., & Turel, O. (2024). Digital detox: A theoretical framework and future research directions for information systems. Information & Management, 104068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2024.104068
• Meng, S., Qi, K., Shen, P., Zhang, M., Zhang, Y., Onyebuchi, N., Zhan, G., Wei, F., Tong, W., & Han, Y. (2025). The effects of mobile phone addiction on learning engagement of Chinese college students-the mediating role of physical activity and academic self-efficacy. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 110. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21250-w
• Nassen, L.-M., Vandebosch, H., Poels, K., & Karsay, K. (2023). Opt-out, abstain, unplug. A systematic review of the voluntary digital disconnection literature. Telematics and Informatics, 81, 101980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2023.101980
• Neelakandan, S. (2024). Internet addiction, digital detox, and mental health: A review of the evidence with clinical examples. SBV Journal of Basic, Clinical and Applied Health Science, 7(3), 140–143. https://doi.org/10.4103/SBVJ.SBVJ_44_24
• Özbay, Ö., Çınar Özbay, S., Akdeniz Kudubeş, A., Durmuş Sarıkahya, S., & Beşaltı, M. (2025a). Development and psychometric analysis of the digital obesity scale. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2025.2504183
• Özbay, Ö., Doğan, U., Adıgüzel, O., & Cinar Özbay, S. (2025b). Modeling factors associated with academic procrastination in university students. Psychological Reports, 00332941251335573. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941251335573
• Przybylski, A. K., Orben, A., & Weinstein, N. (2020). How much is too much? Examining the relationship between digital screen engagement and psychosocial functioning in a confirmatory cohort study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(9), 1080–1088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.06.017
• Radtke, T., Apel, T., Schenkel, K., Keller, J., & von Lindern, E. (2022). Digital detox: An effective solution in the smartphone era? A systematic literature review. Mobile Media & Communication, 10(2), 190–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/20501579211028647
• Ramadhan, R. N., Rampengan, D. D., Yumnanisha, D. A., Setiono, S. B. V, Tjandra, K. C., Ariyanto, M. V, Idrisov, B., & Empitu, M. A. (2024). Impacts of digital social media detox for mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Narra J, 4(2), e786. https://doi.org/10.52225/narra.v4i2.786
• Rozgonjuk, D., Kattago, M., & Täht, K. (2018). Social media use in lectures mediates the relationship between procrastination and problematic smartphone use. Computers in Human Behavior, 89, 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.08.003
• Samaha, M., & Hawi, N. S. (2016). Relationships among smartphone addiction, stress, academic performance, and satisfaction with life. Computers in Human Behavior, 57, 321–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.12.045
• Schmitt, J. B., Breuer, J., & Wulf, T. (2021). From cognitive overload to digital detox: Psychological implications of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic. Computers in Human Behavior, 124, 106899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106899
• Schmuck, D. (2020). Does digital detox work? Exploring the role of digital detox applications for problematic smartphone use and well-being of young adults using multigroup analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 23(8), 526–532. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2019.0578
• Schraggeová, M., & Bisaha, D. (2025). The effect of digital detox through digital minimalism using the MinimalistPhone app on the behavior of young users and their emotional experience. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 18, 100699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100699
• Setia, S., Gilbert, F., Tichy, M. L., Redpath, J., Shahzad, N., & Marraccini, M. E. (2025). Digital detox strategies and mental health: a comprehensive scoping review of why, where, and how. Cureus, 17(1): e78250. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.78250
• Syvertsen, T., & Enli, G. (2019). Digital detox: Media resistance and the promise of authenticity. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 26(5-6), 1269–1283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856519847325
• Tamayo, J. P. M., Rocchi, M. A., St-Denis, B., Bonneville, L., & Beaudry, S. G. (2024). A motivational approach to understanding problematic smartphone use and negative outcomes in university students. Addictive Behaviors, 148, 107842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107842
• Wasserstein, R. L., & Lazar, N. A. (2016). The ASA statement on p-values: context, process, and purpose. The American Statistician, 70(2), 129-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/00031305.2016.1154108
• Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., Blais, M. R., Briere, N. M., Senecal, C., & Vallieres, E. F. (1992). The academic motivation scale: a measure of intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation in education. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 52(4), 1003–1017. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164492052004025
• Vanden Abeele, M. M. (2021). Digital wellbeing as a dynamic construct. Communication Theory, 31(4), 932-955. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa024
• Vanden Abeele, M., De Wolf, R., & Ling, R. (2018). Mobile media and social space: How anytime, anyplace connectivity structures everyday life. Media and Communication, 6(2), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v6i2.1399
• Vanden Abeele, M. M. P., Vandebosch, H., Koster, E. H. W., De Leyn, T., Van Gaeveren, K., de Segovia Vicente, D., Van Bruyssel, S., van Timmeren, T., De Marez, L., & Poels, K. (2024). Why, how, when, and for whom does digital disconnection work? A process-based framework of digital disconnection. Communication Theory, 34(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtad016
• Von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., Vandenbroucke, J. P., & Initiative, S. (2014). The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies. International Journal of Surgery, 12(12), 1495–1499.
• Yildirim, C., & Correia, A.-P. (2015). Exploring the dimensions of nomophobia: Development and validation of a self-reported questionnaire. Computers in Human Behavior, 49, 130–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.059
• Yılmaz, M., Gürçay, D., & Ekici, G. (2007). The adaptation of the academic self-efficacy scale into Turkish. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 33(33), 253–259.
• Zimmermann, L. (2021). “Your screen-time app is keeping track”: Consumers are happy to monitor but unlikely to reduce smartphone usage. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 6(3), 377–382. https://doi.org/10.1086/714365