Ali-Yousuf Digital Detox Need Scale: Development and Validation

The current study aimed to develop and validate a very short Digital Detox Need Scale to assess the need for digital detox to avoid stress posed by constant job-related notifications on personal devices (cell-phones) and educational technology in academic settings (Personal Computers or PC’s in educational institutes) among teachers. A mixed-method approach involving qualitative interviews (n = 96), a feedback pilot study (n = 87) with a committee approach, a scale development study (n = 172), and a validation study (n = 308) through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses. The scale was validated with 4 other scales i.e. it showed a strong convergent validity with global job satisfaction scale and teacher’s burnout scale, showed a strong predictive validity with the love of life scale and strong discriminant validity with the compulsive eating scale. The final scale revealed two subscales each having 3 items: Detox Coping Need and Detox Work Satisfaction Need. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .864). The scale offers a reliable and robust instrument for assessing digital detox needs and helping to enhance teachers’ well-being in the educational environment for counsellors and educational psychologists.