Development and validation of the digital numbing scale (DNS)

Widespread use of smartphones, computers, and other digital devices has given rise to an emerging maladaptive coping strategy termed digital numbing, wherein individuals engage with digital technologies to regulate or numb internal states (e.g. emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations). This study developed and validated the Digital Numbing Scale (DNS), a brief self-report measure of the propensity to use digital technologies to numb internal experiences. Scale development included expert focus groups to generate an initial item pool, followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) across four independent samples (three Italian, one U.S.), yielding a unidimensional 7-item instrument. The DNS exhibited robust psychometric properties, including a clear one-factor structure and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α Italy = .93 U.S.A. = .93). Supporting construct validity, DNS scores correlated negatively with psychological well-being and Digital Life Balance, and positively with phubbing and social media addiction. These findings introduce the DNS as a novel tool for assessing maladaptive digital coping. They underscore the importance of integrating technology-based numbing behaviours into clinical assessments of emotion regulation strategies and highlight the relevance of digital numbing.