Ketergantungan Gawai: Implikasinya terhadap Regulasi Emosi dan Empati Sosial Remaja

This study examines adolescent smartphone use and its relationship with emotional regulation, social empathy, and self-regulation. It aims to identify factors associated with excessive smartphone use, describe reported psychological and social problems, and examine the roles of family supervision and individual self-control. A descriptive quantitative approach was employed through an online survey using a closed-ended Google Forms questionnaire involving 108 adolescents. The findings indicate that 44.4% of respondents used smartphones for non-academic purposes for 3–5 hours daily, while 31.5% reported 6–8 hours, with 48.1% primarily using their devices before bedtime. Entertainment and boredom relief (95.4%) and stress avoidance (52.8%) were frequently reported motivations, while social media activities, particularly TikTok and Instagram scrolling, accounted for 89.8%. Reported psychological and social experiences included nomophobia (70.4%), mood changes when smartphone use was interrupted (58.4%), insecurity arising from social comparison (57.4%), and phubbing behavior (28.7%). Although 97.2% of adolescents reported attempting basic self-control strategies, 58.3% acknowledged that these efforts were only temporarily effective. Additionally, 88.9% reported permissive family supervision. These findings highlight challenges in maintaining consistent digital self-regulation and suggest the importance of parental guidance, school involvement, and digital literacy education. Strengthening cooperation between families, schools, and adolescents may encourage healthier smartphone habits, improve awareness of emotional well-being, and promote more attentive social interactions in daily life. However, the descriptive design does not establish causal relationships between smartphone use and psychological outcomes.