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Abstract
Digital technology is embedded in adolescents’ daily lives, while evidence concerning screen exposure and psychological well-being remains mixed. This study examined screen time, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and psychological well-being among adolescents aged 11–17 years in Indian international schools. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 adolescents aged 11–17 years. Screen time was assessed using four categorical daily-exposure options, while self-esteem, emotional regulation, and psychological well-being were assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and WHO-5 Well-Being Index, respectively. Descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlations were used. Results: Self-esteem was positively associated with psychological well-being, r = .460, p < .001. The association between self-esteem and emotional regulation was small and nonsignificant, r = .049, p = .400. Emotional regulation was not significantly associated with psychological well-being, r = .071, p = .217. The supplied correlation matrix did not contain the Screen Time–WHO-5 correlation; therefore, the first hypothesis could not be evaluated from the available output. Conclusion: In this sample, self-esteem showed a statistically significant positive association with psychological well-being, whereas the total emotional-regulation score did not. The findings should be interpreted as correlational and not causal. Further work should use precise screen-time measures, retain separate emotion-regulation strategies, and use longitudinal designs.
References
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