Brief cognitive behavior group counseling using cognitive restructuring, and problem-solving techniques to improve students' digital well-being

Abstract

Digital well-being has become an important concern among adolescents due to their increasing engagement with digital technologies. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of brief cognitive behavioral group counseling using cognitive restructuring and problem-solving techniques in improving digital well-being among Grade 10 students at SMA Negeri 12 Semarang, Indonesia. A two-group pretest–posttest design with a two-week follow-up was employed, involving 20 students divided into cognitive restructuring and problem-solving groups. Each group participated in five counseling sessions lasting 90 minutes each. Digital well-being was assessed using the Digital Well-Being Scale (DWBS), and data were analyzed using mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed a significant main effect of time, F(2, 36) = 115.684, p < .001, ηp² = .865, with overall mean scores increasing from 32.60 at pretest to 47.80 at posttest and 50.40 at follow-up. However, neither the group effect, F(1, 18) = 0.003, p = .955, nor the time × group interaction, F(2, 36) = 0.117, p = .890, was statistically significant. These findings indicate substantial improvements in digital well-being across both intervention groups, with improvements maintained at the two-week follow-up. Both techniques represent promising approaches for supporting students' digital well-being through school-based group counseling, although no significant difference in their outcomes was detecte