Effect of digital detox program on electronic screen syndrome among preparatory school students.
Sayeda Mohamed Mohamed, Lamiaa Saad Abdallah, Fatma Nagy Kotb Ali
PMID 36373487WHAT IT FOUND
After a school digital detox programme of teaching, discussion, demonstration, feedback, whiteboard, pictures and a booklet, 105 Egyptian students reported less excessive screen use, compulsive behaviour and loss of control.
No separate control group is described, so the programme's effect is not proven.
Key findings
01The study analysed 105 preparatory students aged 13-15 years who used screens for more than 2 h daily.
02After the programme, students with high screen addiction decreased from 20.0% to 14.3%, and those with moderate addiction decreased from 65.7% to 43.8%.
03Mean total excessive screen time fell from 10.63 to 9.22, compulsive behaviour fell from 28.87 to 25.27, and loss of control fell from 11.70 to 10.55.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The supplied text does not describe a separate control group, so change cannot be compared with what might have happened without the programme. All students received a bundle of components: teaching sessions, discussion, demonstration, feedback, whiteboard, pictures and a booklet, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The sample was purposive and limited to students with more than 2 h daily screen use, so results may not apply to all students. The outcome was self-reported using a researcher-developed scale, not objective screen time or school outcomes. Pilot students were included in the final analysis and no modifications were made based on pilot results, which weakens tool refinement and independence. The paper says a one-month follow-up was done, but no follow-up results are reported, so durability is unknown.
Declared interests
The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the digital detox programme caused screen addiction to decrease. The supplied text does not describe a separate control group, all students received teaching, discussion, demonstration, feedback, whiteboard, pictures and a booklet, and outcomes were self-reported, so the contribution of any component cannot be separated.