Digital Media Overuse, Emotional Intelligence and Happiness among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence

Digital media has become an integral part of adolescents’ daily lives, providing opportunities for communication, education, entertainment, and social interaction. However, excessive and problematic digital media use may be associated with difficulties in emotional functioning and reduced well-being. The present study examined the relationship between digital media overuse, emotional intelligence, and happiness among adolescents, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of emotional intelligence. A cross-sectional and comparative research design was adopted. The sample consisted of 360 Class XII students, including 180 boys and 180 girls, selected from rural and urban senior secondary schools in Saran and Siwan districts of Bihar, India. Data were collected using the Smartphone Use Scale (SUS), Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Pearson product-moment correlations, independent-samples t-tests, and hierarchical linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted. The findings showed that digital media overuse was significantly negatively associated with emotional intelligence (r = −.276, p < .01) and happiness (r = −.147, p < .01), whereas emotional intelligence was strongly and positively associated with happiness (r = .659, p < .001). The mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of digital media overuse on happiness through emotional intelligence (B = −.1485, SE = 0.0288, Z = −5.16, p < .001). The total effect was significant (B = −0.1186, SE = 0.0420, Z = −2.83, p < .01), whereas the direct effect became non-significant after emotional intelligence was included in the model (B = .0299, SE = 0.0333, Z = .90). The findings indicate that emotional intelligence plays an important mediating role in the relationship between digital media overuse and happiness among adolescents.