Digital Literacy Counseling and Social Media Addiction Risk in Adolescents: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62872/kj.v1i2.574Keywords:
digital literacy, social media addiction, adolescents, counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, problematic social media useAbstract
Adolescents represent the most vulnerable population to the adverse consequences of excessive social media use, including addiction-like symptoms and deteriorating mental health. This systematic review examines the evidence base for digital literacy counseling as an intervention strategy to reduce social media addiction risk among adolescents. A total of 12 peer-reviewed studies published between 2022 and 2025 were analyzed, encompassing intervention studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. Findings indicate that digital literacy education alone yields limited effectiveness in reducing addiction scores, yet significantly improves knowledge, attitudes, and self-regulation skills. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-based approaches and integrated models—combining media literacy, self-regulation training, and psychological counseling—demonstrate the strongest and most consistent outcomes in reducing problematic social media use. School-based counseling programs that involve family participation and are delivered by qualified practitioners are found to be particularly effective. This review concludes that digital literacy counseling offers a scientifically grounded primary prevention strategy when systematically embedded within school counseling frameworks and augmented by cognitive-behavioral components. Implications for school counselors, educational policymakers, and future research directions are discussed
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