Digital Media and Perseverative Thinking: A Case of the Students of Psychology among Islamabad-based Public Sector Universities

Abstract

Aim of the Study: Modern ICTs have effectively shaped the digital global village with various online platforms moderating global communication infrastructures for masses belonging to different regions, cultures, ethnicities and national identities; resulting in a rich global social structure. But at the same time, the blessing has turned into a worldwide dilemma, known as digital media addiction or digital addiction. Ever since COVID emergence, the smartphone attachment/addiction of people touched new extremes. The current study has been an attempt to explore the correlation between digital media use and perseverative thinking among the psychology students of Islamabad-based public sector universities.

Methodology: Based on correlational cross-sectional survey questionnaire, distributed among 450 psychology students of Islamabad-based public sector universities using purposive sampling, a response of 300 (149 males and 151 female) active digital media users of 18-35 years was received by employing the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (Ehring et al., 2011).

Findings: Results indicated a significant positive correlation of digital media use with perseverative thinking.

Conclusion: Study concluded that preservative thinking will increase with increased digital media use or the number of times the digital media users visit their online accounts. The results have also proved the hypothesis claiming a positive association between the digital media use and perseverative thinking among the psychology students of Islamabad-based public sector universities.