Smartphone Policies across School, Family, and Digital Contexts: Effects on Psychological Well-Being and Social Competence of Islamic Junior High School Students

Abstract

The rapid digitalization of education has led to the emergence of various smartphone use policies in schools; however, comparative empirical evidence within non-Western contexts remains limited. This study aims to analyze the effects of total prohibition and regulated restriction policies on students’ psychological well-being and social competence, with parental policy serving as a moderating variable. A comparative correlational approach was employed, involving students from several private Islamic junior high schools in Bukittinggi. The research instruments included adapted scales of psychological well-being, social behavior, and parental mediation. The findings indicate that students in schools implementing total prohibition policies demonstrate significantly higher levels of psychological well-being and social competence compared to those under regulated restriction policies, thereby failing to support the initial hypotheses. Further analysis reveals that parental policy functions as a moderator of psychological well-being and as a partial mediator of social competence. These findings are explained by the collectivist cultural context and strong religious values, which interpret prohibition as a form of collective protection. This study underscores the importance of cross-cultural perspectives in the examination of digital education policies.