Psychometric Validation of the Turkish Version of the Digital Emotion Regulation Scale: Associations with Problematic Social Media Use, Psychological Distress, and Subjective Happiness

Abstract

Digital emotion regulation functions as a tool for managing emotions during social media use; however, excessive or dysfunctional engagement with these platforms may adversely affect psychological well-being. Nevertheless, valid measurement tools capable of assessing ineffective or problematic strategies for managing emotions during digital device use remain limited. The present study assessed the psychometric properties of the Digital Emotion Regulation Scale within a Turkish sample. Study 1 consisted of 423 participants (Mage = 34.56, SD = 10.87), of whom 72.8% were female. Study 2 included 408 participants (Mage = 35.51, SD = 11.86), with 72.3% female participants. In Study 1, Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the two-dimensional structure of the 8-item scale, and Measurement Invariance was supported at the configural, scalar and metric levels. The scale supported high internal consistency, and Item Response Theory analysis revealed strong item discrimination. Digital emotion regulation was positively linked with social media addiction, difficulties in emotion regulation, fear of missing out, and the personality traits of neuroticism and openness to experience; conversely, it was negatively related to extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Study 2 demonstrated that digital emotional regulation and psychological distress (anxiety, depression and stress) mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and subjective happiness. This finding highlights that in the context of problematic social media use, digital emotional regulation strategies are linked to increased psychological distress and decreased subjective happiness, emphasizing the adverse consequences of dysfunctional emotional engagement in digital environments.