{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T20:36:58Z","timestamp":1792701418288,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785369600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Deanship of Scientific Research, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University","award":["IMSIU-DDRSP2601"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IMSIU-DDRSP2601"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rapid digital transformation in Saudi Arabia has intensified young adults\u2019 day-to-day reliance on smartphones, increasing the need for balanced, culturally appropriate measures of perceived digital well-being. This study aimed to psychometrically validate the Arabic version of the Perceived Digital Well-Being Scale (PDWS) among Saudi young adults aged (18\u201325). A cross-sectional instrument-validation study was conducted with (N\u2009=\u2009450) participants. The full sample was randomly split into two independent analytic subsamples: Sample (1) for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n\u2009=\u2009225) and Sample (2) for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n\u2009=\u2009225); convergent validity was examined in both subsamples. EFA supported a clear three-factor structure (Emotional, Social, Cognitive). CFA confirmed a second-order model with excellent fit: \u03c7\u00b2(116)=133.275, p\u2009=\u2009.130, \u03c7\u00b2\/df=(1.149), CFI=(.986), TLI=(.983), RMSEA=(.026), and SRMR=(.055). Convergent validity was supported by positive associations with life satisfaction (SWLS) and negative associations with fear of missing out (FoMO), with the same pattern observed across both subsamples (Sample (2): SWLS r=(.416\u2013.550), p\u2009&lt;\u2009.01; FoMO r=(\u2212.321\u2013-.254), p\u2009&lt;\u2009.01). Internal consistency was acceptable across subsamples (Cronbach\u2019s \u03b1=(.759\u2013.886); McDonald\u2019s \u03c9=(.761\u2013.889)). Overall, the Arabic PDWS demonstrates strong initial evidence of structural validity, theoretically consistent convergent validity, and adequate reliability, supporting its use as a multidimensional measure of perceived smartphone-related digital well-being among Saudi emerging adults.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0354474","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T17:29:13Z","timestamp":1785432553000},"page":"e0354474","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Psychometric properties of the Arabic Perceived Digital Well-Being Scale (PDWS) in Saudi young adults"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3606-0112","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Emadeldin M.","family":"Elsokkary","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0354474.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/37451","article-title":"Prevalence and associated factors of problematic use of smartphones among adults in qassim, saudi arabia: cross-sectional survey","volume":"8","author":"A Al-Mohaimeed","year":"2022","journal-title":"JMIR Public Health Surveill"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0354474.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"932","DOI":"10.1093\/ct\/qtaa024","article-title":"Digital Wellbeing as a Dynamic Construct","volume":"31","author":"MMP Vanden Abeele","year":"2020","journal-title":"Communication Theory"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0354474.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1177\/20501579221080899","article-title":"Digital well-being in an age of mobile connectivity: An introduction to the Special Issue","volume":"10","author":"MMP Vanden Abeele","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mobile Media & Communication"},{"key":"pone.0354474.ref004","author":"OECD","year":"2025"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0354474.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448211056851","article-title":"Digital well-being theory and research","volume":"26","author":"M B\u00fcchi","year":"2021","journal-title":"New Media & Society"},{"key":"pone.0354474.ref006","author":"Communications, Space and Technology Commission"},{"key":"pone.0354474.ref007","author":"S Kemp","year":"2025"},{"key":"pone.0354474.ref008","author":"S Kemp","year":"2025"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0354474.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1038\/s41562-018-0506-1","article-title":"The association between adolescent well-being and digital technology use","volume":"3","author":"A Orben","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat Hum Behav"},{"key":"pone.0354474.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2021.08.017","article-title":"Social media use and its impact on adolescent mental health: An umbrella review of the evidence","volume":"44","author":"PM Valkenburg","year":"2022","journal-title":"Curr Opin Psychol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0354474.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"823","DOI":"10.1177\/2167702621994549","article-title":"There is no evidence that associations between adolescents\u2019 digital technology engagement and mental health problems have increased","volume":"9","author":"M Vuorre","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin Psychol Sci"},{"key":"pone.0354474.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"917","DOI":"10.1177\/21677026231207791","article-title":"Global well-being and mental health in the internet age","volume":"12","author":"M Vuorre","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin Psychol Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0354474.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1080\/17482798.2023.2272651","article-title":"Measuring digital well-being in everyday life among Slovenian adolescents: The Perceived Digital Well-Being in Adolescence Scale","volume":"18","author":"J Rosi\u010d","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Children and Media"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0354474.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.1037\/0003-066X.55.5.469","article-title":"Emerging adulthood. 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