The rapid development of twenty-first-century technology and the integration of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers into daily life are leading to radical changes in individuals' lifestyles, and this has brought to the fore the concept of digital addiction, which is considered a significant public health problem. Digital addiction is not yet included in an official psychiatric diagnostic category according to the DSM-V or DSM-IV TR. However, within the relevant literature, digital addiction is defined as the compulsive and uncontrolled use of technological devices and is therefore considered under the umbrella of behavioral addictions. Furthermore, it has been noted that, just like behavioral addictions, digital addiction causes various psychosocial problems in the individual. In this context, nursing interventions aimed at reducing the risk of digital addiction and strengthening public mental health are considered to be of increasing importance. The new world order is making technology a necessity, not a choice, for individuals. It is also noted that familiarity with digital tools is a significant factor influencing digital addiction. In this regard, it is frequently stated in many studies on the subject that adolescents, born in an era when digital tools are widely used, who can use technological devices with natural competence and are referred to as "digital natives," are a vulnerable group for digital addiction. For example, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute's Children's Information Technology Use Survey, 91.3% of children aged 6-15 actively use the internet, and 76.1% of this age group own a personal mobile phone. The same study also reports that the proportion of children who use at least one information technology product for their own use is 63.8%. Other studies on the subject emphasize that digital addiction and its subtypes lead to many negative biopsychosocial consequences on adolescent health, such as vision loss, obesity, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and poor communication skills. Furthermore, existing literature highlights a significant relationship between digital addiction and cyberbullying. These data demonstrate that digital devices are an indispensable part of daily life among adolescents, and digital addiction should be considered a significant risk factor threatening adolescent mental health. Therefore, nursing approaches to combating digital addiction specific to adolescence are of great importance in terms of instilling healthy digital habits and creating a safe environment in the digital world. Approaches such as psychoeducation and cognitive behavioral therapy have been primarily preferred in combating digital addiction. In fact, studies on the subject frequently use terms such as problematic internet use or internet or technology addiction instead of digital addiction. However, these traditional approaches may be insufficient to achieve behavioral change in individuals. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the effectiveness of arts-based nursing interventions that incorporate more holistic, expressive, and creative processes for digital addiction, which is considered a multifaceted problem. At this point, art therapy offers the opportunity to reveal emotions, explore the inner world, and increase self-efficacy without the need for verbal expression. It is anticipated that art therapy can contribute to the development of healthy digital habits by reducing excessive use of digital technology in adolescents and can be an alternative area of interest for a more productive use of free time. A review of national and international literature reveals that art therapy or art-based approaches applied to adolescents: Although positive effects have been observed on psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, internet, smartphone or game addiction, no studies have been found on how it can have a direct effect on digital addiction. Also, see. Digital addiction, like other types of addiction, cannot be resolved with a "zero use" approach; in this increasingly digital world, completely removing adolescents from technological devices is both impossible and detaches them from the demands of the age. Based on this, we believe that supporting adolescents' healthy use of digital devices should be the primary goal. In this context, this original research aims to fill the gap in the literature by examining the effects of an arts-based nursing intervention that helps develop healthy digital habits on digital addiction, cyberbullying, and self-efficacy in adolescents. Based on the findings of this study, it is anticipated that individual self-efficacy can be strengthened through arts-based approaches in combating digital addiction, a new generation of behavioral addictions. Furthermore, arts-based interventions are expected to provide a scientific basis for school health services, adolescent mental health programs, and nursing practices.
