Digital Device Use Intensity and Main Idea Comprehension among Fourth-Grade Elementary School Students

Digital devices are widely used by elementary school students, and evidence on how intensive use relates to specific reading skills remains mixed. This study aims to examine whether and how digital device use intensity is associated with main idea comprehension among fourth-grade students. The study extends previous research by examining device use intensity through four indicators (frequency, duration, purpose of use, and digital activity) in relation to a specific comprehension skill within an Indonesian elementary school context. A cross-sectional correlational (ex post facto) design was applied with 27 fourth-grade students selected through purposive sampling, and a separate class of 25 students was used to pilot the instruments. Data were collected with a 25-item questionnaire and a 25-item multiple-choice main idea test, and were analyzed with Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. Gadget use intensity showed a negative and statistically significant association with main idea comprehension (r = −.518, 95% CI [−.75, −.17], p = .006) and accounted for 26.8% of the variance (R² = .268). These findings describe an association in a small, single-school sample and do not establish causation. They suggest that guidance on the duration and purpose of device use may be relevant to reading comprehension, together with classroom instruction and home reading practices.

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