The Roles of Media Literacy, Emotional Intelligence, and Digital Intelligence in Predicting Psychological Well-Being

Abstract

As 21st-century lifestyles become more hyperconnected, digital intelligence will become critical to the success and well-being of people. However, most people may not adequately understand what digital intelligence really is or how it relates to media literacy, emotional intelligence, and psychological well-being. Furthermore, research on these variables is scarce in the Malaysian context despite the growing digital threats experienced by users. With a focus on young adults, the present study collected data from 168 participants who actively consume various types of digital media. Data were analysed using correlation and regression methods. Findings reveal that participants reported high media literacy, emotional intelligence, and digital intelligence but a moderate level of psychological well-being. Both media literacy and emotional intelligence are found to predict digital intelligence, suggesting that to be digitally intelligent, one must be media- literate and emotionally astute. Finally, the results show that emotional intelligence is the sole predictor of psychological well-being. The study is one of the growing efforts to contribute to the literature on the role of media literacy, emotional intelligence, and digital intelligence in predicting the psychological well-being of young adults. Overall, this study highlights that to improve psychological well-being, it is necessary to provide intervention programmes that can strengthen emotional intelligence without neglecting the importance of media literacy and digital intelligence education.