Description of Invention
Rapid technological adoption has raised concerns about technology addiction among Malaysian children, with 87.4% of 7–12-year-olds regularly online. This study evaluated the reliability of two international scales—the Technology Addiction Scale (TAS) for ages 2–6 (α = 0.78) and the Digital Addiction Scale for Children (DASC) for ages 7–12 (α = 0.88)—in a sample of 31 Melaka children. Results showed that 52% exceeded two hours of daily screen time, with 15% of younger and 40% of older children scoring at risk, especially on tolerance and withdrawal items. Findings validate these tools locally and underscore the need for culturally tailored interventions.