Screen Time and Moral Growth: How Digital Habits Shape Holistic Development in Kazakhstani High School Students

Abstract

This study looks at how daily screen use is related to moral and social development in Kazakhstani high school students. Data were collected from 1,441 students in five regions (West, East, North, South, and South-East). Students completed a Kazakh-adapted version of Kapustin’s Holistic Level Test (HLT) and reported how many hours per day they spent watching TV, using a personal computer, and using social networks. Correlations showed that social-network and computer use were negatively related to the HLT total score (r = −.12 and r = −.10, p < .001). TV viewing was not related to HLT scores. Students who used social networks more than five hours per day scored about 0.37 standard deviations lower than students who used social networks less than two hours per day. Russian-medium and urban students reported more screen time and lower HLT scores than Kazakh-medium and rural students. The results suggest that heavy social-media use is linked to lower scores on the character dimensions the Kazakhstani education system considers important: collective responsibility, academic engagement, and moral inclusivity. Media literacy should be included in the existing holistic education curriculum.