Development and Validation of the Digital Escapism Scale for Adults

Digital escapism refers to the use of digital devices and online platforms to avoid real-life stressors or responsibilities. Despite its growing prevalence, no culturally appropriate and psychometrically validated tool exists to measure digital escapism in Pakistan. This study focuses on the development and validation of the Digital Escapism Scale (DES) tailored for adults. The Psychometric tool was grounded in the Escapism Theory that is the tendency to avoid unpleasant realities or emotions by engaging in alternative activities. Digital escapism is a modern adaptation of this broader concept, using digital media as the alternative space for emotional relief or avoidance. The scale aims to measure the extent of digital escapism behaviors and their underlying factors. Literature was reviewed and focus discussions were conducted to generate items for the scale. The initial item pool of 67 items was generated through literature review and focus group discussions and categorized into seven domains. After expert review and pilot testing, 32 items were retained. Data were collected from 206 adults (74 males, 132 females) using convenient sampling. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) suggested a three-factor structure, reducing the scale to 22 items. The scale demonstrated excellent psychometric properties, including high reliability (α = .880), a significant Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity (p < .001), and a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy of .879. The DES provides a robust tool for assessing digital escapism in adults, contributing to research and clinical interventions in digital psychology.