HRMARS - This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a counseling program designed to develop values among general secondary school students in the Sultanate of Oman, in light of the growing behavioral challenges associated with the excessive use of social media. The significance of the study lies in its response to contemporary educational needs related to strengthening ethical, social, and academic values among adolescents. The study adopted a quasi-experimental approach using a one-group pre-test/post-test design, and implemented a counseling program consisting of twelve sessions focused on developing values and promoting responsible digital behavior. The study utilized a Social Media Awareness Scale—comprising six dimensions: compulsive preoccupation, psychological dimension, social dimension, academic dimension, physical dimension, and ethical dimension. The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the pre- and post-tests in favor of the post-test, indicating the program’s effectiveness in reducing negative behaviors and enhancing ethical, social, and academic values among students. The results were discussed in light of previous literature that highlights the effectiveness of reality counseling approaches in strengthening self-responsibility and modifying maladaptive behaviors. The study recommends adopting and generalizing the program in Omani schools and integrating it within school counseling services.
Almashikhi et al. (Mon,) studied this question.