Changing Oneself by Teaching Others? Exploring the Protégé Effect in Digital Stress Self-Regulation

The protégée effect suggests that individuals learn more effectively when they teach a subject. While this has shown potential for acquiring knowledge and skills, can it also support acquiring a new behaviour? This study evaluated a protégé-based intervention designed to manage digital stress. Over three weeks, 137 participants with moderate to high digital stress were assigned to four groups. Two were protégée-based: a passive group, given material to teach, and an active group, received headlines and had to search for and prepare teaching content. Both groups completed three sessions, each focused on one digital stress component: availability demand stress, approval anxiety, and fear of missing out. A digital literacy group received similar content and quizzes, and a control group. Outcomes measured included digital stress, problematic social media use, word-of-mouth about its management, and issue involvement. Findings highlight the challenge of translating cognitive engagement into behavioural change, especially amid persistent digital habits and socially reinforced stressors. Results offer insights into the limitations of interventions based on the protégée effect when applied to behaviour change, particularly in the context of reflective digital wellbeing strategies. Future research could explore interactive formats, such as peer engagement or self-regulatory elements, to enhance motivation and impact.