Indonesian Validation of the YouTube Addiction Scale Among Young Adults

Objective There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that YouTube addiction may be associated with health issues among individuals in Indonesia. However, there is currently no validated instrument available in the Indonesian language to assess YouTube addiction. The present study represents the inaugural effort to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Indonesian version of the YouTube Addiction Scale (YAS). Methods An online survey was administered to 515 Indonesian university students (mean age=20 years; 79.8% female), who were recruited through convenience sampling. All participants were proficient in Bahasa Indonesian and completed the survey between February and March 2024. The YAS was evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess its one-factor structure. Additionally, multigroup CFA was employed to examine measurement invariance across sex and varying levels of behavioral addictions. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to establish concurrent validity. Results CFA confirmed that YAS has a one-factor structure. Moreover, multigroup CFA provided evidence for invariance across genders as well as varying levels of smartphone and social media addiction. The YAS had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.74, McDonald’s ω=0.76). Additionally, the YAS was significantly correlated with scores from other social media behavior questionnaires. Conclusion These results suggest that YAS is a psychometrically robust and valid tool for evaluating the risk of YouTube addiction among young adults in Indonesia. Healthcare professionals and researchers may utilize the YAS to determine the severity of YouTube addiction, thereby gaining valuable insights into this specific form of social media dependency.