Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness and the change process of a narrative therapy group counseling program, targeting elementary students with Internet or smartphone overdependency through enhancing self-esteem. The program was based on the White(2010)’s narrative therapy process as well as the previous programs focused on the intervention of Internet and smartphone overdependency.
Method: The program was implemented to the sample of 12 4th grade boys and girls in D elementary school in Seoul area, who met the criteria of “risk” or “attention-required” group. Qualitative as well as quantitative methods were used to verify the effectiveness and the change process.
Results: This program had an effect on enhancing self-esteem but had no significant effect on decreasing overdependency. From the qualitative data, we found out the narrative techniques made the change as the narrative therapy theory suggested.
Conclusion: We conclude that narrative therapy techniques are appropriate for enhancing the self-esteem. However, we suggest that, for the elementary age group, more practice based activities are need to lead their enhanced self-esteem into the actual behavior change of media overdependency.