Digital Dependency and Coping Strategies on Oral Communication Proficiency of the Marginalized Learners

This study examines the effects of digital dependency on the oral communication proficiency of marginalized learners, focusing on their coping strategies and digital competencies. Utilizing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 120 Grade 7 students at Valencia National High School through structured questionnaires assessing digital overuse, emotional state, dependence, and coping strategies. This study used quantitative research design. The study used a structured research questions and reliability was checked through Cronbach alpha. The level of marginalized learners’ digital dependency, coping strategy, and oral communication proficiency were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Also, Pearson Correlation was used to analyze the significant relationship between oral comprehension and digital dependency and coping strategies. Further, regression analysis was utilized to explore and quantify the relationships between digital dependency and oral communication proficiency while also considering coping strategies and digital competencies as additional factors. The findings of this study reveal that marginalized learners exhibit a moderate level of digital competency and coping strategies, with emotional coping strategies proving more effective than behavioral ones. The complex relationship between digital dependency and oral communication skills is characterized by both positive and negative impacts: while digital tools can enhance communication opportunities and build self-confidence, excessive reliance on them may diminish face-to-face interaction skills and increase communication anxiety. This underscores the importance of interpersonal engagement in alleviating anxiety and highlights the need for educational frameworks that promote both digital and interpersonal competencies. Tailored interventions should focus on fostering self-confidence, enhancing proactive coping behaviors, and encouraging social inclusion to support marginalized learners in navigating the challenges of the digital age effectively.