The Relationship of Visual Campaign and Pappaseng Makkiade Values with the Dimensions of Self-Awareness among Adolescent Online Gamblers through SEM

This study analyzes the relationship between visual campaigns and Pappaseng Makkiade values with the dimensions of self-awareness among adolescents engaged in online gambling using an explanatory quantitative approach. The research employs a Partial Least Squares (PLS)-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method to examine the structural relationships between visual campaigns, Pappaseng Makkiade values, and adolescents’ self-awareness dimensions (cognitive, emotional, and reflective). The study is motivated by the rising prevalence of online gambling among Indonesian adolescents, which negatively impacts mental health, moral integrity, and risky behaviors. The local wisdom of Bugis culture, particularly Pappaseng Makkiade is believed to function as a moral safeguard against deviant behavior. Data were collected through a survey of 300 adolescents aged 15–19 years in Bone Regency who were identified as having accessed online gambling platforms. The research instruments consisted of Likert-scale questionnaires measuring visual campaign exposure, internalization of Pappaseng Makkiade values, and self-awareness dimensions. The SEM analysis produced a model with adequate goodness of fit (χ2 = 112.37; CFI = 0.95), indicating that visual campaigns significantly influence self-awareness (β = 0.41), and that this relationship is strengthened through the internalization of Pappaseng Makkiade values (β = 0.53). These findings confirm that integrating modern media strategies with local wisdom not only enhances adolescents’ cognitive awareness of the risks of online gambling but also reinforces moral reflection rooted in cultural identity. This approach is recommended as a preventive intervention model that can be adapted and replicated in other regions with diverse cultural contexts.