This study explores eight key themes: Self-control, personalized learning, smartphone habits, future-time perspective, information overload, digital literacy, meaningful learning, and metacognitive awareness. The primary objective is to investigate the correlations among these factors. Virtual presence serves as a moderating variable, influencing the connections between smartphone habits and digital literacy, as well as between self-control and digital literacy. Additionally, it moderates the relationship between self-control and information overload. The study collected data from 597 engineering students, utilizing a quantitative research approach and employing a questionnaire as the research instrument. Statistical analysis was conducted using a partial least squares structural equation model, implemented with SmartPLS version 4. The study's hypotheses showed a significant impact on each variable, with only the relationships between information overload and meaningful learning, and smartphone habit and metacognitive awareness showing no significant effects, as indicated by the findings.