SMARTPHONE ADDICTION: A BOON OR BANE FOR PAKISTANI UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The use of smartphones has enormously increased among students around the world. Few studies have focused on this critical issue in Pakistan. This study examined the influence of Smartphone addiction in Pakistan. A survey questionnaire was utilized to collect data consisting of three dimensions: (a) Smartphone usage, (b) textbook use, and (c) self-study. A total of 401 university students responded to the survey. The data were analyzed by calculating descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, and ANOVA. The results showed significant differences in students' perceptions of all three dimensions of the questionnaire regarding gender, age, Grade Point Average (GPA), and year (academic session). Male students were found to have a higher tendency towards Smartphone use than female students compared to textbook use and self-study. The results of this study have broader policy implications for researchers and teachers of higher education.

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Is Smartphone Addiction Associated with a Younger Age at First Use in University Students?

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v10n2p134 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 134 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Doris Jaalouk ◽

Jocelyne Boumosleh

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Predictor Variable ◽

Subsequent Development ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Independent Effect ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Younger Age ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Independent Association

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence highlighted the potential of habitual smartphone use among youth to become an addiction analogous to established behavioral and substance-related addictions. While investigators revealed independent predictive effects of several sociodemographic factors, personality traits, psychological conditions, and smartphone usage patterns on smartphone addiction (SPA) in university students, none examined the independent effect of age at first smartphone use, a potential predictor variable, on subsequent development of SPA.OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the independent association between age at first smartphone use and SPA score in a sample of 688 Lebanese undergraduate university students.METHODS: A random sample of 688 undergraduate students selected from Notre Dame University, Lebanon filled out survey forms that included a) questions on socio-demographics, academics, smartphone use, personality type, depression, anxiety, and lifestyle habits; b) 26-item Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the independent association between age at first use and SPA level.RESULTS: Mean age at first smartphone use was about 15 years. Younger age at first use of smartphone was found to be significantly associated with several SPA symptoms and correlated with higher total SPAI score. In the unadjusted regression model, higher total SPAI scores were found to be significantly associated with younger age at first smartphone use. This association remained significant in the partially adjusted model, but disappeared in the fully adjusted one when controlling additionally for smartphone use habits.CONCLUSION: Younger age at smartphone use did not independently predict SPA in this sample of students.

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Smartphone Addiction among University Students and Its Relationship with Academic Performance

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v10n1p48 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 48 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jocelyne Boumosleh ◽

Doris Jaalouk

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Academic Performance ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Business Students ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Lifestyle Behaviors ◽

Grade Point ◽

Smartphone Use

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Smartphone use is almost universally relied on among college students. Whether smartphone addiction among college students has a negative predictive effect on academic performance is hardly studied. Previous research found an apparent association between smartphone use and academic achievement partly explained by the nature of the task the student is engaged in when using a smartphone. This study aims to assess the relationship between smartphone addiction and students’ academic performance controlling for important potential confounding variables.METHODS: A sample of 688 undergraduate students was randomly selected from Notre Dame University, Lebanon. Students were asked to fill out a questionnaire that included a) questions on variables related to socio-demographics, academics, smartphone use, and lifestyle behaviors; and b) a 26-item Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) Scale. Multiple logistic regression was performed to assess the independent association between smartphone addiction and cumulative grade point average (GPA).RESULTS: 49% reported smartphone use for at least 5 hours during a weekday. Controlling for confounding effects in the model, the association between total SPAI score and GPA did not reach statistical significance, whereas alcohol drinking (OR= 2.10, p=0.026), age at first use of smartphone (OR=1.20, p=0.042), use of smartphone for study-related purposes (OR=0.31, p=0.000), class (OR=0.35 (senior vs. sophomore standing), p=0.024), and faculty (ORs of 0.38 and 0.35 (engineering and humanities, respectively, vs. business students)) were found to be independent predictors of reporting a GPA of < 3.CONCLUSION: Findings from our study can be used to better inform college administrators and faculty about most-at- risk groups of students who shall be targeted in any intervention designed to enhance low academic performance.

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Studies on the Relationship between Social Anxiety and Excessive Smartphone Use and on the Effects of Abstinence and Sensation Seeking on Excessive Smartphone Use

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17041262 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 1262 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Liat Turgeman ◽

Inbar Hefner ◽

Maayan Bazon ◽

Or Yehoshua ◽

Aviv Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Social Anxiety ◽

University Students ◽

Sensation Seeking ◽

Positive Association ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Problematic Smartphone Use ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale ◽

Negative Impacts

Problematic smartphone use is the excessive use of the smartphone with negative impacts on the quality of life of the user. We investigated the association between social anxiety and excessive smartphone use. The sample consisted of 140 participants, 73 male and 67 female university students with a mean age of 26 years and 4 months (SD = 3.38), who filled in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS). Results showed a positive association between social anxiety and excessive smartphone use. Social anxiety explained 31.5% of the variance of ratings on the SAS. A second study investigated the interaction between abstinence and sensation seeking and excessive smartphone use. The sample consisted of 60 participants, 44 female and 16 male university students. The sample was divided into two experimental conditions: 30 participants were abstinent for 1.5 h from the smartphone and 30 participants were non-abstinent. Results showed that excessive smartphone use increased in the group that abstained compared to those who did not. Secondly, participants who had high baseline sensation-seeking ratings had higher scores of excessive smartphone use after abstinence compared with those with low ratings of sensation seeking. These studies indicate the contribution of social anxiety to problematic smartphone use and how it can be exacerbated by the combination of abstinence and high sensation seeking.

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Influence of Smartphone Use on Emotional, Cognitive and Educational Dimensions in University Students

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12166646 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (16) ◽

pp. 6646

Author(s):

Francisco Manuel Morales Rodríguez ◽

José Miguel Giménez Lozano ◽

Pablo Linares Mingorance ◽

José Manuel Pérez-Mármol

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

University Students ◽

Extrinsic Motivation ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Ex Post ◽

Ex Post Facto ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

The University ◽

University Settings ◽

Educational Variables

The use of mobile devices is one of the increasingly interactive methodologies widely promoted within the European Higher Education Area. It is, therefore, necessary to determine the potential effects of their excessive use on psychological and educational variables. The aim of the present study was to assess smartphone addiction and its relationship with emotional, cognitive, and educational dimensions in university students. Participants comprised 144 university students aged between 19 and 27 years old and studying psychology and education at the University of Granada. Various tests were administered to assess variables grouped into the following dimensions: smartphone addiction (TDM), general intelligence (Wonderlic), emotional intelligence (TMMS-24), motivation (Mape-3), creativity (CREA test), and attitudes toward competencies. An ex post facto design was employed. Direct associations were observed between addiction symptoms caused by smartphone use (withdrawal, tolerance, excessive use, and problems caused by the same) and the variables of extrinsic motivation (fear and avoidance of the task) and intrinsic motivation (motivation toward the task). The results also indicated direct relationships between the problems caused by excessive smartphone use and anxiety and extrinsic motivation toward learning. An inverse relationship was observed between smartphone addiction and the emotional intelligence dimension of clarity of feelings. The anxiety provoked by excessive smartphone use was related to the tolerance generated by such use and to cultural and artistic competencies. The data obtained thus shed light on the effect of smartphone use on emotional, cognitive, and educational dimensions in university settings.

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Problematic Smartphone Use and Aggressive Behavior Among University Students: The Mediating Role of Sleep Disturbance

Journal of Research and Health ◽

10.32598/jrh.11.3.1224.3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 157-164

Author(s):

Salman Zarei ◽

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Problematic Smartphone Use ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

The Relationship

Background: Despite several benefits, research has found that problematic smartphone use is positively associated with behavioral problems. However, the internal mechanisms underlying this relationship need further investigation. So, the current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of sleep disturbance in the relationship between problematic smartphone use and aggression. Methods: The research design was descriptive-correlational. Also, the study population included the male university students of the Islamic Azad University of South Tehran Branch in the academic year of 2019-2020. Using the convenience sampling method, a total number of 213 participants from two faculties (Faculty of Human Sciences and Faculty of Law and Political Sciences) were selected and tested by Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Then, the Pearson correlation and path analysis were conducted to analyze the data. Results: The results revealed the significant and direct effects of problematic smartphone use on aggression (β=0.12, P<0.05), sleep quality on aggression (β=0.37, P<0.001), and problematic smartphone use on sleep disturbance (β=0.42, P<0.001). Also, sleep quality significantly mediated in the relationship between problematic smartphone use and aggression (β=0.15, P<0.01). Conclusion: According to the present findings, problematic smartphone use and sleep disturbance are two important factors affecting aggressive behavior among university students. These findings highlight the critical role of early intervention for aggression with a focus on those with problematic smartphone use and more specifically those with sleep disturbance.

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Smartphone Addiction and Sleep Quality Associated with Depression in University Students in Japan

International Journal of Cyber Behavior Psychology and Learning ◽

10.4018/ijcbpl.2019100102 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 22-31

Author(s):

Satoko Ezoe ◽

Tadayuki Iida ◽

Ken Inoue ◽

Masahiro Toda

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Problems ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Japanese Version ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Poor Sleep ◽

Depressive State ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Self Reporting Questionnaire

Smartphones have developed rapidly in recent years, with their use becoming widespread and an established part of daily life. Along with the development of various applications, smartphone addiction or dependence has been routinely reported, and indicated to be associated with such conditions as sleep problems and depression. In order to examine the relationships of smartphone use, sleep quality, chronotype, and physical exercise, with a depressive state, the authors administered a self-reporting questionnaire survey, which included the Japanese version of the Smartphone Dependence Scale (J-SDS), the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), to 119 university students in Japan. Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that scores for the J-SDS and PSQI were significantly related to BDI score. These findings suggest that smartphone addiction and poor sleep quality are associated with the depressive state in students in Japan.

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Relationships Between Anxiety, Perceived Vulnerability to Disease, and Smartphone Use During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in a Sample of Italian College Students

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.692503 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Concetta De Pasquale ◽

Maria Luisa Pistorio ◽

Federica Sciacca ◽

Zira Hichy

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

University Students ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

State Anxiety ◽

The State ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Perceived Vulnerability ◽

Trait And State Anxiety ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Perceived Vulnerability To Disease

Introduction: As of March 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been declared a “pandemic” by the WHO. This has led to the need for governments around the world to implement restrictive containment and isolation measures to stem the spread of the virus; these measures have included social distancing, isolation, and quarantine. The fear of contagion has been indicated as one of the causes of stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia in the general population. With respect to the response of young people to the pandemic, the category of University students deserves further attention. The sudden change in “University” habits (i.e., poor interaction with teachers and colleagues, disturbing learning environment, and difficulty in adapting to online learning), the consequent loss of a social network, and the economic problems in their families have seriously affected the psychophysical well-being of University students. The aim of this study was to explore, in a sample of Italian University students, the relationships among anxiety, perceived vulnerability to disease, and smartphone use during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A sample of 194 volunteer college students (i.e., 86 males and 108 females) aged between 18 and 30 years (M = 21.74; SD = 2.39) were recruited to participate in this study. Participants were recruited through an online questionnaire sent to students of the University of Catania, Italy, and distributed from September 2020 to January 2021. The volunteer participants were given an online protocol that included the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) for the evaluation of fear, the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease (PVD) for the evaluation of perceived vulnerability to disease, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for the evaluation of trait and state anxiety, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version for Adolescents and Young Adults (SAS-SV) for the evaluation of use, abuse, or addiction of smartphone use.Results: The fear of COVID-19 did not reach an intensity such as to be defined as serious (i.e., fear score: 15.53) in the whole sample. Both men and women showed a high risk of smartphone addiction (i.e., score of males: 28.33 and score of females: 26.88) in SAS-SV. University students showed moderate trait and state anxiety [i.e., a score of 51.60 in Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI) and a score of 47.21 in State Anxiety Inventory (SAI)] in STAI. In addition, students showed moderate perceived vulnerability to disease (i.e., a score of 51.51) in PVD. The results showed that fear of COVID-19 and trait anxiety appear to be the predictors of SAI and PVD but not the predictors of risk of smartphone addiction (SAS-SV).Conclusions: The data highlighted the presence of a perception of vulnerability to infections in subjects in which there was also a moderate anxiety, both state and trait, associated with the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is hoped that a large part of the population will soon be vaccinated, including University students, and therefore, it would be desirable to carry out further assessments in the post-vaccine phase to highlight any differences in the state of anxiety and the perception of vulnerability to infections. The possible positive role of the use of smartphones in maintaining social contacts should also be emphasized.

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Prevalence and Correlates of Academic Dishonesty: Towards a Sustainable University

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11216062 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (21) ◽

pp. 6062 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cuadrado ◽

Salgado ◽

Moscoso

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Academic Dishonesty ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Contextual Performance ◽

Critical Issue ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Grade Point ◽

American University ◽

The North

Academic dishonesty (AD) is a problem that affects all higher education institutions. It hurts their reputation, undermines integrity programs, and sidelines sustainability efforts. To understand its negative impact, the empirical study of AD is a critical issue. Up to now, the majority of research on AD has taken place in the North American context. The current research analyzes the prevalence of AD in a non-American university and, focusing on individual differences, examines some of its causes and consequences. The results prove that: (1) AD is a problem that occurs frequently among students; (2) three dimensions of the big five personality model correlate with AD. These are conscientiousness (ρ = −0.49, p < 0.01), extraversion (ρ = 0.39, p < 0.01), and agreeableness (ρ = −0.14, p < 0.01); (3) AD is associated to students’ GPA (Grade Point Average) (ρ = −0.34, p < 0.01) and contextual performance (ρ = −0.50, p < 0.01); (4) personality accounts for 30% of AD variance (R = 0.55, p < 0.01); and (5) AD and some of the studied individual differences explain 38% and 41% of GPA and contextual performance variance (R = 0.62, p < 0.01 and R = 0.64, p < 0.01). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

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The Association of Smartphone Usage Duration with Physical Fitness among Chinese University Students

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph19010572 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 572

Author(s):

Wang Li ◽

Yufei Cui ◽

Qiang Gong ◽

Cong Huang ◽

Feng Guo

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Physical Fitness ◽

Vital Capacity ◽

Female Students ◽

Male Students ◽

Chinese University ◽

Long Duration ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Run Time ◽

Chinese University Students

Background: The use of smartphones has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, especially among the youth. However, smartphone overuse has been reported to be related to several negative mental and physical health outcomes. Although the association between smartphone use and physical fitness has been investigated in several studies, these studies only focused on specific elements of physical fitness, such as grip strength. In addition, evidence on young adults is limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine the association between the duration of smartphone use and physical fitness among Chinese university students. Methods: A total of 11,242 university students volunteered to participate in the study. The duration of smartphone use was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. Physical fitness tests consisted of a 50-m sprint and vital capacity tests for both sexes, a 1000-m run and pull-up test for male students, and an 800-m run and sit-up test for female students. Results: The duration of smartphone use among the participants was 5.4 h/day for male students and 6.1 h/day for female students on average. After adjusting for confounding factors, in male students, a long duration of smartphone use was significantly associated with a slow 50 m sprint and 1000 m run time, lower pull-up times, and poor vital capacity (p = 0.004, 0.002, 0.002 and 0.040, respectively). In female students, a long duration of smartphone use was associated with a slow 800 m run time (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study found that longer duration of smartphone use was associated with lower physical fitness among Chinese university students. The duration of smartphone use may be an influencing factor for physical fitness.

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