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

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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An Explanatory Model of Problematic Internet Use of Southern Spanish University Students

Social Science Computer Review ◽

10.1177/0894439321998650 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089443932199865

Author(s):

José-María Romero-Rodríguez ◽

José-Antonio Marín-Marín ◽

Francisco-Javier Hinojo-Lucena ◽

Gerardo Gómez-García

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Internet Addiction ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Internet Use ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Equation Model ◽

Problematic Internet Use ◽

Moderate Degree ◽

Cross Sectional

The problematic Internet use (PIU) has become a topic of special relevance since it is a problem that affects the whole world. It has been detected that the population at greatest risk is university students along with adolescents. At the same time, Spain is one of the countries with the highest PIU rate. The purposes of this article were to analyze the presence and degree of Internet addiction among university students and to check the sociodemographic factors that influence the PIU. To this end, 13 hypotheses were put forward and contrasted using a structural equation model. The study adopted a cross-sectional approach by applying the Internet addiction test to a sample of undergraduate students in southern Spain ( n = 1,013). The results indicated a prevalence of PIU among students of almost 12.5% and with a moderate degree of addiction. In turn, the following hypotheses that had a significant effect on the PIU were supported: gender; field of knowledge; living in the parents’ home; Internet daily use for leisure; Internet daily use for academic purposes; number of social networks; sexual orientation; marital status. Finally, the main findings of the study were reviewed, and the main recommendations and implications for mitigating the negative effects of technology and enhancing the positive ones were established.

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Stress, Mood, and Smartphone Use in University Students: A 12-week Longitudinal Study

10.31219/osf.io/frvpb ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abigail Bradley ◽

Andrea Howard

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Study ◽

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Screen Time ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Well Being ◽

Mood States ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Screen Use

The current study used device-logged screen time records to measure week-to-week within-person associations between stress and smartphone use in undergraduate students (N = 187, Mage = 20.1) during Fall 2020, focusing on differences across types of app used and whether accumulated screen use each week predicted end-of-week mood states. Participants uploaded weekly screenshots from their “Screen Time” settings display and completed surveys measuring stress, mood, and COVID-19 experiences. Results of multilevel models showed no week-to-week change in smartphone hours of use or device pickups. Higher stress levels were not concurrently associated with heavier smartphone use, either overall or by type of app. Heavier smartphone use in a given week did not predict end-of-week mood states, but students who tended to spend more time on their phones in general reported slightly worse moods—a between-person effect potentially reflecting deficits in well-being that are present in students’ offline lives as well. Our findings contribute to a growing scholarly consensus that time spent on smartphones tells us little about young people’s well-being.

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An Empirical Study on Smartphone Addiction of the University Students

International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) ◽

10.3991/ijim.v13i12.11120 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 184

Author(s):

Abdulmohsin Suliman Alkhunzain

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Quantitative Method ◽

Human Life ◽

Public University ◽

Future Research ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

The People ◽

The University

<p>Smartphones have become an import part of the human life from the beginning of the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Most of the people of different ages are using most modern smartphones. The present study is an attempt to examine the university students’ smartphone addiction and their perception on its usefulness for the academic purposes. The study employed quantitative method to measure the smartphones addiction. Two questionnaires were used to gather the data for the present attempt. One questionnaire was used to gather the data for smartphone addition and the second questionnaire was use to attain learners perception on the smartphone addiction for the learning purposes. The participants of the present attempt were (N=174) undergraduate students of a public university. The finding of the study displayed that university students spend more than 8 hours in a day on their smartphones. Findings also indicate that participants are aware of the positive aspects of smartphones. The study also recommends suggestion on the future research.</p>

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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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Sociodemographic factors influencing smartphone addiction in university students

Research in Social Sciences and Technology ◽

10.46303/ressat.04.02.10 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 137-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz ◽

Juan-Manuel Trujillo-Torres ◽

Santiago Alonso-García ◽

Carmen Rodríguez-Jiménez

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Multiple Linear Regression Model ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Statistical Test ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Way Of Life ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

University Population ◽

The University

The development of mobile devices has affected the way of life of university students, affecting their daily habits and sometimes their health. Specifically, in recent years a series of illnesses have developed as a result of the constant use of smartphones by the university population, which has come to be catalogued as an at-risk population. The aim of this work was to analyze the sociodemographic factors that influence the smartphone addiction of university students. For the measurement of the levels of addiction, the standardized instrument Smartphone Addiction Scale was used in a sample of 385 students from the University of Granada, Spain. A multiple linear regression model was used as a statistical test, highlighting that the factor influencing smartphone addiction is the time of use. Finally, the study includes a series of implications derived from the results obtained, with the aim of establishing preventive measures to help to mitigate smartphone addiction.

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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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Smartphone Addiction in Undergraduate Athletes: Reasons and Effects of Using Instagram Intensively

International Journal of Technology in Education and Science ◽

10.46328/ijtes.v4i3.106 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 188-202

Author(s):

Deniz Mertkan Gezgin ◽

Can Mihci

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Smartphone Application ◽

Physical Education Teachers ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

State University ◽

Young Athletes ◽

Use Patterns

Instagram has become a popular social network software based primarily on the concept of sharing visual content. As the most popular mobile application among university students, it is thought to be a major component of excessive smartphone use cases due to the need of its users for frequently checking updates. As a result, heavy Instagram-use for both sharing personally generated content and checking on others’ updates is thought to be a contributor to smartphone addiction. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Instagram social network usage characteristics upon smartphone addiction levels of university students, specifically those enrolled in the Athletics Departments, in order to examine the particular case of young athletes that use Instagram extensively. Therefore, the study group consists of 97 undergraduate students enrolled in the Athletics Department of a state university located in the Thrace regions of Turkey during the 2017-2018 academic year, who were also taking up a pedagogical formation certification course for becoming prospective K12 physical education teachers. Adopting a mixed method research model, the study has shown that, as far as young athletes who report Instagram as their favorite smartphone application is concerned, heavy Instagram use statistically predicts smartphone addiction. Moreover, according to qualitative data, the Occam’s Razor rule applies with these young athletes’ interaction with Instagram. Problematic use patterns are more easily explained by passive-observant behavior associated with a certain Fear of Missing Out, rather than a strong desire to exhibit their body image and sports success.

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Self-Reported Screen Time on Social Networking Sites Associated With Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Study

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.614061 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Ningyuan Guo ◽

Tzu Tsun Luk ◽

Man Ping Wang ◽

Sai Yin Ho ◽

Daniel Yee Tak Fong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Networking ◽

Social Networking Sites ◽

Screen Time ◽

Population Based ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Short Version ◽

Chinese Adults ◽

Problematic Smartphone Use ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

Independent Association

Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has been associated with screen time in general, but little is known about the effect of different screen-based activities. We examined the associations of self-reported time spent on overall and specific screen-based activities with PSU and its addictive symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese adults.Methods: We analyzed data from 562 smartphone owners (56.5% female; 82.1% aged 25–64 years) in a population-based telephone survey in 2017. PSU was measured using Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (range 10–60) which includes symptoms of daily-life disturbance, withdrawal, cyberspace-oriented relationship, overuse, and tolerance. Screen time was self-reported as average hours per day spent on the internet, online book/newspaper/magazine, online video, and social networking sites (SNS). Multivariable linear regression analyzed the associations of self-reported screen time with PSU severity and symptoms. Interaction effects of sex, age group, educational attainment, and monthly household income were examined.Results: Self-reported time spent on overall screen-based activities was associated with PSU severity (β = 1.35, 95% CI 0.15, 2.55) and withdrawal and overuse symptoms, after adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related variables. Independent association was observed for self-reported SNS time with PSU severity (β = 1.42, 95% CI 0.35, 2.49) and symptoms of withdrawal and cyberspace-oriented relationship, after mutually adjusting for time on other activities. The strongest association between self-reported SNS time and PSU severity was observed in younger than older adults (β = 4.36, 95% CI 2.58, 6.13; P for interaction = 0.004).Conclusions: The independent association of self-reported SNS time with PSU and core addictive symptoms highlighted the addiction potential of SNS use, particularly in younger users.

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How addicted are newly admitted Undergraduate Medical Students to Smartphones?: a Cross-sectional Study from Chitwan Medical College, Nepal

10.21203/rs.2.14799/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sirisa Karki ◽

Jaya Prasad Singh ◽

Gita Paudel ◽

Sushma Khatiwada ◽

Sameer Timilsina

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Short Version ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Smartphone Use ◽

And Gender

Abstract Introduction: Increasing smartphone use among adolescents in todays’ world has made this handy device an indispensable electronic tool, however, it comes at a price of problematic overuse or addiction. We aim to investigate the prevalence of smartphone addiction among undergraduate medical students and explore its association with various demographic and personal factors. Methods: A pool of 250 undergraduate students completed a survey composed of socio-demographics information, smartphone-use related variables and 10-point Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version in February 2019. Results: Smartphone addiction among medical students was estimated at around 36.8% with higher percentage of male smartphone addicts. Phubbing was reported by 37.6% participants with more than 60% reporting overuse. Statistically significant association was observed between smartphone addiction and gender and overuse. Self-acknowledgement of addiction was found to be the biggest predictor of smartphone addiction. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary insights into smartphone use, smartphone addiction and various factors predicting smartphone addiction among early undergraduate medical students from Nepal, which should be extended in future studies. Education policymakers and educators need to develop some strategies encouraging student’s smartphone utilization to enhance academic performance. Keywords: smartphone; addiction; undergraduate; medical.

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