Gender differences in the relationship between problematic internet use and nomophobia

The relationship between nomophobia and latent classes of personality

The phenomenon of nomophobia, defined as the anxiety experienced when a person is without their mobile phone or is unable to use it, has been identified as having serious negative effects on individuals, particularly students. Previous research has explored the relationship between personality traits and nomophobia, but the findings have been inconclusive. The main objective of this study was to classify personality types through latent class analysis and explore the relationship between these personality types and nomophobia. The Chinese version of the Nomophobia Scale and the Chinese brief version of the Big Five Personality Inventory were used in this study to survey 1906 Chinese college students. The results indicated that (1) a four-class model provided the best fit and categorized the personality traits as the overcontrolled class, resilient class, moderate class, and vulnerable class; (2) significant differences were observed between the four personality types and nomophobia, with overcontrolled and resilient personality types consistently scoring significantly lower than moderate and vulnerable personality types. Our finding highlights the key feature of the study.

Psychometric Validation of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale in Spanish Adolescents

Despite problematic internet use being especially high among adolescents, there are no screening instruments in Spain specifically for adolescents that would facilitate early detection of this problem. The main goal of this study was to validate the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) in the adolescent Spanish population as well as to analyze the discriminative capacity of CIUS based on sociodemographic characteristics, grade point average, and other addictive behaviors. Data were obtained from the ESTUDES, a representative survey of addictive behaviors of Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of a total of 34,308 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old (Mage = 15.70; SD = 1.19; 51.7% females). Results indicated that the CIUS fit a unidimensional structure, exhibited measurement invariance with respect to sex and age, and demonstrated excellent reliability (ω = .94). Past-month tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use, as well as past-year gambling and gaming, were related to CIUS scores. A standardized screening instrument that provides valid, reliable information on young people's use of the Internet in Spain is a critical requirement for successful early detection and intervention in this population.

Assessing the Two Sources of Construct-Relevant Psychometric Multidimensionality of the Nomophobia Questionnaire: The Integrated Framework of Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling

The current study aimed at investigating the two sources of construct-relevant psychometric multidimensionality of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), applying the newly developed bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (B-ESEM) approach. We first contrasted several CFA and ESEM models to test the psychometric multidimensionality due to the fallibility of indicators. Then, we compared the first-order structures with those specifying both global and specific factors to test the coexistence of hierarchically ordered factors. Results from 469 participants to the 20-item questionnaire showed the superiority of a B-ESEM representation with a well-defined G-factor and four weaker S-factors. On a methodological level, our findings provide additional support for the utility of using B-ESEM's integrative perspective to better capture the complexity of multidimensional constructs.

Glimpse on 21st century new phobias; a predictive model of nomophobia

The main purpose of this study was to examine the explanatory power of a predictive model of nomophobia consisting of rumination, fear of missing out (FoMO), mindfulness and non-pathological compulsions. The research involved a cross-sectional design exploring the prevalence of nomophobia in a Romanian university students' cohort. The quantitative methodology was used to collect and analyse the data obtained from all the respondents. Researchers adapted and pretested the questionnaire NMP-Q, before distributing it to 194 university students. SPSS (V. 20) and Hayes's PROCESS tool were used to analyse the data. The findings demonstrated that the above-mentioned psychological variables have a direct and significant relationship with nomophobia. Specifically, within the multidimensional mechanism that explains nomophobia, fear of missing out (FoMO), non-pathological compulsions, and rumination, included in the predictive model in this order, played the most important role, as together cover 34% of nomophobia variance. Furthermore, the fear of missing out has the highest explanatory contribution to nomophobia. The current study gives a better understanding of the dynamics of nomophobia in young people by focusing on psychological factors that play an important role in this phenomenon.

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Kişilik Özellikleri, Üstbiliş, İnternet Kullanım Fonksiyonu ve Problemli İnternet Kullanım Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

Üniversite öğrencilerinin problemli internet kullanımı ile ilişkili olabilecek faktörlerin incelenmesinin ve olası risk durumlarının belirlenmesinin önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir. Üniversite dönemi, bireylerin ebeveyn kontrolünden uzaklaşıp kendi kararlarını vermeye ve hayatlarına yön vermeye başladıkları kritik bir dönemdir. Sorunlu internet kullanımı ile cinsiyet, psikiyatrik tanı, üstbilişsel inançlar ve kişilik arasındaki ilişki gösterilmiş olmasına rağmen, mevcut araştırma sayısı sınırlıdır ve bulgular çelişkilidir. Ayrıca internet kullanım süresinin ve amacının yer aldığı ve tüm bu değişkenlerin birlikte incelendiği herhangi bir çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır. Bu çalışmada, üniversite öğrencilerinin kişilik özelliklerini, üstbilişsel inançlarını, internet kullanım işlevlerini ve problemli internet kullanımlarını tanı, cinsiyet ve internet kullanım süreleri açısından incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Veriler yaş ortalamaları 20.11 olan 696 üniversite öğrencisinden toplanmıştır. Araştırmada, betimsel ve parametrik olmayan bağımsız gruplar karşılaştırma analizleri kullanılmıştır (Mann Whitney U Testi ve Kruskal-Wallis Testi). Bu çalışmada, Beş Faktör Kişilik Özellikleri Ölçeği (BFKÖ), Üstbiliş Ölçeği-30 (ÜÖ-30), İnternet Kullanım Fonksiyonları Ölçeği (İKFÖ), İnternette Bilişsel Durum Ölçeği (İBDÖ) ve Demografik Bilgi Formu kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, kadınların vicdanlılık ve nevrotizm alt ölçeği puanları daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Analiz sonuçları tanıya göre önemli bir fark olduğunu göstermiştir. Psikiyatrik tanısı olan grubun ölçek puanlarının, nevrotizm, açıklık, kontrol edilemezlik ve tehlike, bilişsel güven eksikliği, ÜÖ-30 toplam puanı ve bilgi işlevleri alt boyutlarında daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Nevrotizm, kontrol edilemezlik ve tehlike, sosyal işlevler, sanal duygusal işlevler, sosyal rahatlık, yalnızlık/depresyon, dürtüde azalma, dikkat dağınıklığı ve İBDÖ toplam puanı alt boyut puanlarının internet kullanım süresi ile doğru orantılı olarak arttığı görülmüştür.

Effects of Difficulty in Handling Emotions and Social Interactions on Nomophobia: Examining the Mediating Role of Feelings of Loneliness

This study was addressed to assess nomophobia in an Italian sample (N = 456, 53.1% men, M age = 31.8, SD = 11.1), also providing a deeper knowledge about how it is distributed across demographics, as well as identifying its best predictors. The main goal was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of difficulty in emotion regulation and social interaction anxiety on nomophobia through loneliness. Our findings indicated that loneliness explained the effect of the expressive suppression strategy (fully) and social interaction anxiety (partially) on nomophobia, whereas it was not a significant mediator when the cognitive reappraisal strategy was taken into account. Our study suggests that loneliness during the pandemic plays a crucial role in explaining the associations between the investigated predictors and the outcome variable, offering a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of this emerging construct. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and shortcomings and suggestions for future works are presented.

Epidemiology of gaming disorder and its effect on anxiety and insomnia in Chinese ethnic minority adolescents

BACKGROUND

The growing popularity and frequency of online game use have resulted in a large number of studies reporting various mental problems associated with game abuse in adolescents. In this article, we examined the prevalence of gaming disorder (GD) and explored the associations of GD with anxiety and insomnia symptoms in minority youth in China.

METHODS

A total of 1494 students completed the Problematic Online Gaming Questionnaire Short-Form (POGQ-SF), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item questionnaire (GAD-7), and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associations between gaming disorder and anxiety/insomnia.

RESULTS

A total of 356 (23.83%) respondents reported that they had gaming disorder. Chi-square analysis showed that gender, grade, marital status of parents and exercise situation were significantly associated with GD. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that those who had GD were at significantly higher risk for anxiety and insomnia than those without GD.

CONCLUSION

We found a high incidence of GD and a positive association among anxiety, insomnia and GD. Thus, special attention should be paid to those who have suffered from GD. It is worth addressing the adverse effects of GD on anxiety and insomnia.

The Impact of Nomophobia, Stress, and Loneliness on Smartphone Addiction among Young Adults during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Israeli Case Analysis

Technological development in recent times has dramatically changed the way people live, interact with, and consume information. Since the emergence of the first iPhone in January 2007 until today, mobile phones are used daily for a range of purposes. Using mobile phones for various purposes intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to isolation or government lockdown regulations. However, along with the advantages of smartphone usage there are many disadvantages such as smartphone addiction and continuous exposure to digital screens, behaviors known as PSU—problematic smartphone use. This study explores the impact of several variables on PSU: loneliness, the need for social interaction, sleep hours, fear of losing phone access (nomophobia), and stress among young adults in Israel. The variables are examined with respect to two time periods: 1. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns (defined as “T1”) and 2. Following the end of the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns (defined as “T2”). The results indicated that nomophobia, social affiliation, and sleep hours affect PSU. In addition, the indirect effect of the number of sleep hours on stress and PSU was found to be significant in T2 and in T1. The findings and their implications are discussed.

Problematic Smartphone Use and Problematic Social Media Use: The Predictive Role of Self-Construal and the Mediating Effect of Fear Missing Out

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) are two interrelated constructs which have received significant research attention over the past decade. The present study investigated the relationship between self-construal (distinguished as independent and interdependent), PSU and PSMU with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) as a mediating variable. The sample comprised 405 Italian students who completed standardized psychometric scales assessing the variables of the study. Bivariate correlations analysis showed that FoMO and independent self-construal was significantly and negatively associated. On the contrary, interdependent self-construal was significantly and positively associated with FoMO, PSU, and PSMU. Mediation analysis showed that FoMO mediated the relationship between self-construal and both PSMU and PSU, but at different levels. The results demonstrated that FoMO full mediated the relationships between interdependent self and PSU, whereas only partial mediation was found between interdependent self and PSMU. Therefore, taking these personality characteristics into account may help reduce dysfunctional behaviour associated with problematic technology use and promote psychological well-being among students. However, it is recommended that further studies replicate the proposed model by including other psychological constructs.

Internet Addiction: The Role of Parental Care and Mental Health in Adolescence

Internet addiction in adolescence is a social issue which is being increasingly discussed worldwide. Hence, deepening the knowledge of its development is necessary to prevent short- and long-term negative outcomes. This study involving 266 adolescents (mean age = 16.1 years, SD = 1.4) aimed at analyzing the relationship between quality of parental care, Internet addiction and adolescents’ mental health, by means of the following self-report tools: the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Internet Addiction Test, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The findings, collected through structural equation model analyses, showed that perceived care from both father and mother had significant indirect effects on Internet addiction problems through adolescents’ mental health problems. Furthermore, Internet addiction problems were demonstrated to be negatively associated with maternal care but not with paternal care. The study provides empirical support to the need of family-based prevention and intervention programs to take care of Internet addiction.