Are smartphones addictive? Examining the cognitive-behavior model of motivation, leisure boredom, extended self, and fear of missing out on possible smartphone addiction

A motivational approach to understanding problematic smartphone use and negative outcomes in university students

Considering the rising integration of smartphones into classrooms, the purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and negative outcomes through the lens of self-determination theory. This study examined 1,039 students' reported academic motivation, PSU, anxiety, insomnia, and perceived stress. The first objective of this study was to examine how motivational orientations could predict PSU. Then, we examined how motivational orientations and PSU, when used as a mediating variable, could be modeled to predict negative student mental health outcomes (anxiety, insomnia, and perceived stress). As predicted, statistically significant results suggested that autonomous academic motivation was associated with less PSU (β = -0.16), as well as less anxiety (β = -0.12), insomnia (β = -0.16), and stress (β = -0.10). In contrast, higher levels of controlled academic motivation were associated with more PSU (β = 0.37), as well as higher levels of anxiety (β = 0.49) and insomnia (β = 0.41). Amotivation was also positively related to PSU (β = 0.17), anxiety (β = 0.36), insomnia (β = 0.62), and stress (β = 0.22). All indirect effects (mediation effects) were statistically significant and in the predicted direction: the impact of autonomous motivation on negative outcomes was mediated by lower levels of PSU while controlled motivation and amotivation were mediated by higher levels of PSU. Overall, this study advanced the understanding of PSU in university classrooms by demonstrating a link with academic motivation and mental health outcomes.

Perceived Social Support, Depressive Symptoms, Self-Compassion, and Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between perceived social support and mobile phone addiction, as well as the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of self-compassion.

METHODS

A total of 874 college students completed questionnaires, including the perceived social support scale, depression-anxiety-stress scale, mobile phone addiction index, and the short form of the self-compassion scale. The participants included 202 males and 672 females, with an average age of 19.54 (SD = 2.16).

RESULTS

A moderated mediation analysis was conducted. The results revealed that perceived social support fully mediated the negative relationship between perceived social support and mobile phone addiction. Self-compassion attenuated the mediating effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study indicated that insufficient perceived social support may increase the risk of mobile phone addiction among college students because of the impact of depressive symptoms. However, self-compassion could buffer this adverse effect.

The relationship between loneliness and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: The mediating role of anthropomorphism and moderating role of family support

BACKGROUND

Loneliness and mobile phone addiction are common phenomena in our daily life that can lead to physical and psychological maladaptation. Although loneliness has been considered to be correlated with adolescents' mobile phone addiction, the underlying mechanisms of the relation between loneliness and mobile phone addiction are still unclear. In order to address the problem of mobile phone addiction among adolescents, the association of loneliness with mobile phone addiction was explored from the perspective of Compensatory Internet Use Theory. The mediating role of anthropomorphism and the moderating role of family support were examined.

METHODS

Data were collected through convenience sampling from a comprehensive university in China. A total of 582 Chinese college students (279 men and 303 women), aged from 17 to 24 (Mage = 20.22 years, SD = 1.46), participated in this study. Their loneliness, anthropomorphism, family support and mobile phone addiction were measured using well-validated self-report questionnaires. Regression-based statistical mediation and moderation were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS.

RESULTS

Loneliness was significantly and positively associated with mobile phone addiction, and this link could be mediated by anthropomorphism. Moreover, the direct effect of loneliness on mobile phone addiction and the indirect effect of anthropomorphism in this link were moderated by family support. Both these two effects were stronger for college students with lower family support.

CONCLUSION

The present study broadened our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms between loneliness and mobile phone addiction. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the impact loneliness can have on mobile phone addiction as well as its paths. Moreover, the results can also provide advice for parents and constructive suggestions for rationalizing college students' mobile phone use in the mobile Internet era. Educational professionals and parents should pay special attention to the problem of mobile phone addiction among lonely adolescents, especially for those with low family support.