A Study on adolescents Smartphone Addiction in South Korea society

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among academic stress, depression, and adolescent’s smartphone addiction in South korea, and suggesting social welfare intervention methods for smartphone addiction. This study attempts to find the mediating effects of depression to academic stress on adolescent’s smartphone addiction. Data were gathered though questionnaires surveying 1,601 adolescents living in the metropolitan region(Seoul and Kyeonggi province in Korea). In data analysis process, we used SPSS 21.0 for the mediation effect of conversational satisfaction and its significance. and The results of t-tests and multiple regression analysis using are as follow. First, Upon classification of Smartphone users to 3 groups, approximately 24.5 percent of adolescents were found to be at risk of smartphone addiction. Second, female students(26.3%) were higher than male students(23.2%) on smartphone addiction, which is the result that addiction-risk of female students is higher, because they react more sensitively In communication. Third, academic stress was associated with depression and smartphone addiction among adolescents, and depression was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between academic stress and smartphone addiction. Based on these outcomes, we suggest the importance and necessity of improved approach about academic stress as way to reduce smartphone addiction and proposed social work-based intervention program for enhancing this.