Abstract
Smartphones have rapidly become indispensable in modern life. The wide spectrum of activities and virtual interaction possibilities with the mobile device render some individuals prone to exaggerated use exhibiting core symptoms akin to substance addiction. The core common symptoms of addictions can be framed within the ‘components model of addiction.’ Based on the different pattern of smartphone use in various age groups, the symptoms and the risk of smartphone addiction may differ during various life stages. Some age groups may be more at risk of smartphone addiction than others. This hypothesis was tested utilizing data from six surveys comprising 1603 individuals representing various age groups. Results obtained through two recommended age-group analyses both confirmed that preschool children and young adults are at highest risk for smartphone-related addictive behavior. Furthermore, the various components of addiction also differed between the age groups. These results suggest that preventive measures should be primarily targeted to the two most vulnerable age groups represented by preschool children and emerging adults. The results of the present study help identify the dominant addiction symptoms in the various age groups that could pinpoint aspects which should be targeted in implementation of various measures aimed at the prevention of dysfunctional smartphone use.
Highlights
Smartphones have rapidly become indispensable in modern life
Problematic smartphone use can be viewed from the perspective of the ‘components model of addiction’ (Griffiths, 2005), which posits that addictive behavior can be identified by the presence of six core components
A graphical representation of the findings showed that the 20–34-year age group had the highest score on the problematic smartphone usage scale, followed by those aged 3–11 years and those aged 35–50 years
Summary
Smartphones have rapidly become indispensable in modern life. The wide spectrum of activities and virtual interaction possibilities with the mobile device render some individuals prone to exaggerated use exhibiting core symptoms akin to substance addiction. Results obtained through two recommended age-group analyses both confirmed that preschool children and young adults are at highest risk for smartphone-related addictive behavior. Problematic smartphone use can be viewed from the perspective of the ‘components model of addiction’ (Griffiths, 2005), which posits that addictive behavior can be identified by the presence of six core components. The research aims of the present study were to address the following questions: (i) do problematic symptoms in the components model (salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict, and relapse) show different patterns among age groups and developmental stages? It was hypothesized that the risk of smartphone application-based addictions would differ between various age groups, with younger people being more affected
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