Assessment of Correlation between Smartphone Addiction, Social Anxiety, and Self-Esteem: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Research on smartphone and Internet addiction has increased rapidly, indicating its clinical and social significance. This study aimed at exploring the possible relationship between smartphone addiction, self-esteem, and social anxiety. Materials and Methods: A total of 464 young college-going adults participated in this study [male = 175 (37.71%), female = 289 (62.3%)] between the ages of 18 and 28 years old. The study participants were asked to complete a survey having three different questionnaires, namely “Smartphone Addiction Scale,” “Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale,” “and the Interaction Anxiousness Scale.” This study also focuses on gender and age differences regarding smartphone addiction. Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient and unpaired t-test were used to test the significance of the relationship among study variables. Regression analysis was performed to predict smartphone addiction by using Age, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Score, and Interaction Anxiousness Score. Results: The mean smartphone addiction scale (SAS) total score was higher in males as compared with females (P = 0.01). No significant difference was observed in RSE total score and IAS total score among males and females (P > 0.05). Significant correlations were observed among SAS total, RSE total, IAS total, and Age (in years) (P < 0.05). Regression analysis was applied to predict SAS total score by using independent variables such as age, RSE total, and IAS total. The coefficients for age and RSE total score were significant (P < 0.01), and the IAS total was not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Males reported having higher smartphone addiction levels as compared with females. A positive correlation was observed between Social Anxiety and Smartphone addiction. A negative correlation was observed between self-esteem and smartphone addiction, which indicates that the lower the self-esteem, the higher will be the smartphone addiction. Age was negatively correlated with smartphone addiction score and social anxiety score, whereas age was positively correlated with self-esteem.