Abstract
Background: Smartphone and social media use are an integral part of our daily life. Currently, the impact of excessive smartphone and social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic is poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate problematic smartphone use (PSPU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) among Bangladeshi college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 5,511 Bangladeshi college and university students (male: 58.9%; mean age: 21.2 years [SD = 1.7]; age range: 18–25) during the social-distancing in the COVID-19 pandemic (July 2020). A self-reported survey containing questions regarding socio-demographic, lifestyle, and home quarantine activities along with four psychometric scales was completed by participants.Results: The mean scores of PSPU and PSMU were 20.8 ± 6.8 (out of 36) and 14.7 ± 4.8 (out of 30). Based on a hierarchical regression analysis, PSPU and PSMU were positively associated with lower age, poor sleep, social media use, watching television, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, PSMU was linked to being female, living with nuclear family, having urban residence, irregular physical exercise, poor engagement with academic studies, and avoiding earning activities, whilst being male, being married, living with lower-income family, and alcohol consumption were linked to PSMU.Conclusions: The findings indicate that PSPU and PSMU were linked to poor psychological well-being (i.e., anxiety and depression) and other factors (especially lower age, poor sleep) during the pandemic, further suggesting the need for interventions including virtual awareness programs among college and university students.
Highlights
The world is facing a public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization due to international concerns regarding the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 [1]
The present cross-sectional study was conducted among Bangladeshi college and university students during the socialdistancing period in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
All questions related to the survey were administered using Google Forms and a shareable link was generated to help disseminate the survey across different online platforms used by college and university students
Summary
The world is facing a public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization due to international concerns regarding the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 [1]. The initial restrictions (i.e., lock-down and social-distancing) aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19 may have led to negative psychological impacts (e.g., anxiety, depression, frustration, fear, stress) to many individuals [9, 10]. Adolescents’ smartphone use has been reported to constitute a potentially problematic issue [18, 19] due to the rise in smartphone use and its increased popularity through applications such as social media, gaming, streaming, and education to individuals with low levels of health literacy. The impact of excessive smartphone and social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic is poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate problematic smartphone use (PSPU) and problematic social media use (PSMU) among Bangladeshi college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call