Abstract
The use of mobile phones has great benefits for communication. However, evidence has shown that problematic use, such as cyberbullying, can also be associated with mobile phones. In this sense, emotional regulation plays an important role. The objective of this study was to identify different groups that varied in terms of conflicts related to problematic mobile phone use (namely, maladaptive communication and emotional patterns). Furthermore, the study aimed to examine whether there were significant differences in the dimensions of emotional intelligence and cyberbullying between adolescents with a mobile phone use problem. The study participants were 810 students aged between 12 and 16 years. The Emotional Coefficient Inventory questionnaire about cyberbullying and a questionnaire on experiences related to mobile phones were used. The cluster analysis identified three different types of mobile phone use: A group displaying no problematic use, a group displaying moderately problematic use, and a group displaying problematic use. The study results motivate carrying out stress management programs, emotional re-education, and other actions that reinforce emotional intelligence.
Highlights
The adolescent stage is a crucial period of life in which the search for sensations, together with impulsivity, can lead adolescents to be involved in certain problematic or risky behaviors [1,2]
Several investigations have shown that the problematic use of mobile phones in adolescents is associated with increased drug use, low school achievement, and poor interpersonal relationships [5,6,7], low self-esteem, greater impulsivity, anxiety [8], and low family cohesion, among others [7,8,9]
Cluster analysis of the latent profile analysis identified three different types of use for mobile phones: (a) A first group was called “non-problematic use” (534 students), which had low levels of conflict related to the misuse of mobile phones and low levels of communication and emotional use, (b) a second group was called “moderate problematic use” (209 students), which was characterized by a moderate level of conflicts related to mobile phone abuse and a moderate level of communication and emotional use, (c) a third group of called “problematic use” (67 students), which had high levels of conflict related to the misuse of mobile phones and high levels of communication and emotional use (Figure 1)
Summary
The adolescent stage is a crucial period of life in which the search for sensations, together with impulsivity, can lead adolescents to be involved in certain problematic or risky behaviors [1,2]. If recreational or communicative use becomes excessive and uncontrollable, this leads to the teen seeking short-term pleasurable rewards (a positive booster), assuming a loss of control and producing a dependence on the mobile phone [11]. In this regard, research has found that adolescents with more problematic mobile phone use often use it as a buffer from emotional stress (a negative booster) and as a way to evade and alleviate emotional discomfort (loneliness, boredom, irritability, nervousness, etc.) [5,9,11,12,13]. The problematic use of the mobile phone affects emotional intelligence and self-regulation, and the individual well-being and quality of life of adolescents [25]
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