The Impact of Smartphone Use on the Psychosocial Wellness of College Students

Abstract

Researchers suggest that excessive smartphone use is correlated with negative psychosocial effects, particularly among younger adults—causing feelings of isolation, depression/anxiety, and restlessness. This pilot study on psychosocial wellness, of 22 college students—measured the impact of smartphone use on emotion/mood, dependency, addiction, purpose of life, social communications, and self-consciousness. For our data analysis, we measured frequency with conversion percentages (of 35 questions) using a seven-point Likert-scale of strongly disagree- to-strongly agree, while averaging the scores of each question group pertaining to each hypothesis. While only 22% agreed they were addicted to smartphone use, 68% reported constantly checking their smartphone, with 57% agreeing that they were smartphone dependent. The majority agreed that smartphone use increased anxiety, stress, and feelings of impatience, if their phone was not with them. While the majority agreed that the smartphone is their primary means of communication, 90% agreed that nothing is more fun than using their smartphone.