Personal Smartphone Use Research Articles

Impact of smartphone use at bedtime on sleep quality and academic activities among medical students at Al -Azhar University at Cairo

Abstract Aim Smartphone use has become prevalent and rapidly expanding. Therefore, it is essential to determine the potential adverse effects. This study aims to assess the prevalence of smartphone use at bedtime and its association with sleep quality and educational-related activities among medical students. Subject and methods The current cross-sectional study included 1184 male and female undergraduate medical students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. We used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data on personal characteristics, smartphone use, and academic activities. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index ((PSQI) was used for the assessment of sleep quality. Results The result revealed that bedtime smartphone use was highly prevalent (96.5 %), with nearly half (46.9%) of studied medical students using them for more than 2 hours. Social media was at the top of the usage list (74.2%), followed by communication (48.8%). Smartphone users at bedtime had a significantly higher prevalence of poor sleep quality, increased sleep latency, difficulty in maintaining sleep, and shorter sleep duration compared to non-user (p-value<0.05). The probability of poor sleep quality is significantly increased by bedtime smartphone use, regular coffee drinking, hostel residence, and proximity of the phone during sleep, whereas the likelihood of poor sleep quality is significantly decreased by physical activity. A significant association between poor sleep quality and academic performance was also reported. Conclusion This study emphasizes the negative impact of smartphone use at bedtime on sleep quality and quantity, which in turn has a negative effect on academic performance. Therefore, medical students are strongly encouraged to limit their smartphone use before bedtime for better sleep and academic performance.

Personal Smartphone Use During Face-to-Face Encounters

Personal Smartphone Use During Face-to-Face Encounters

Relationship between Partner Phubbing and Parent-Adolescent Relationship Quality: A Family-Based Study.

A high-quality parent-child relationship is critical to the health and well-being of adolescents and, in the family system, the interaction pattern within couples is a decisive factor in parent-adolescent relationship quality. Using dyadic data from 441 Chinese couples, in this study, we examined the association between partner phubbing (a negative interaction behavior initiated by the spouse) and parent-adolescent relationship quality, and further explored the moderating effect of adolescent gender. Dyadic modeling showed that partner phubbing had both an intra-person effect and an inter-person effect on parent-adolescent relationship quality. For the intra-person effect, husbands' phubbing had an adverse effect on the mother-adolescent relationship quality, and this effect was stronger for girls than boys; wives' phubbing had a positive effect on the father-adolescent relationship quality, but this effect was only significant for boys. For the inter-person effect, the negative influence of husbands' phubbing on father-adolescent relationship quality was only significant for boys; wives' phubbing was uncorrelated with mother-adolescent relationship quality. These findings deepen our understanding of the links between the marital subsystem and the parent-adolescent subsystem in the family, underscore the importance of positive marital interactions for adolescent development, and have implications for personal smartphone use management in family contexts.

Phone and Self: How Smartphone Use Increases Preference for Uniqueness

One of the most dramatic shifts in recent years has been consumers’ increased use of smartphones for making purchases and choices—but does using a smartphone influence what consumers choose? This article shows that, compared with using a personal computer (PC), making choices using a personal smartphone leads consumers to prefer more unique options. The authors theorize that because smartphones are considerably more personal and private than PCs, using them activates intimate self-knowledge and increases private self-focus, shifting attention toward individuating personal preferences, feelings, and inner states. Consequently, making choices using a personal smartphone, compared with a PC, tends to increase the preference for unique and self-expressive options. Six experiments and several replications examine the effects of personal smartphone use on the preference for unique options and test the underlying role of private self-focus. The findings have important implications for theories of self-focus, uniqueness seeking, and technology’s impact on consumers, as well as tangible implications for many online vendors, brands, and researchers who use mobile devices to interact with their respective audiences.

Smartphone Use for Patient Photography by Plastic Surgery Trainees.

Medical photography has become essential to patient care, trainee education, and research in highly visual specialties such as plastic surgery. As smartphone technology advances, plastic surgeons and trainees are using their personal smartphones to take medical photographs prompting ethical and legal concerns about patient consent and privacy. This study aims to determine the prevalence of personal smartphone use for patient photography among plastic surgery trainees, evaluate encryption practices, and establish understanding of current guidelines. Through a survey of 71 plastic surgery trainees throughout the United States, we show that 99% use their personal cell phone to take medical photographs while only 65% use HIPAA-compliant photo storage applications, and only 49% are aware of standard guidelines. This highlights that personal smartphone use among plastic surgery trainees is ubiquitous and there is a need for additional education and access to HIPAA-compliant photo storage applications.

Staying in touch, yet expected to be? A diary study on the relationship between personal smartphone use at work and work–nonwork interaction

The present study challenges the prevalent negative view of personal smartphone use at work and advances our understanding of its effects on the work–nonwork interface. Drawing on border theory, we focus on the social and instrumental feature of smartphones that allows employees to be connected with their private contacts (e.g. friends and family members) while at work and, thereby, test the influence of day‐level personal smartphone use at work on positive and negative work–nonwork interaction (WNI). In considering social experiences of smartphone‐enabled communication, we propose underlying explanatory mechanisms, namely, the social benefits (i.e. feeling in touch with private contacts) and social costs (i.e. feeling expected to respond to private contacts) of communication. One hundred and twenty‐seven employees participated in a diary study. They completed online questionnaires three times a day over ten working days, resulting in a total of 1,066 days of data. Multilevel structural equation modelling indicated that on the day‐level of analysis, personal smartphone use at work promoted positive WNI through the perceived social benefits of communication and increased negative WNI through the perceived social costs of communication. We discuss our findings and extend current research on personal smartphone use at work by acknowledging this widespread workplace behaviour as both beneficial and detrimental for successfully managing the daily interplay of the work and nonwork domains.Practitioner points Personal smartphone use at work should not be classified as exclusively detrimental workplace behaviour, as it can help employees attend to personal responsibilities more easily. For a more comprehensive evaluation of the consequences of personal smartphone use at work, social experiences of communication should be considered when compiling workplace guidelines. Educating employees on how to make the most of personal smartphone use at work and understanding the underlying social mechanisms may help them to better manage work and nonwork responsibilities.

Nurses' Use of Personal Smartphone Technology in the Workplace: Scoping Review.

BackgroundThere has been an increase in the technological infrastructures of many health care organizations to support the practice of health care providers. However, many nurses are using their personal digital devices, such as smartphones, while at work for personal and professional purposes. Despite the proliferation of smartphone use in the health care setting, there is limited research on the clinical use of these devices by nurses. It is unclear as to what extent and for what reasons nurses are using their personal smartphones to support their practice.ObjectiveThis review aimed to understand the current breadth of research on nurses’ personal smartphone use in the workplace and to identify implications for research, practice, and education.MethodsA scoping review using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework was conducted, and the following databases were used in the literature search: CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Embase, MEDLINE, Nursing and Allied Health Database, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Reviews. Search terms used were Nurs* AND (personal digital technology OR smartphone OR cellphone OR mobile phone OR cellular phone). Inclusion criteria included research focused on nurses’ use of their own digital technologies, reported in English, and published between January 2010 and January 2020. Exclusion criteria were if the device or app was implemented for research purposes, if it was provided by the organization, if it focused on infection control, and if it was focused on nursing students or nursing education.ResultsA total of 22 out of 2606 articles met the inclusion criteria. Two main themes from the thematic analyses included personal smartphone use for patient care and implications of personal smartphone use. Nurses used their smartphones to locate information about medications, procedures, diagnoses, and laboratory tests. Downloaded apps were used by nurses to locate patient care–related information. Nurses reported improved communication among health team members and used their personal devices to communicate patient information via text messaging, calling, and picture and video functions. Nurses expressed insight into personal smartphone use and challenges related to distraction, information privacy, organizational policies, and patient perception.ConclusionsNurses view personal smartphones as an efficient method to gather patient care information and to communicate with the health care team. This review highlights knowledge gaps regarding nurses’ personal device use and information safety, patient care outcomes, and communication practices. This scoping review facilitates critical reflection on patient care practices within the digital context. We infer that nurses’ use of their personal devices to communicate among the health care team may demonstrate a technological “work-around” meant to reconcile health system demands for cost-efficiency with efforts to provide quality patient care. The current breadth of research is focused on acute care, with little research focus in other practices settings. Research initiatives are needed to explore personal device use across the continuum of health care settings.

The Vaping Teenager: Understanding the Psychographics and Interests of Adolescent Vape Users to Inform Health Communication Campaigns.

Background:Adolescent vaping continues to rise, yet little is known about teen vape users beyond demographics. Effective intervention requires a deeper understanding of the psychographics and interests of adolescent vape users to facilitate targeted communication campaigns.Methods:We analyzed the 2017-2018 weighted cross-sectional online survey data from Virginia high school students (N = 1594) to identify and describe subgroups of adolescents who vaped. Participants reported 30-day vape use, identification with 5 peer crowds (Alternative, Country, Hip Hop, Mainstream, Popular), social prioritization, agreement with personal values statements, social media and smartphone use, and television and event preferences. We compared vaping rates and frequency by peer crowd using a chi-square analysis with follow-up testing to identify higher-risk crowds and confirmed associations using binary and multinomial logistic regression models with peer crowd scores predicting vaping, controlling for demographics. We then used chi-square and t tests to describe the psychographics, media use, and interests of higher-risk peer crowds and current vape users within those crowds.Results:Any current vaping was the highest among those with Hip Hop peer crowd identification (25.4%), then Popular (21.3%). Stronger peer crowd identification was associated with increased odds of any current vaping for both crowds, vaping on 1 to 19 days for both crowds, and vaping on 20 to 30 days for Hip Hop only. Compared with other peer crowds and non-users, Hip Hop and Popular youth and current vape users reported greater social prioritization and agreement with values related to being social and fashionable. Hip Hop and Popular youth and current vape users reported heavy Instagram and Snapchat use, as well as unique television show and event preferences.Conclusions:Hip Hop and Popular adolescents are most likely to vape and should be priority audiences for vaping prevention campaigns. Findings should guide the development of targeted health communication campaigns delivered via carefully designed media strategies.

Do pop-up notifications regarding smartphone use decrease screen time, phone checking behavior, and self-reported problematic smartphone use? Evidence from a two-month experimental study

Although associations between problematic smartphone use (PSU), or impaired functioning in different aspects of life due to excessive smartphone use, and psychopathology are well-established, the body of research including objectively measured smartphone use (OMSU) is relatively small. In addition, the majority of these studies relies on cross-sectional self-report data. Finally, there are no studies investigating the effect of excessive smartphone use related notifications on self-reported PSU and OMSU. The aim of the current study was to fill that gap. The effective sample comprised 73 people (age M = 26.5, SD = 8.5; 82% women) who were randomly assigned into one of three groups: control, active experimental, or passive experimental. All groups filled out a PSU measure at Time 1. Then, active and passive experimental group used a smartphone use tracking application for three weeks. After receiving their data, active experimental group received instructions for setting up their app so that it would prompt notifications based on their personal smartphone use patterns for the next month of smartphone use, while smartphone use tracking for passive experimental group continued without prompting notifications (Time 2). Finally, all groups of participants were asked about their PSU again (Time 3). Contrary to our expectations, notifications regarding excessive smartphone use did not lower self-reported PSU, nor participants’ screen time or the frequency of phone-checking behavior.

Smartphone Use by Nurses in Acute Care Settings.

The use of smartphones in acute care settings remains controversial due to security concerns and personal use. The purposes of this study were to determine (1) the current rates of personal smartphone use by nurses in acute care settings, (2) nurses' preferences regarding the use of smartphone functionality at work, and (3) nurse perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of smartphone use at work. An online survey of nurses from six acute care facilities within one healthcare system assessed the use of personal smartphones in acute care settings and perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of smartphone use at work. Participants (N = 735) were primarily point-of-care nurses older than 31 years. Most participants (98%) used a smartphone in the acute care setting. Respondents perceived the most common useful and beneficial smartphone functions in acute care settings as allowing them to access information on medications, procedures, and diseases. Participants older than 50 years were less likely to use a smartphone in acute care settings and to agree with the benefits of smartphones. There is a critical need for recognition that smartphones are used by point-of-care nurses for a variety of functions and that realistic policies for smartphone use are needed to enhance patient care and minimize distractions.

Smartphone gaming and frequent use pattern associated with smartphone addiction

The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of smartphone addiction in high school students.A total of 880 adolescents were recruited from a vocational high school in Taiwan in January 2014 to complete a set of questionnaires, including the 10-item Smartphone Addiction Inventory, Chen Internet Addiction Scale, and a survey of content and patterns of personal smartphone use. Of those recruited, 689 students (646 male) aged 14 to 21 and who owned a smartphone completed the questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were used to determine the variables associated with smartphone addiction.Smartphone gaming and frequent smartphone use were associated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, both the smartphone gaming-predominant and gaming with multiple-applications groups showed a similar association with smartphone addiction. Gender, duration of owning a smartphone, and substance use were not associated with smartphone addiction.Our findings suggest that smartphone use patterns should be part of specific measures to prevent and intervene in cases of excessive smartphone use.

PDA and smartphone use by individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment: Application of a theory-driven training programme

We describe a structured, theory-driven training programme for individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment in the use of emerging commercial technology. We demonstrate its application to 10 individuals with memory impairment from a variety of aetiologies. A within-subject, ABAB multi-case experimental design was used to evaluate the impact of personal digital assistant or smartphone use on day-to-day memory functioning at baseline, immediately post-intervention, at return to baseline, and at short-term follow-up (range = 3–8 months). An errorless fading-of-cues protocol enabled all participants to acquire the skill set necessary to operate their PDA or smartphone independently. All 10 individuals showed robust improvement in day-to-day functioning post-intervention as quantified across a number of ecologically valid questionnaire and task-based measures. This was further corroborated by family members with whom six of the participants resided. These findings demonstrate that individuals with moderate-to-severe memory impairment can acquire the skills necessary to independently, flexibly and broadly apply commercial technology to support their everyday memory functioning. Moreover the findings confirm that the gap between individuals with memory impairment and potent emerging technology can be closed by the application of a systematic theory-driven training programme.