Phone Dependence Research Articles

Determinants of Mobile Phone Usage Among Young Adults in Zanzibar

Mobile phones have become a ubiquitous communication tool, particularly among young adults. What was once a simple technological device has now transformed into a social tool, deeply embedded in the daily lives of these individuals. This paper explores mobile phone usage among young adults in Zanzibar from behavioral, economic, and psychological perspectives. Data was collected from 375 participants, consisting of Zanzibar youth aged 16 to 40, residing in both rural and urban areas, through semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that young adults utilize mobile phones for various purposes, including communication with family and friends, browsing the internet, consuming media, and playing games. The study also delved into the extent of mobile phone dependency, as well as the positive and negative attitudes surrounding its use. It was found that many young adults spend excessive time and money on mobile phones, sometimes prioritizing airtime and data bundles over basic necessities. The paper concludes with recommendations aimed at fostering balanced mobile phone usage among the younger generation

How does adolescents and college students’ personal relative deprivation affect mobile phone dependence? The mediating roles of stress and fear of missing out

How does adolescents and college students’ personal relative deprivation affect mobile phone dependence? The mediating roles of stress and fear of missing out

Mobile Phone Dependence of College Students: Basis for A Course of Action

This research investigates Mobile Phone Dependence (MPD) among university students at X University, revealing a 100% smartphone ownership rate, with 33.4% experiencing MPD. Factors contributing to MPD include social allure, negative consumer culture, chaotic online practices, and the absence of real-world support. School-related factors include outdated teaching methods, inadequate guidance, while family factors implicate parental influence and neglect. Personal factors involve weak self-discipline, unclear goals, loneliness, psychological needs, and addiction psychology. MPD impacts academics, social skills, physical and mental health, economics, consumer mindset, and behavior. Demographic variables exhibit significant variations in MPD. The study recommends multifaceted interventions, emphasizing social governance, higher education, family education, and self-education, supported by collaborative governance. Future research should deepen fundamental theories, expand survey scope, strengthen empirical research, and employ action research for effective implementation of intervention strategies. Action research involves forming a multidisciplinary team, engaging stakeholders, assessing the current scenario, designing targeted interventions, and continuously adapting strategies based on real-time data. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of MPD and offers a strategic framework for addressing this issue among college students.

Frequent absent mindedness and the neural mechanism trapped by mobile phone addiction

IntroductionWith the increased availability and sophistication of digital devices in the last decade, young people have become mainstream mobile phone users. Heavy mobile phone dependence causes affective problems (depression, anxiety) and loss of attention on current activities, leading to more cluttered thoughts. Problematic mobile phone use has been found to increase the occurrence of mind wandering, but the neural mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. MethodThe current study aimed to investigate the neural mechanism between mobile phone use and mind wandering. 459 university students (averaged age, 19.26 years) from datasets (ongoing research project named Gene-Brain-Behavior project, GBB) completed psychological assessments of mobile phone addiction and mind wandering and underwent resting-state functional connectivity (FC) scanning. FC matrix was constructed to further conduct correlation and mediation analyses. ResultsStudents with high mobile phone addiction scores were more likely to have high mind wandering scores. Functional connectivity among the default mode, motor, frontoparietal, basal ganglia, limbic, medial frontal, visual association, and cerebellar networks formed the neural basis of mind wandering. Functional connectivity between the frontoparietal and motor networks, between the default mode network and cerebellar network, and within the cerebellar network mediated the relationship between mobile phone addiction and mind wandering. ConclusionThe findings of this study confirm that mobile phone addiction is a risk factor for increased mind wandering and reveal that FC in several brain networks underlies this relationship. They contribute to research on behavioral addiction, education, and mental health among young adults.

Mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students: the contribution of irrational beliefs and solitude.

This research aimed to explore the impact of selected psychological variables on mobile phone dependence among Chinese university students. Specifically, the study focused on the relationship between solitude and irrational beliefs on mobile phone dependence. The study included 2,888 university students from Guangdong, Southern China, and found that both irrational beliefs and solitude had significant direct effects on mobile phone dependence. The study also revealed that solitude mediated the relationship between irrational beliefs and mobile phone dependence. The results of this study indicate that psychosocial environments, including feelings of solitude and irrational beliefs, can influence mobile phone dependence among undergraduate students. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to these factors and their potential impact on student behavior, particularly when it comes to academic growth and development. Further research in this area may help identify effective strategies to address mobile phone dependence among university students and promote healthier psychosocial environments.

Parental mediation and mobile phone dependency among Chinese migrant children: A moderated mediation model of self-control and parent-child communication

Previous research has identified the association between parental mediation and children’s mobile phone dependency. However, limited studies have focused on migrant children and explored the underlying mechanisms from the perspective of the interaction between individual and family. To address this gap, an anonymous self-report survey was conducted among 686 migrant children in mainland China. This study finds that the prevalence rate of mobile phone dependency among migrant children was 33.82%. The results demonstrate that both parental mediation and self-control negatively related to mobile phone dependency among migrant children. Self-control fully mediates the relationship between parental mediation and mobile phone dependency among migrant children. Moreover, parent–child communication moderates the relationship between parental mediation and self-control. Specifically, individuals with high-level parent–child communication exhibit stronger moderating effects compared to those with low-level parent–child communication. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the complex mechanism through which parental mediation affects mobile phone dependency among migrant children while also providing practical implications aimed at preventing and reducing mobile phone dependency

Mobile phone dependence, loneliness, and psychological resilience among Chinese college students

Mobile phone dependence, loneliness, and psychological resilience among Chinese college students

Nomophobia, loneliness and depressive symptom levels of adults living in a district of Türkiye.

This study was conducted to evaluate whether smart cell phones detach people from social life, make them lonely, cause depressive symptoms and whether there is a relationship between them. This is a cross-sectional study using face-to-face survey method. The sample was determined as 376 participants, with 95% confidence interval, 50% probability depending on the probability of having a smartphone or not. Participants in the sample were determined by systematic random sampling from adults aged 20 and over in Çiftlik district of Niğde province. The NMP-Q, DASS-42 and UCLA-LS were used. The median age of the 376 participants (192 male, 184 female) was 30 and the mean age was 32.0 (±10.94) years. Participants that had social media accounts were 68.9% of the population. Over 70% of the participants had mild, moderate or severe nomophobia. Nomophobia status of the participants was affected by the mean duration of the first-time smartphone use (P = .017), the mean daily smartphone usage time of the participants (P < .001), the mean number of smartphone users in the participants' families (P = .003), the mean depression and stress scores of the participants (P < .001), having social media account (P = .001), and declaration of smart phone dependency (P = .005). Nomophobia status was not affected by participants' gender, mean age, educational level, employment status, economic status and marital status (P > .05). The duration of daily smartphone use, the duration of first-time smartphone use, and having multiple smartphone users in family increased nomophobia. Also, having active social media accounts and self-reported smartphone addiction found correlated to nomophobia. Smartphone addiction increases depression, anxiety, and stress scores of the participants.

The Effect of Perceived Stress on Insomnia Symptoms Among College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model.

College students' insomnia symptoms is a topic of growing interest and studies have begun to explore the factors that influence college students' insomnia symptoms. This study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and college students' insomnia symptoms, as well as the chain mediating roles of fear of missing out and mobile phone dependence, and the moderating roles of environmental sensitivity. In this study, 748 college students (M = 20.59, SD = 2.65) as a sample for cross-sectional study. The Perceived Stress Questionnaire, Brief Fear of Missing Out Scale, Self-Rating Questionnaire for Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use, Athens Insomnia Scale and Highly Sensitive Child Scale were used. (1) Perceived stress significantly positively predicts the insomnia symptoms of college students; (2) Fear of missing out and mobile phone dependence play a chain mediating role between perceived stress and the insomnia symptoms of college students; (3) environmental sensitivity moderated the pathways of mobile phone dependence on insomnia symptoms. We revealed the underlying mechanisms between perceived stress and insomnia symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of interventions for fear of missing out and mobile phone dependence, as well as the role of environmental sensitivity in influencing insomnia symptoms.

Interplay of mobile phone dependency and catch-up sleep in South Korean youth: A seven-wave study of two nationally representative cohorts

This study investigated the reciprocal loop between catch-up sleep and mobile phone dependency from late childhood to late adolescence, distinguishing between inter-individual and intra-individual variations. Data from two nationally representative South Korean birth cohorts (N = 4,729, 48.8% female) were collected annually, assessing participants seven times from Grade 4 to Grade 10 or Grade 7 to post-high school. Findings from a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and a random-intercept CLPM showed that students who were more dependent on their mobile phones, either compared to others or to their own averages, were likely to report greater catch-up sleep from Grade 4 through Grade 7 in the younger cohort and from Grade 7 through Grade 10 in the older cohort. Likewise, students with greater catch-up sleep, compared to others or to their own averages, tended to rely more on their mobile phones from Grade 4 to Grade 5 in the younger cohort and from Grade 7 to Grade 8 in the older cohort. The CLPM findings further revealed that in the younger cohort, students with higher mobile phone dependency than their peers were more likely to increase catch-up sleep from Grade 7 to Grade 8, and in the older cohort, from Grade 10 to Grade 11. Similarly, higher catch-up sleep led to increased mobile phone dependency from Grade 9 to Grade 10 in the younger cohort, and from Grade 12 to the year post-high school in the older cohort. These patterns suggest consistent tendencies at both inter- and intra-adolescent levels.

Status of professional mental health help-seeking intention associated factors among medical students: a cross-sectional study in China.

Low professional help-seeking intention (PHSI) hinders effective treatment of mental illness. PHSI among Chinese students is still understudied and under-recognized. This study aimed to evaluate the status of PHSI and its associated risk factors among Chinese medical students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Hainan province, South China, between January 1, 2021, and May 31, 2021.A total of 2182 medical students were recruited and surveyed via an anonymous structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with PHSI. Among the 2182 medical students (mean age 21.0 years (SD = 3.70), 61.5% females), those with and without PHSI were 72.0% and 28.0%, and 16.4% with moderate to severe depression. Male students, those with a high level of depression stigma, serious family dysfunction, and heavy dependence on mobile phones were significantly less likely to seek professional mental health help, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.5, 2.0, 2.1, and 1.7, respectively. A significant proportion of Chinese medical students demonstrate low PHSI, influenced by factors such as gender, depression stigma, family dysfunction, and mobile phone dependence. Future interventions aimed at increasing medical students' PHSI should prioritize reducing depression stigma, mitigating reliance on mobile phone use, and enhancing family function to address these key barriers to seeking professional mental health support.

Reduced Health-Related Quality of Life Due to Mobile Phone Dependence in a Sample of Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of Chronotype and Sleep Quality.

Presenting a chain mediation model to investigate whether mobile phone dependence results in a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Chinese college students, through the mediating effect of chronotype and sleep quality. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on students from a Chinese university using a validated structured questionnaire. 2014 freshmen. The study measured the students' level of mobile phone dependence using the Self-rating Questionnaire for Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use. Chronotype and sleep quality were measured by the Chinese version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. HRQoL was evaluated using the five-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), including a descriptive system and a visual analog scale (VAS). Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis. Mobile phone dependence had a significant negative effect on HRQoL as indicated by both the EQ-5D-5L index score and EQ-VAS score (P < .001 for both). Additionally, it was found to significantly predict chronotype (MEQ score) (β = -.546, P < .001) and sleep quality (PSQI score) (β = .163, P < .001). Chronotype negatively predict sleep quality (β = -.058, P < .001), and sleep quality was a significant negative predictor of HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L index score, β = -.008, P < .001; EQ-VAS score, β = -1.576, P < .001). Mobile phone dependence negatively impacts students' HRQoL through chronotype and sleep quality, and there is a chain mediating effect. Students should consider making lifestyle changes to improve their HRQoL and promote health.

The Effect of Cell Phone Dependence on Social Avoidance Among County High School Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

Social avoidance is the behavior of an individual who actively avoids social situations, avoids peer groups, and seeks solitude during social interaction. Higher education students are particularly vulnerable to social avoidance. Social avoidance not only affects peer relationships and future development but also generates negative emotions, which seriously affect the psychological health of high school students. The ecosystem theory suggests that individual development is influenced and constrained by many environmental and social factors, and the causes of social avoidance in higher vocational students can be further explored from the micro-system level. Based on the “cognitive-behavioral” model, the network compensation theory of psychological needs, and the ecosystem theory, we not only examined the social environment factors, i.e., the causes of social avoidance due to cell phone dependence, but also explored the internal mechanisms affecting adolescents’ cell phone addiction from the aspects of self-control and peer support. Therefore, in order to examine the relationship between cell phone dependence and social avoidance among senior high school students, this study intends to construct a moderated mediation model to examine the relationship between cell phone dependence and social avoidance among senior high school students and to test the mediating role of self-control and the moderating role of peer support. Through a random sampling method, 600 senior vocational students in Heilongjiang were used as subjects and were surveyed with the Self-Assessment of Cell Phone Use Dependence Questionnaire, Self-Control Scale, Peer Support Questionnaire, Social Avoidance, and Distress Scale. The results showed that: (1) cell phone dependence positively predicted social avoidance among senior students; (2) self-control mediated between the two; the findings of this study have theoretical significance for reducing social avoidance among senior students.

Exploring EFL Teachers’ Strategies in Teaching Vocabulary at Senior High School Level (Case Study at SMKN 1 Barru)

The objectives of the research were to find out (1) the EFL teachers’ strategies in teaching English at Senior High School level; (2) the EFL teachers’ strategies in teaching vocabulary at Senior High School level; and (3) the EFL teachers’ problem in teaching vocabulary at Senior High School level. This research applied qualitative method. The subject of this study was an English teacher who taught at SMKN 1 Barru. The data collected were observation, questionnaire checklist and interview. The result of this study showed that (1) the EFL teacher uses five strategies in teaching English, discussion and demonstration strategies, using electronic media as a learning media, using games(applications), teaching vocabulary strategy; (2) the EFL teacher uses four strategies in teaching vocabulary to students, such as learning new vocabulary strategies independently without the help of teachers and other students, using strategies that involve teachers and other students, using strategies to remember new words or vocabulary, using games (applications); (3) the several problems faced by the teacher in teaching vocabulary, such as lack of motivation, phone dependency and self-confidence. Keywords: Teaching Strategies, Vocabulary, Teaching Vocabulary.

Sporting Influence: Exploring Mobile Phone Dependency Among Athletes and Non-Athletes, with Gender Dynamics

Sporting Influence: Exploring Mobile Phone Dependency Among Athletes and Non-Athletes, with Gender Dynamics

The relationship between mobile phone dependence and academic burnout in Chinese college students: a moderated mediator model.

The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between the level of mobile phone dependence among college students and their experience of academic burnout. Additionally, the study sought to explore the potential mediating effect of study engagement and the moderating role of love. During October and December 2023, a cross-sectional study measuring mobile phone dependence, academic burnout, and study engagement among Chinese college students, using the UtrechtWork Engagement Scale-student (UWES-S), College Student Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire (CSMPDQ), and Academic Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ). To examine the hypothesis of mediating and moderating effect, SPSS PROCESS was utilized. The predictive effect of mobile phone dependence on academic burnout was significant (β = 0.410, t = 14.236, p < 0.001), and the predictive effect of mobile phone dependence on academic burnout remained significant when the mediating variable study engagement was introduced (β = 0.308, t = 10.288, p < 0.001), mobile phone dependence had a significant predictive effect on study engagement (β = -0.292, t = -11.639, p < 0.001), and study engagement had a significant positive predictive effect on academic burnout (β = -0.270, t = -9.028, p < 0.001). Love significantly negatively predicted study engagement (β = -0.564, t = -9.641, p < 0.001); and the interaction term for mobile phone dependence and love was significant (β = -0.211, t = -3.688, p < 0.001), indicating a significant moderating effect of love between mobile phone dependence and study engagement. Mobile phones among college students has been found to have a direct correlation with academic burnout. It can also indirectly contribute to academic burnout by diminishing levels of academic engagement. This indirect relationship is further influenced by love. These findings can help researchers and educators better understand the underlying mechanisms between smartphone dependence and learning burnout in undergraduates.

The effects of mobile phone dependence on athletic performance and its mechanisms.

Mobile phone dependence (also known as internet dependence, MPD), defined as a problematic behavior characterized by excessive use or intermittent craving to use a mobile phone, results in various social, behavioral, and affective problems in daily life. In sports, MPD is directly related to the physical and mental health and sports performance of athletes. The individual and environmental factors, neurobiological mechanisms and theoretical models of MPD affecting athletic performance were analyzed by reviewing previous studies, aiming to construct effective training and development protocols to prevent and control the occurrence of MPD in athletes. At present, athletic performance can be affected by MPD through individual factors and environmental factors. The neurobiological mechanisms between the two are based on the brain reward system and microwave radiation from mobile phones, with athletic performance being restricted by alterations in the corresponding brain regions. Relevant theoretical models mainly include the social cognitive model of self-regulation and the integrative model of self-control, which explain the interrelationship between MPD and athletic performance from the perspectives of athletes' self-regulation and self-control, respectively. As an emerging phenomenon, the influence pathways and mechanisms by which MPD affects athletic performance need to be further investigated. A longitudinal perspective should be adopted to trace the dynamic impact relationship between the two, and developing relevant theoretical frameworks from an interdisciplinary research perspective should be valuable for providing theoretical support for coaches and sports administrators to formulate scientific training protocols and thus improve the mental health of athletes.

Longitudinal patterns of adolescent mobile phone dependence: Results from the person-centered approach

This study aimed to identify possible subgroups of adolescent mobile phone dependence and explore whether each subgroup remains stable over time and the effects of three important interpersonal supports. A total of 1214 adolescents completed three surveys across one year. The study found that there were three growth subgroups of mobile phone dependence: the “low-risk” group, the “medium-risk” group, and the “high-risk” group. The “low risk” and “high risk” groups showed a decreasing trend, while the “medium risk” group showed an increasing trend. The transformation occurred between subgroups. Friend support decreased the likelihood of transitioning to “high-risk” groups and other support increased the likelihood of transitioning to “low-risk” groups. This study contributes to understanding the developmental differences in adolescent mobile phone dependence. It emphasizes the importance of considering interpersonal support in reducing mobile phone dependence. This study could stand as a base for further studies in mobile phone dependence.

Mediation of social support in the relationship between mobile phone dependence and childhood physical maltreatment among left-behind and returned migrant middle school students: A multi-group structural equation modeling

Mobile phone dependence (MPD) is a form of addictive behavior that poses a threat to the physical and mental health of adolescents. MPD is closely linked to individual characteristics, as well as family and social environments. However, existing literature has yet to thoroughly investigate the relationship between MPD and childhood physical maltreatment in middle school students, including its mediating and moderating mechanism. This study involved 16,216 adolescents and examined the relationship between MPD and childhood physical maltreatment in middle school students while exploring the mediating mechanism of social support. To examine the moderating effect of parental migration status, a multi-group structural equation model (SEM) was employed to investigate potential group differences in MPD, childhood physical maltreatment, and social support among three groups: left-behind middle school students (LBS), returned migrant middle school students (RMS), and middle school students whose parents do not immigrate (NMS). The findings of this study suggest that childhood physical maltreatment positively influences MPD, with social support serving as a mediator in this pathway. We found that the mechanisms affecting the onset of MPD vary across RMS, LBS and NMS. It is recommended that educators or managers not only reduce physical maltreatment and increase social support channels but also identify key groups and develop targeted policies for different social subjects.

Alterations in white matter integrity in Egyptian youth with smartphone dependence: does DTI have a role?

BackgroundSmartphones provide various functions that facilitate our communication, organization, and entertainment in different situations. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a method measuring tissue microstructure as well as white matter integrity of the brain and detecting early changes. Several research studies recently aim to utilize conventional MRI for assessing brain structural alterations among smartphone users, but our study was aimed at identifying the DTI value while assessing white matter alterations in Egyptian youth with smartphone dependence.ResultsOur prospective case–control study involved fifty-three individuals with smart phone dependence (SPD group) as well as twenty-five volunteers who represented the control group. SPD individuals and controls were right-handed. The SPD group mean age exhibited 20.54 ± 1.56 years, while controls exhibited 26.8 ± 15.1 years. When utilizing smart phone addiction scale-short version, SPD group median total score exhibited 33. The diagnostic performance of fornix (fractional anisotropy) FA and external capsule fractional anisotropy (EC FA) regarding area under curve (AUC) exhibited significant increase as opposed to all other tested regions, with a sensitivity of 90.6% as well as a specificity of 96%. While regarding the mean diffusivity (MD), the greatest (AUC) was for EC (0.927, p < 0.001), in which the MD value = 0.825 was the cutoff value and able to diagnose the smart phone dependency with a sensitivity of 92.5% as well as a specificity of 76%.ConclusionsQuantitative DTI parameters (FA, MD) in different white matter regions can diagnose and detect white matter changes in excessive smartphone users even when conventional MRI data are normal. This study demonstrates the recent noninvasive MRI technique value while revealing covered brain white matter alterations in Egyptian youth due to smartphone overuse.