Problematic smartphone usage and subjective and psychological well-being

an article by Sharon Horwood and Jeromy Anglim (Deakin University, Australia) published in Computers in Human Behavior Volume 97 (August 2019)

Highlights

• Problematic smartphone use is associated with lower well-being.
• Autonomy is negatively associated with problematic smartphone use.
• Negative affect is positively associated with problematic smartphone use.
• Reducing smartphone use could be a targeted intervention in clinical settings.

Abstract

Despite a growing awareness that problematic usage of smartphones is becoming a significant public health issue, there is limited research on how problematic smartphone usage relates to the humanistic concepts of well-being, particularly those captured in Ryff's six psychological well-being dimensions: positive relations, autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, and self-acceptance.

The current study aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relationship between general and problematic smartphone usage and subjective well-being and psychological well-being using long-form, theoretically grounded measures. Australian adults (n = 539, 79% female; age in years M = 25.1, SD = 7.8) completed Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale, the PANAS, and Ryff's 84-item measure of psychological well-being.

Results showed that problematic smartphone usage was correlated with lower well-being on almost all scales. In particular, negative affect, autonomy, and environmental mastery had the largest negative correlations with problematic smartphone usage. Given the stable and dispositional nature of well-being, it seems likely that much of the relationship is driven by a common underlying tendency to experience anxiety, negative emotions, and a lack of control, combined with a tendency to engage in maladaptive coping and compulsive behavior.

Hazel’s comment:
I was not sure about “problematic smartphone usage”. Just in case you are also a little confused then Wikipedia has an article you may find useful together with links to other information about the effect of problematic usage on your mental health.

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Identifying commonalities and differences in personality characteristics of Internet and social media addiction profiles: traits, self-esteem, and self-construal

an article by Nazir Hawi and Maya Samaha (Notre Dame University-Louaize, Zouk Mikael, Lebanon) published in Behaviour & Information Technology Volume 38 Issue 2 (2019)

Abstract

Excessive use of the Internet and social media has been associated with behavioural addiction, which sparked the researchers’ interest in gaining a better understanding of this global phenomenon.

The aim of this study was to fill a gap in knowledge by using just one sample to identify similarities and differences in relationships between technology addictions and personality characteristics, especially traits, self-esteem, and self-construal. The sample consisted of 512 undergraduate students.

The results showed that Internet addiction and social media addiction shared many more similarities than differences. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experiences, emotional stability, self-esteem, the frequency of checking account, and Internet usage were predictors of both Internet addiction and social media addiction.

Age, satisfaction with life, and interdependent self-construal did not predict Internet addiction or social media addiction, whereas real self and extraversion predicted Internet addiction only, and gender, posting updates, a number of friends, and independent self-construal predicted social media addiction only. These results provide some basis for an understanding of Internet and social media addiction profiles.

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