The study investigates psychopathological symptoms and the Big Five personality traits as predictors of “problematic smartphone use” (PSU) in different generational groups. The generational groups were selected to analyze whether the different life stages and developmental tasks that need to be completed have an impact on PSU. The groups were divided into digital immigrants, digital natives, and Generation Y and Z as subgroups of digital natives. A total of 399 subjects participated (312 women, 86 men, 1 diverse; mean age = 25.9; range 14–67; 44 digital immigrants, 355 digital natives, 35 Generation Y, and 320 Generation Z). They completed the ICD-10 Symptom Rating (ISR), the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10), and the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS). The results show differences between digital immigrants and digital natives in the expression of PSU, neuroticism, conscientiousness, depression, anxiety, and compulsivity. Concerning Generations Y and Z, differences were only found in the expression of the PSU. Regression revealed that symptoms for obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, conscientiousness, and gender were significant predictors of PSU. Moderations have shown that being a digital immigrant/native moderates the impact of eating disorders on PSU. Belonging to Generation Y/Z moderates the influence of conscientiousness and depression on PSU. Thus, it shows that in different generations, different factors seem to play a role in the development and maintenance of PSU.

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is defined as the inability to control the time spent on smartphones, which has long-term negative impacts on daily life. The use-and-gratifications approach is applied to smartphones and describes the extent to which users devote themselves to smartphones to obtain gratifications. These gratifications can be represented in the types of use (process, social, and habitual). This study examines the associations between PSU and the different types of use and their effects on perceived stress and self-perceived PSU. N = 108 subjects participated (65 women, 41 men, 2 diverse, mean age = 31.8; range 17–70). They completed the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-19), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), a questionnaire on types of use, and a self-created scale for self-perceived PSU. Multiple linear regressions and correlations were calculated and show a relationship between PSU and perceived stress. All three types of use were shown to be predictors of PSU. For stress perception, only process use is a predictor. Both PSU and stress perception are predictors of the self-perceived PSU. Both stress and PSU interact with each other, and the different types of use determine how stressful smartphone use is perceived to be.

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