Comparing the prevalence of nomophobia and smartphone addiction among university students pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19

Sui, Anna; Munn, Joseph; Irwin, Jennifer D.

doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2087473

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Third, some participants (21.6%) continued their follow-up during the pandemic, which may explain the lack of increased frequency and severity of behavioral addictions. On the other hand, our results are similar to those of Sui et al [24], who reported no significant difference between pre-and in-pandemic smartphone addiction or nomophobia (i.e., fear of being out of mobile phone contact) rates, although nearly all participants spent more time on a smartphone. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to increase the risk of behavioral addictions in the general population, especially adolescents, although the present study's findings do not support it.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Online Behavioral Addictions Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Akdağ,

Önder,

Gül

et al. 2023

Cureus

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BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic changed people's lives and created a "new normal." It threatened individuals' mental health owing to reduced physical activity and social interaction, excessive indoor time, financial hardship, and insecurity. Moreover, the risk of online behavioral addiction increased in the general population, particularly among adolescents. The present study examined the differences between the preand post-pandemic periods regarding online behavioral addictions in adolescents. MethodsThe pre-pandemic data were obtained from 175 adolescents (August 2019 to February 2020) (T1). An online survey was sent to these participants to obtain the post-pandemic data (March to September 2022) (T2). Seventy participants completed the online survey (response rate: 40%). The participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale 9-Short Form (IGDS9-SF), and the Social Media Disorder Scale-Short Form (SMDS-SF) both before and after the pandemic. ResultsBefore the pandemic, females had significantly higher SMDS-SF scores compared to males (p = 0.005). On the other hand, males had higher IGDS9-SF scores than females before the pandemic (p<.001). Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had higher IGDS9-SF scores before the pandemic than those with depressive disorders or other diagnoses (p = 0.004). However, the primary diagnosis was not related to pre-pandemic SAS and SMDS-SF scores. Lastly, there was no significant difference in IGDS9-SF (p = 0.151), SMDS-SF (p = 0.200), or SAS scores (p = 0.413) between pre-pandemic and post-pandemic scores. ConclusionAlthough the current study did not support this view, in emotionally challenging times, people may spend more time on online activities, which can lead to behavioral addiction. It is important for parents to monitor their children's online activities and provide guidance. More research is needed to compare online behavioral addictions before and after the pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Online Behavioral Addictions Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Akdağ,

Önder,

Gül

et al. 2023

Cureus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Smartphone addiction risk can configure pathological personality traits related to stress, anxiety, and depression (e.g., compulsive smartphone usage, depression psychopathology, and social anxiety). COVID-19 lockdown impacts mental health ( Montag and Elhai, 2020 ; Chen et al, 2021 ; Hodes and Thomas, 2021 ; Werling et al, 2021 ; Adachi et al, 2022 ; Sui et al, 2022 ) through an escalation in screen media use. As the chief reason of screen time increase has been the growing smartphone use, reduced deployment of digital devices have positive consequences on depressive symptoms.…”

Section: Excessive Screen Time and Social Media Overusementioning

confidence: 99%

Smartphone addiction risk, technology-related behaviors and attitudes, and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2022

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COVID-19 pandemic-related perceived risk of infection, illness fears, acute stress, emotional anxiety, exhaustion, and fatigue, psychological trauma and depressive symptoms, and sustained psychological distress can cause smartphone addiction risk and lead to technology-related cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disorders, thus impacting psychological well-being. Behavioral addiction of smartphone users can result in anxiety symptom severity, psychiatric symptoms, and depressive stress. We carried out a quantitative literature review of the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest throughout June 2022, with search terms including “smartphone addiction + COVID-19” + “stress,” “anxiety,” “depression,” “psychological distress,” “screen time,” and “fear.” As we analyzed only articles published between 2020 and 2022, 288 papers met the eligibility criteria. By excluding sources with similar titles, having unclear findings or unsupported by replication, or displaying inconsistent content, we selected 64, mainly empirical, sources. We used layout algorithms (VOSviewer) and bibliometric mapping (Dimensions) as data visualization tools. Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), a systematic review and literature review software (Distiller SR), Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and Systematic Review Data Repository (SRDR) were employed as methodological quality assessment tools. As limitations, we analyzed only articles published between 2020 and 2022 in scholarly outlets indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases. The scope of our study also does not advance the inspection of sources covering vulnerable individuals suffering from certain diseases or specific generations. Subsequent analyses should develop on smartphone use and addiction among children and adolescents. Future research should thus investigate problematic smartphone use and addiction across generations Z and Alpha. Attention should be directed to their personality traits and psychopathological symptoms.

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Smartphone addiction prevalence, patterns of use, and experienced musculoskeletal discomfort during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Iranian population

Mokhtarinia,

Torkamani,

Farmani

et al. 2024

BMC Public Health

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Background Smartphone usage is an essential everyday tool in Iran, however problematic use has escalated and become a concern for the Iranian health policy system, particularly during and following the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study’s aim was investigation of the prevalence of smartphone addiction, patterns of use, and the relationship to specific demographic characteristics and associated musculoskeletal disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A descriptive-analytical correlational study recruited participants from a population of convenience (n = 2344) who were smartphone owners with > 1 year of use. For demographic information an electronic self-report questionnaire collected age, sex, marital status, usage for daily hours, and patterns. To assess addiction levels, the ‘Smartphone Addiction Scale-short version’ (SAS-SV) patient-reported outcome measure was used (cut-off = 31). For experienced discomfort, the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (ENMQ) was used. Results The participants (female = 66.6%, n = 1561, mean age = 29.07 ± 12.34 years, range 6–60 years) smartphone use averaged 5.75 ± 3.44 h/day. The general prevalence of smartphone addiction was 46.16% (females = 46.06%, males = 46.36%; married = 44.5%, single = 47.63%). School students had the greatest addiction (53.2%) and those with a higher education to or above a Master’s degree were the lowest (39.38%). The highest pattern of use was for social networks at 89.1% of participants (female = 88.34%, male = 90.54%). The areas of highest reported discomfort were the eyes (43.5%) and neck (43.3%). A significant correlation was found between smartphone addiction and hours of daily usage, and the amount of usage increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Conclusion A high level of smartphone addiction in the Iranian population was found to have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those most affected were unmarried individuals and school students, with the predominant areas being the eyes and neck. Health decision-makers should consider these findings when developing recommendations and plans for public health, particularly those focused on students.

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Comparing the prevalence of nomophobia and smartphone addiction among university students pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19

Cited by 4 publications

References 28 publications

Online Behavioral Addictions Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Online Behavioral Addictions Among Adolescents Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Smartphone addiction risk, technology-related behaviors and attitudes, and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Smartphone addiction prevalence, patterns of use, and experienced musculoskeletal discomfort during the COVID-19 pandemic in a general Iranian population

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