Is Smartphone Addiction in the Younger Population a Public Health Problem?

Abstract

Problematic smartphone use and or addiction is defined as a form of behaviour characterized by the compulsive use of a smartphone that results in various forms of physical, psychological, or social harm. Global popularity in the area of the use of smartphones has raised concerns about the negative effects associated with problematic smartphone use, especially in the younger population. Having no consensual definition of smartphone addiction (SA), this behavioural addiction is based on the classic addiction symptomology that was included in DSM-5 criteria for compulsive gambling and substance abuse (APA 2013) This article provides a review of current research related to SA. Articles were found in the PUBMED database using related key words. Statistics confirm the exponential rise of this problem globally, especially in children and adolescents. Therefore, one must make this a high priority among public health issues.

The effect of mobile phone addiction on perceived stress and mediating role of ruminations: Evidence from Chinese and Czech university students

“…Mobile phone addiction can have a variety of negative consequences. Excessive smartphone use has been linked to a higher risk of anxiety and depression ( Thomée et al, 2011 ; Rosen et al, 2013 ; Firth et al, 2017 ; Matar Boumosleh and Jaalouk, 2017 ; Lei et al, 2020 ; Cheng et al, 2021 ; Ratan et al, 2021 ), poorer health ( Schoeni et al, 2015 ), sleep problems, pain and migraine, cognitive impairment, poorer self-esteem ( Wacks and Weinstein, 2021 ), fatigue ( Feng and Sun, 2022 ), neurological disorders ( Ratan et al, 2021 ) or increased perceived stress ( Chiu, 2014 ; Kuang-Tsan and Fu-Yuan, 2017 ; Reinecke et al, 2017 ; Gao et al, 2018 ; Xu et al, 2019 ), particularly in adolescents and young adults ( Matar Boumosleh and Jaalouk, 2017 ; Cha and Seo, 2018 ; Loleska and Pop-Jordanova, 2021 ). In fact, the significant increase of this type of addiction in the young population is emerging as one of the priority public health issues.…”

Development and Application of Smart Home Energy Management System Based on Wireless Network Technology

“…The information Internet era consists of web Internet and mobile Internet; nowadays, it has transitioned to a leap-forward development in the era of the Internet of Things [2]. With the popularization of the concept of a smart home, the development of the Internet of Things, the maturity of cloud computing, and the continuous progress of artificial intelligence technology, at the same time, the irreversible trend of smart homes in the future smart home industry has emerged [3].…”

Exploring the impact of smartphone addiction on decision-making behavior in college students: an fNIRS study based on the Iowa Gambling Task

“…While technological advancements have made information more accessible, excessive smartphone use is associated with a host of health issues ( 36 ). Smartphone addiction (SA), although not yet uniformly defined, is recognized as a behavioral addiction with symptomatology similar to that of compulsive gambling and substance abuse as outlined in DSM-5 ( 37 ). Given the significant harm SA can cause, it is crucial to understand its effects, particularly on decision-making in college students.…”