My virtual friend: A qualitative analysis of the attitudes and experiences of Smartphone users: Implications for Smartphone attachment

Abstract

As mobile phones have evolved into Smartphones, they have become more than simple communication tools; transforming into personal assistants, entertainment devices and information gateways. There is a need to understand how this rapid transformation and complexity of Smartphone uses have impacted on users' relationship with their phones. This study presents a thematic analysis of three focus group discussions around attitudes and experiences of owning and using Smartphones. Themes that emerged included a bifurcation in attitudes to Smartphones as simultaneously materialistic objects, and ones which users express anthropomorphic and sentimental views about. Participant accounts reflected the evolution of Smartphones from functional communication devices, to informational and recreational tools. Participants discussed using Smartphones to alleviate boredom and that device usage had become habituated for some users. However, context determined Smartphone use with some participants using them to feel secure while away from familiar settings. Participant accounts provide rich insights into different Smartphones uses and infer numerous implications for understanding why some users develop strong psychological attachments to them. Findings also imply that users may not be attached to the device itself, but rather the affordances on offer. The implications of these findings, for example in the assessment of Smartphone addiction, are discussed.

Development and Long-Term Acceptability of ExPRESS, a Mobile Phone App to Monitor Basic Symptoms and Early Signs of Psychosis Relapse (Preprint)

“…Furthermore, several participants with low symptoms described the app in positive, anthropomorphic terms (e.g. as a friend), supporting previous findings that individuals can develop strong connections with smartphones [66].…”

Are smartphones really that bad? Improving the psychological measurement of technology-related behaviors

“…For example, the quantity of short checking behaviors observed in research conducted in 2018 for example, (Ellis et al, 2018b) are remarkably consistent with those recorded in 2015 and 2009 (Andrews et al, 2015;Oulasvirta et al, 2011). In addition, while at a population level it would appear that smartphone use is high, within-participant patterns are consistent and establishing a true absolute baseline of typical usage for an individual appears possible (Fullwood et al, 2017;Wilcockson et al, 2018).…”

“…This in part explains why many people develop strong psychological attachments to them (Belk, 2013;Bodford et al, 2017;Fullwood et al, 2017;Shaw et al, 2016). This 'individualized' perspective of smartphone usage fits well within the framework of the Uses and Gratifications model and reflect consistent, yet individualized patterns of behavior (Katz et al, 1974;Wilcockson et al, 2018).…”

Analysis of Problematic Smartphone Use Across Different Age Groups within the ‘Components Model of Addiction’

“…Because lifestyle differs depending upon age, everyday habits (such as smartphone use) should be analyzed by considering age characteristics (Kuss et al 2018). For example, the evolving social identity of teens are moderated by feedback from their peers, often based on the speed of responses to messages, the level and type of use of a smartphone, and the online permanency, all these leading to the desired peer-status and gaining popularity among younger users (Fullwood et al 2017). Furthermore, for developing self-control in childhood, the continuous signals from their smartphones are strongly challenging, by choosing between the urge to respond or to delay the response in favor of a current activity (Berger et al 2018;Ihm 2018).…”