Smartphone Use Type, Fear of Missing Out, Social Support, and Smartphone Screen Time Among Adolescents in Korea: Interactive Effects

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationship between intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors, smartphone screen time, and the moderating roles of interpersonal factors, on the basis of the ecological model. This study is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. A total of 428 participants from four public middle schools were selected through convenience sampling (55.1% female; Mean age 13.0 ± 0.78). Data were collected through self-report questionnaires that contained questions about sociodemographic characteristics, intrapersonal factors (types of smartphone use, Fear of missing out—FoMO), interpersonal factors (support from parents, teachers, and peers), and smartphone screen time. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression. The daily smartphone screen time was 4.05 ± 2.16 h. Results showed that social media (β = 0.155), games (β = 0.140), and FoMO (β = 0.227) were positively associated with smartphone screen time, while educational videos (β = −0.130) and parental support (β = −0.212) were negatively associated with smartphone screen time. Peers support moderated the association between games and smartphone screen time. Parental support moderated the association between educational videos, videos/movies/TV, and smartphone screen time. The findings highlight the direct and interactive roles of intrapersonal and interpersonal factors in predicting adolescents' smartphone screen time. Based on this study, the intrapersonal and interpersonal factors of adolescents should be comprehensively considered to intervene in their proper smartphone use.

Correlations between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Depressiveness and Daytime Sleepiness, as Well as Perceived Social Support in Adolescents

“…Social support from parents and family but also from friends and peers is closely associated with problematic smartphone use in adolescents and young adults [ 64 ]. Other authors who researched PMPU and analyzed its relationship with perceived social support, with the same study tool as the following study, obtained similar results.…”

Parental smartphone addiction and adolescent smartphone addiction by negative parenting attitude and adolescent aggression: A cross-sectional study

“…In short, as parents' overdependence on smartphones results in failure to provide emotional support and basic safety for their children ( 57 ), adolescents tend to become cognitively and behaviorally vulnerable in human relationships ( 58 ). This eventually hinders building healthy relationships with their family and friends, making them show aggressive behaviors, and ultimately deteriorating their existing relationships with family and friends, which leads to greater dependence on their smartphones ( 12 ). Parental smartphone addiction and aggression showed a very weak relationship in this study, however, as aggression is a key variable of adolescents' smartphone dependence, there must be repeated studies on the subject in the future.…”

“…Recent studies have reported that parental factors, one of the environments surrounding adolescents, affect their smartphone use both directly and indirectly, emphasizing the importance of family roles (9)(10)(11)(12). Specifically, parents as role models play a critical role in adolescents' problematic behaviors (13,14).…”

Differential Effects of Active Social Media Use on General Trait and Online-Specific State-FoMO: Moderating Effects of Passive Social Media Use

“…Other studies have found high social support to be associated with lower trait-FoMO. 35,36 ASMU, Trait-FoMO, and State-FoMO…”

“…Previous research has demonstrated that good interpersonal relationships and higher friend support are protective factors for trait-FoMO. 35,36,42 Hence, it can be inferred that ASMU may be associated with a reduction in trait-FoMO. In addition, ASMU is shown to be linked to satisfied need to belong, 43 reduced loneliness and depression, 41 and increased life satisfaction and selfesteem.…”