The invisible addiction: Cell-phone activities and addiction among male and female college students

Abstract

Background and aims: The primary objective of the present study was to investigate which cell-phone activities are associated with cell-phone addiction. No research to date has studied the full-range of cell-phone activities, and their relationship to cell-phone addiction, across male and female cell-phone users. Methods: College undergraduates (N = 164) participated in an online survey. Participants completed the questionnaire as part of their class requirements. The questionnaire took 10 and 15 minutes to complete and contained a measure of cell-phone addiction and questions that asked how much time participants spent daily on 24 cell-phone activities. Results: Findings revealed cell-phone activities that are associated significantly with cell-phone addiction (e.g., Instagram, Pinterest), as well as activities that one might logically assume would be associated with this form of addiction but are not (e.g., Internet use and Gaming). Cell-phone activities that drive cell-phone addiction (CPA) were found to vary considerably across male and female cell-phone users. Although a strong social component drove CPA for both males and females, the specific activities associated with CPA differed markedly. Conclusions: CPA amongst the total sample is largely driven by a desire to connect socially. The activities found to be associated with CPA, however, differed across the sexes. As the functionality of cell-phones continues to expand, addiction to this seemingly indispensable piece of technology becomes an increasingly realistic possibility. Future research must identify the activities that push cell-phone use beyond its “;tipping point” where it crosses the line from a helpful tool to one that undermines our personal well-being and that of others.

Regional science in a physical/virtual more/less world

“…Male college students reported spending almost 7 h and 30 min a day on their cell phones and females an average of 10 h! Most of the gender difference was due to time spent on various social media, with one of the largest differentials being that for Pinterest: 26.1 min on average for females versus only 5.7 min for males (Petnji et al 2014).…”

Photography-based mobile assessment of alcohol use in young adults: Feasibility and comparison to standard assessment methodology (Preprint)

“…The vast majority of young adults (85%) use photo-based social media apps such as Instagram regularly [35,36], and social media-based apps are often used to display food and beverage intake [37,38].…”

Quantified Bodies in the Checking Loop: Analyzing the Choreographies of Biomonitoring and Generating Big Data

“…These checking sequences can be short or long, depending on how often the user handles his or her phone. The action of looking at a mobile phone display can become a harmful and compulsive behavior for users when it starts disturbing their essential daily activities (Roberts, Yaya, Honore, & Manolis, 2014).…”