What do we know about mobile use and emotional symptoms among adolescents? Findings from an exploratory study with adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: There are nearly 5 billion internet users globally, most of whom use it through smartphone devices. Around 67% of the world's population uses cell phones. Also, there is an estimate that by 2025 the number of people with access to the Internet will reach nearly 6 billion people (71% of the global population). Objectives: This work aims to identify a possible association between excessive smartphone use and emotional symptoms among adolescents in a sample of students aged between 10 and 16 years old (M = 12.8). It is also intended to detect anxiety, depression, and anxiety prevalence regarding different parental mediation types. Materials and Method: All students will fill out the following instruments: Sociodemographic questionnaire with questions such as age, gender, education level, marital status, the time they have possessed a smartphone and specific questions about the pattern and perception of smartphone use; Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV) to assess the internet usage pattern through ten Likert-type questions; and finally, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) to track possible emotional problems linked to anxiety, depression, and stress, by 21 questions Results: The data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, continuous variables will be transformed into Z scores, and the normality of the data will be tested using the Kolgomorov Smirnoff test, and homogeneity of variances using the Levene test. As for categorical variables, the chi-square test (χ2) will be used for continuous variables, Variance Analysis, when unidirectional analysis of variance (Unidirectional ANOVA) is detected. The effect size will be calculated using Cramer's V test (nominal variables) and the eta-square test (continuous variables).