Measuring smartphone dependency and exploration of consequences and comorbidities

Abstract

“Nomophobia” is the fear of not being able to use your smartphone and has been noted to be associated with excessive levels of smartphone dependency. For many, these devices have become an extension of ourselves, which raises hesitation on whether or not society has become addicted to smartphones. Specific diagnostic criteria for smartphone addiction have yet to be settled, and even use of the word “addiction” when describing excessive usage of smartphones is controversial. We therefore utilize current measures to explore the symptoms of smartphone dependency and their hierarchy, as well as comorbidities including social anxiety, self-esteem, and distracted driving. A total of 159 adults from a research-intensive university in the Midwestern United States completed an anonymous online survey. Through factor analytic and Rasch modeling methods, it was found that based on a single measure for one's level of nomophobia, the degree to which smartphone use interferes with daily life can be qualified. The relationship between nomophobia and social anxiety supports the hypothesis that smartphone addiction can be magnified by personality traits and other psychiatric comorbidities. Both multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression analyses found that phone usage while driving and being female were found to be significant positive predictors of smartphone dependency. It is apparent that technology addiction and smartphone addiction need to be studied among a greater population, especially among women and those who use their smartphones while driving.

Keywords

• Smartphones
• Smartphone addiction
• Smartphone dependency
• Technology addiction
• Social anxiety
• Self-esteem