Kiara Ramon-Lozano

Dr. Sharity Nelson

ENGL 1302-231

4 March 2024

Social and Psychological Wellness: Factors Influencing Phone Use in College Students

Billions around the world use and have access to smartphones (Kuru and Çelenk 1).

Scholars have acknowledged that excessive phone use is prominent among college students and

has the potential to damage one’s overall health and wellness (Ercengiz, et al., Liu, et al.).

However, scholars have not yet agreed upon whether the behaviors associated with

unmanageable smartphone use–such as uneasiness without one’s phone and the inability to

control usage–should constitute it as a behavioral addiction (Chen, et al., Abuhamdah and

Naser). This paper demonstrates that scholars investigating smartphone use in college students

conduct cross-sectional survey studies, suggest relationships between aspects of social and

emotional wellness and phone use, and debate whether negative characteristics associated with

phone overuse demonstrate an addiction.

Experimental Design and Data Collection and Interpretation

Cross-sectional experimental designs and Likert-scale surveys are prominent in studies

investigating university students’ phone dependence. For instance, Abuhamdah and Naser

administered the Arabic versions of Kessler’s Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the

Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Version (SAS-SV) in their cross-sectional study to determine

the number of Jordanian college students who suffer from poor mental health and phone

dependence (2-3). Kuru and Çelenk and Mohamed, et al. also used the Smartphone Addiction
 Ramon-Lozano 2

Scale to measure students’ smartphone attachment in their cross-sectional research, but they

observed psychological and social health factors using Likert-scale questionnaires different from

Abuhamdah and Naser (160, 3). Kuru and Çelenk quantified participants’ mental rigidity and

psychological disorder symptoms through the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II and

Beck’s depression and anxiety inventories, while Mohamed, et al. administered the Social Phobia

Inventory to measure the social anxiety levels of female, Arabic-speaking college students (160,

3). Unlike the three studies above, Liu, et al. applied a factorial research design with a control

and experimental group rather than employing a cross-sectional study; nonetheless, Liu, et al.

used the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory, Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale, and

Self-Control Scale–all of which include Likert-scales–to evaluate the impact of a short cognitive

behavioral therapy (session) on students’ conscious awareness and phone dependence (3-5).

Among the three sources that employed a cross-sectional design, researchers collected data from

participants only once. Across all four studies, scholars quantified students’ mental and social

health, cognitive abilities, and phone addiction through Likert-scale questionnaires.

Even though studies have comparable methodology and data measurements,

interpretations of participants’ self-reported data is dependent on the study’s purpose. Chen, et al.

aimed to determine whether the prominence and severity of smartphone addiction varies between

male and female university students in China (2). Similarly, Abuhamdah and Naser wanted to

discover the pervasiveness of phone use and mental distress (2). Because both studies intend to

report incidence and intensity of smartphone overuse, the scholars formatted their cross-sectional

study results as percentages. For instance, Chen, et al. state that “the prevalence of smartphone

addiction was 30.3% in males and 29.3% in females” according to the SAS-SV (3). In
 Ramon-Lozano 3

Abuhamdah and Naser’s results section, they note that 56.7% of their sample was smartphone

dependent, and they present the varying levels of psychological distress as a pie chart to

demonstrate that roughly 75% of Jordanian college students had a moderate or severe mental

disorder according to Kessler’s scale (5-7). Providing concrete data is suitable for both studies’

objectives, for it clearly demonstrates the occurrence of phone reliance and mental distress

among participants.

In contrast, other scholars use the data derived from Likert-scale questionnaires to

suggest potential correlations between phone use and psychological and social health. Squires, et

al. studied the influence of psychopathology and emotion management on students’ excessive

phone use; thus, their results primarily consist of causal and statistical analysis statements

(1289). For instance, Squires, et al. state that “significant positive associations were identified

between psychological distress and problematic smartphone use,” which they tie to their

bivariate correlation analysis, “c = .110, t (192) = 4.24, p < .001” (1289). They further elaborate

on their results by noting the correlation “between emotion dysregulation and problematic

smartphone use after controlling for psychological distress, b=.230, t (192) = 3.30, p = .001”

(1289, 1291). Another study by Yang, et al. observed how students’ support systems, kindness

toward themselves, and psychological distress symptoms affect phone dependence (3-4). Yang,

et al. also referred to statistical analysis in their results section, stating that “perceived social

support significantly and negatively predicted college students’ mobile phone addiction (β =

−0.17, t = −5.19, p < 0.001)” (5-6). Although the methodology of Squires, et al. and Yang, et al.

were similar to that of Abuhamdah and Naser and Chen, et al., the scholars presented

participants’ survey responses in a notably distinct manner. Specifically, scholars who aim to
 Ramon-Lozano 4

identify the prevalence of phone use in college students present concrete data, while those who

format their results as causal statements create a foundation for research on the underlying causes

of phone dependence.

Correlations between Social and Mental Health and Smartphone Dependence and Overuse

In studies that suggest relationships between multiple wellness variables and phone use,

scholars agree that poor psychological health predicts phone use. A cross-sectional study by

Ercengiz, et al. found that anxious college students do not cope with stress effectively, which

makes them prone to developing smartphone anxiety (2, 10-11). A study by Kuru and Çelenk

expands upon this notion by stating that mental rigidity explains the positive correlation between

anxiety levels and uncontrollable phone use (161). Other studies take an alternative perspective,

emphasizing how improving psychological health can reduce one’s inclination to use their

phone. For example, Liu, et al.’s study suggests that short CBT encourages students’ conscious

awareness and increases one’s ability to limit impulsivity, which decreases one’s inclination to

use their phone (9-10). Despite the differences in variables tested, the consensus is that phone

dependence and overuse increase as mental health declines.

Because of the lack of longitudinal experimental designs when investigating relationships

between psychological and social health and phone dependence, researchers cannot definitively

justify hypothesized relationships between these variables; therefore, scholars use a variety of

theories and models to strengthen the validity of their causality statements. Squires, et al. use

Billieux’s impulse pathway model to explain their primary finding that students who demonstrate

characteristics of depression, stress, and anxiety have a lower ability to regulate emotional

responses, increasing smartphone dependence (1293-4). Billieux’s model–similar to

 Ramon-Lozano 5

Compensatory Internet Use Theory–suggests that students use their phones in excess to avoid

confronting negative emotions (1293-4). Comparably, Yang, et al. found that individuals who

lack strong support systems are prone to depression and phone dependence since they attempt to

replace their social and emotional needs with phone use (8). Using compensatory theory and

general strain theory as support, Yang, et al. concluded that individuals who have an

overwhelming emotional response to weak interpersonal relationships will suppress their feelings

with maladaptive behaviors, like excessive smartphone use, rather than effectively cope with

their emotions (8-9). These discussions demonstrate that various educated inferences play a vital

role in supporting current research and establishing foundational knowledge for future studies

that intend to confirm the inverse correlation between social and mental health and phone use.

Problematic Smartphone Use vs. Phone Addiction

Scholars studying phone use in university students have not yet concluded whether

smartphone overuse should be classified as an addiction. In their background section, Squires, et

al. explicitly address the ramifications of referring to excessive smartphone use as an addiction,

stating how this can lead to “overpathologizing everyday behaviours and…trivializing the

seriousness of established addictions” (1286). In line with this idea, scholars such as Kuru and

Çelenk and Liu, et al. refrain from using the word “addiction” in their paper by referring to

smartphone overuse as “problematic smartphone use,” or “PSU” (160, 2). However, Liu, et al.

initially acknowledge some scholars’ use of the word “addiction” to emphasize the severity of

college students’ smartphone attachment and its consequences to stress the need for intervention

(2).
 Ramon-Lozano 6

Dissimilarly, other scholars claim that incessant phone use should be considered an

addiction when it negatively interferes with one’s lifestyle and well-being. For instance,

Mohamed, et al. establish that smartphone addiction is a “technological addiction” that is

characterized by “compulsive behaviors, tolerance, withdrawal, and functional impairment” (1).

Abuhamdah and Naser take a similar stance by stating that phone overuse is “classified clinically

as behavioral addiction” when one cannot limit their use despite “adverse repercussions on their

day-to-day existence, interpersonal connections, professional endeavors, or general state of

welfare” (1, 2). Some scholars do not expressly take a stance on this debate; instead, they

highlight “phone addiction” as the focus of their study throughout their article and in their

article’s title (Chen, et al., Yang, et al.). These differences in terminology between studies

demonstrates where researchers’ opinions on the severity of excessive smartphone use diverge.

Conclusion

As this paper has shown, there is generally an abundance of cross-sectional survey

studies, which many scholars use to hypothesize relationships between wellness and phone

dependence based on the theories and models of other scholars in the field. Current literature has

suggested that poor psychological health is correlated with increased phone dependence and

smartphone anxiety. Because of the abundance of research suggesting relationships between

various aspects of wellness and phone use, there is a need for longitudinal and

quasi-experimental studies that can confirm these correlations to not only raise awareness on the

implications of excessive smartphone use in college students but also find an effective means of

intervention.
 Ramon-Lozano 7

Works Cited

Abuhamdah, Sawsan M. A., and Abdallah Y. Naser. “Smartphone Addiction and Its Mental

Health Risks among University Students in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.” BMC

Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 812, 2023, pp. 1-9, Academic Search Complete,

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05322-6.

Chen, Baifeng, et al. “Gender Differences in Factors Associated with Smartphone Addiction: A

Cross-Sectional Study among Medical College Students.” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 17, no.

341, 2017, pp. 1-9. Academic Search Complete,

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1503-z.

Ercengiz, Mustafa, et al. “Differentiation of Self, Emotion Management Skills, and Nomophobia

among Smartphone Users: the Mediating and Moderating Roles of Intolerance of

Uncertainty.” The Social Science Journal, 2020, pp. 1-15. Taylor & Francis Online,

https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2020.1833148.

Kuru, Tacettin, and Sinem Çelenk. “The Relationship Among Anxiety, Depression, and

Problematic Smartphone Use in University Students: The Mediating Effect of

Psychological Inflexibility.” Alpha Psychiatry, vol. 22, no. 3, 2021, pp 159-164.

Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.136695.

Liu, Fengbo, et al. “Effectiveness of Brief Mindfulness Intervention for College Students’

Problematic Smartphone Use: The Mediating Role of Self-Control.” PLoS ONE, vol. 17,

no. 12, 2022, pp. 1-13. Academic Search Complete,

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279621.
 Ramon-Lozano 8

Mohamed, Zaibab K., et al. “Smartphone Addiction and Its Relation to Social Phobia in Female

University Students.” Middle East Current Psychiatry, vol. 30, no. 74, 2023, pp. 1-10.

Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-023-00327-z.

Squires, Lauren R., et al. “Psychological Distress, Emotion Dysregulation, and Coping

Behaviour: a Theoretical Perspective of Problematic Smartphone Use.” International

Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, vol. 19, no. 4, 2021, pp. 1284-1299. Academic

Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00224-0.

Yang, Xiaofan, et al. “Perceived Social Support, Depressive Symptoms, Self-Compassion, and

Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Analysis.” Behavioral Sciences, vol.

13, no. 9, 2023, pp. 1-13. Academic Search Complete,

https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13090769.