Unraveling problematic smartphone use:The good and the bad through longitudinal, qualitative and psychometric perspectives

In an era where smartphones have become ubiquitous, discerning the fine line between normal smartphone use and Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU) is critical. This dissertation investigates the dual nature of smartphone use, delineating its positive and negative consequences, defining PSU comprehensively, and exploring its etiology through a mixed-methods approach. This approach involves a longitudinal study, an in-depth qualitative exploration, and the development of the Smartphone Use Problems Identification Questionnaire (SUPIQ). Chapter 2 presents findings from a longitudinal study with 2100 Dutch high school students, examining the bidirectional relationship between PSU and adolescent peer engagement. The study identifies individuals with low perceived competence in close friendships and those who intensively engage with smartphones for peer communication as particularly vulnerable to PSU. Chapter 3 offers a qualitative exploration of PSU symptoms and possible etiology, finding the similarities and differences between PSU and established addiction criteria and highlighting the trade-off process between smartphones’ positive and negative consequences. Building on these insights, Chapter 4 details the development and validation of the SUPIQ through the analysis of two distinct samples. The SUPIQ demonstrated strong construct validity and superior predictive power for mental health problems. This thesis illuminates the intricate interplay of social, motivational, and normative factors in PSU, enriching the discourse on digital well-being. We argue for interventions that promote digital well-being through a balanced approach to smartphone use rather than advocating for its elimination, offering valuable perspectives on navigating the complexities of smartphone integration into daily life

Unraveling problematic smartphone use:The good and the bad through longitudinal, qualitative and psychometric perspectives

In an era where smartphones have become ubiquitous, discerning the fine line between normal smartphone use and Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU) is critical. This dissertation investigates the dual nature of smartphone use, delineating its positive and negative consequences, defining PSU comprehensively, and exploring its etiology through a mixed-methods approach. This approach involves a longitudinal study, an in-depth qualitative exploration, and the development of the Smartphone Use Problems Identification Questionnaire (SUPIQ). Chapter 2 presents findings from a longitudinal study with 2100 Dutch high school students, examining the bidirectional relationship between PSU and adolescent peer engagement. The study identifies individuals with low perceived competence in close friendships and those who intensively engage with smartphones for peer communication as particularly vulnerable to PSU. Chapter 3 offers a qualitative exploration of PSU symptoms and possible etiology, finding the similarities and differences between PSU and established addiction criteria and highlighting the trade-off process between smartphones’ positive and negative consequences. Building on these insights, Chapter 4 details the development and validation of the SUPIQ through the analysis of two distinct samples. The SUPIQ demonstrated strong construct validity and superior predictive power for mental health problems. This thesis illuminates the intricate interplay of social, motivational, and normative factors in PSU, enriching the discourse on digital well-being. We argue for interventions that promote digital well-being through a balanced approach to smartphone use rather than advocating for its elimination, offering valuable perspectives on navigating the complexities of smartphone integration into daily life

Young mobile users: Radical and individual – Not

The use of mobile phones by youth has stirred a plethora of research in different fields. Literature has analyzed in length the changes and adoption patterns related to the evolving telecommunications industry. This body of knowledge often makes assumptions on the changes in consumer profiles and the value of different features. In this study we take an longitudinal approach by analysing the results of 1&nbsp;928 responses to an online questionnaire conducted in Finland to students of a university in the Spring 2012 and on against the reanalysis of the responses of the Finnish students of upper secondary schools in the Spring 2001 and study on undergraduate students in 2006&ndash;2007. The results indicate that the youth and young adults of Finland, often argued to be an advanced country for mobile services, are surprisingly conservative towards new mobile devices and services. The changes in technology and service offering in a decade, has had a limited impact in attitudes and feature valuation, which sets significant implications to increasing adoption and usage.</span

Design Address on Phubbing During Dining

Phubbing is the practice of ignoring one\u27s companion or companions to pay attention to one\u27s phone or other mobile device. What happens when phubbing occurs in situations such as eating with friends? Phubbing instantly stops the interaction, and this unconsciousness behavior may affect the mood of one’s companions, destroy the taste of one’s food, or ruin one’s relationships. Using a phone while eating is not a bad practice. People often use their phones to record the moment, to capture the delicious food, or to share information with others. The best way to deal with hurt caused by phubbing during dining is not to prohibit the use of smart devices, but instead to provide an appropriate manner to use them. In this thesis, I\u27ve designed a dining table decoration that features phone storage. This design not only provides a safe location to keep phones clean, but also gathers phones into one location so that if a user receives a mobile notification, the decoration will attract his or her attention to it. In this way, no one is the first to stop group interaction. By gathering everyone’s phones at the center of the dining table, accessing one’s phone becomes a group action. By keeping the source of notifications ambiguous, phubbing becomes more fun, and generates fewer negative feelings about the use of mobile devices during meals

Xavier University Newswire

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Developing a Model of Mobile Web Uptake in the Developing World

This research was motivated by the limited penetration of the Internet within emerging economies and the ‘mobile miracle’, which refers to a steep increase of mobile phone penetration. In the context of the developing world, harnessing the ‘mobile miracle’ to improve Internet access can leverage the potential of the Web. However, no comprehensive model exists, which can identify and measure indicators of Mobile Web uptake. The absence of such a model creates problems in understanding the impact of the Mobile Web. This has generated the key question under study in this thesis: “What is a suitable model for Mobile Web uptake and its impact in the developing world?”In order to address the research question, the Model of Mobile Web Uptake in the Developing World (MMWUDW) was created. It was informed by a literature review, pilot study in Kenya and expert reviews. The MMWUDW was evaluated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the primary data that consisted of the questionnaire and interview data from Indonesia. The SEM analysis was triangulated with the questionnaire results and interview findings. Examining the primary data to evaluate the MMWUDW was essential to understand why people used mobile phones to make or follow links on the Web. The MMWUDW has three main factors. These are Mobile Web maturity, uptake and impact. The results of the SEM suggested that mobile networks, percentage of income for mobile credits, literacy and digital literacy did not affect Mobile Web uptake. In contrast, web-enabled phones, Web applications or contents, and mobile operator services strongly indicated Mobile Web maturity, which was a prerequisite for Mobile Web uptake. The uptake then created Mobile Web impact, which included both positive and negative features; ease of access to information and a convenient way to communicate; being entertained and empowered; maintaining of social cohesion and economic benefits, as well as wasting time and money, and being exposed to cyber bullying. Moreover, the research identified areas for improvement in the Mobile Web and regression equations to measure the factors and indicators of the MMWUDW. Possible future work comprises advancement of the MMWUDW and new Web Science research on the Mobile Web in developing countries.<br/

Perspectives of Adolescents, Parents, Service Providers, and Teachers on Mobile Phone Use for Sexual Reproductive Health Education

Mobile health (mHealth) programs offer opportunities to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents by providing information. This paper reports the findings of a study carried out in Homabay County, Kenya, to assess stakeholders’ perspectives on access to and use of mobile phones by adolescents for SRH education. We aimed to establish whether mobile phones could facilitate access to SRH information by adolescents and the barriers to be addressed. This was a qualitative exploratory study involving adolescents, parents, teachers, health care workers, and community health volunteers. Data were collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), and were analyzed through thematic and content analysis. Respondents lauded mHealth as an effective and efficient approach to adolescent SRH education with a potential to promote the learning of useful SRH information to influence their behavior formation. Respondents pointed out bottlenecks such as the limited ownership of and inequitable access to phones among adolescents, logistical barriers such as lack of electricity, internet connectivity, and the impact of phones on school performance, which must be addressed. The usefulness of mHealth in adolescent SRH education can be enhanced through inclusive program formulation and co-creation, imple-mented through safe spaces where adolescents would access information in groups, and supported by trained counselors

Perspectives of Adolescents, Parents, Service Providers, and Teachers on Mobile Phone Use for Sexual Reproductive Health Education

Mobile health (mHealth) programs offer opportunities to improve the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents by providing information. This paper reports the findings of a study carried out in Homabay County, Kenya, to assess stakeholders’ perspectives on access to and use of mobile phones by adolescents for SRH education. We aimed to establish whether mobile phones could facilitate access to SRH information by adolescents and the barriers to be addressed. This was a qualitative exploratory study involving adolescents, parents, teachers, health care workers, and community health volunteers. Data were collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), and were analyzed through thematic and content analysis. Respondents lauded mHealth as an effective and efficient approach to adolescent SRH education with a potential to promote the learning of useful SRH information to influence their behavior formation. Respondents pointed out bottlenecks such as the limited ownership of and inequitable access to phones among adolescents, logistical barriers such as lack of electricity, internet connectivity, and the impact of phones on school performance, which must be addressed. The usefulness of mHealth in adolescent SRH education can be enhanced through inclusive program formulation and co-creation, imple-mented through safe spaces where adolescents would access information in groups, and supported by trained counselors