Mobile gaming and problematic smartphone use: a comparative study between Belgium and Finland

Background and aims: Gaming applications have become one of the main entertainment features on smartphones, and this could be potentially problematic in terms of dangerous, prohibited, and dependent use among a minority of individuals. A cross-national study was conducted in Belgium and Finland. The aim was to examine the relationship between gaming on smartphones and self-perceived problematic smartphone use via an online survey to ascertain potential predictors. Methods: The Short Version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ-SV) was administered to a sample comprising 899 participants (30% male; age range: 18–67 years). Results: Good validity and adequate reliability were confirmed regarding the PMPUQ-SV, especially the dependence subscale, but low prevalence rates were reported in both countries using the scale. Regression analysis showed that downloading, using Facebook, and being stressed contributed to problematic smartphone use. Anxiety emerged as predictor for dependence. Mobile games were used by one-third of the respective populations, but their use did not predict problematic smartphone use. Very few cross-cultural differences were found in relation to gaming through smartphones. Conclusion: Findings suggest mobile gaming does not appear to be problematic in Belgium and Finland

How technology interacts with emerging adulthood psychosocial developmental tasks: An examination of online self-presentation and cell phone usage

This dissertation outlines three distinct, yet interrelated, projects aimed at understanding the role of technology in relation to emerging adulthood developmental tasks: individuation & identity development. The first paper provides a context for understanding the developmental tasks of emerging adulthood, and the role that technology may serve in relation to those developmental tasks. This brief review of the literature on emerging adulthood developmental tasks provides a solid theoretical background and history for the theoretical premises proposed for the respective studies included in this dissertation. The second project is an empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the task of identity development may be related to online self-presentation, indicated by rates of profile picture cycling. The third project is a second empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the developmental task of individuation may be related to cell phone communication with parents. Final comments and integrated thoughts are provided to clarify the parallels between what we already know about emerging adulthood tasks, and how these tasks are being manifested via social media outlets and cell phone usage

Perceived stress, smartphone dependency, coping behaviors, and psychological well-being among undergraduate students in Malaysia

Well-being is essential to promote students’ development. The present research investigated the association between life events, perceived stress, smartphone dependency, coping behaviors, and psychological well-being. This cross-sectional study employed convenience sampling, and the sample consisted of 303 undergraduates at one public university in Malaysia. Most of the participants were Malay (74.6%), followed by Chinese (15.8%), Indian (6.9%), and other ethnic groups (2.6%). Several types of analyses were used: descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, mean differences, and structural equation modeling. Descriptive research indicated that the five most common life events were “family get-together,” “getting an unjustified low grade on a test,” “vacation with parents,” “minor financial problems,” and “vacation alone/with friends.” The analyses yielded significant gender and year of study differences in perceived stress. Women had higher perceived stress levels than men. Perceived stress was significantly lower for first-year students than second- and third-year students. Next, there was a significant effect of ethnicity on psychological well-being and daily life disturbance. Specifically, psychological well-being was significantly lower for Malay than Non-Malay students. In contrast, daily life disturbance was significantly higher for Malay than Non-Malay students. In addition, there was a significant interaction between gender and ethnicity on life events and problem focused-coping. Non-Malay men experienced fewer life events than Non-Malay women, Malay men, and Non-Malay women. Non-Malay men were less likely to utilize problem-focused coping than Non-Malay women, Malay men, and Malay women. The measurement and structural model fit very well after allowing some modifications of the models. Results of the structural equation model indicate that experiencing higher levels of life events may lead to higher levels of perceived stress. Higher levels of perceived stress predicted lower levels of psychological well-being. Perceived stress had significant effects on smartphone dependency, emotion-focused, and avoidance-focused coping. In addition, problem-focused had a significant effect on psychological well-being. In terms of mediation effects, perceived stress fully mediated the association between life events and psychological well-being. Perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between life events and avoidance-focused coping. However, there were no mediation and moderation effects of smartphone dependency and coping behaviors on the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. The results have implications for college students’ well-being programs and give insights for future researchers, counselors, educators, and policymakers. The results confirm the validity of concepts, appropriateness in a different culture, and enrich the cross-cultural literature

Dependencia emocional y consecuencias psicológicas del abuso de internet y móvil en jóvenes.

New technologies are increasingly present in our daily lives, what makes necessary the study of their possible consequences and relationship with addictive behaviors. In this sense, adolescence is an especially vulnerable age for the appearance of risk behaviors such as addictions, as there is a tendency towards dependency at this development stage. The present study was carried out with a sample of 535 young university students in order to analyze emotional dependency in dating relationships and the psychological consequences of Internet and mobile use (such as anxious and depressive symptoms and low self-esteem), considering gender differences, the role that emotional dependency plays in their use, and the predictive role of their use on the aforementioned consequences. The results showed gender differences in mobile abuse, depression, and self-esteem. Also, emotional dependency correlated with Internet and mobile abuse, and both constructs correlated with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Finally, emotional dependency predicted Internet and mobile abuse, as well as anxious and depressive symptomatology and low self-esteem. These variables also predicted mobile and Internet abuse. This study provides new keys to understanding emotional dependency and Internet and mobile abuse, and their inter-relationships and relationship with other constructs.La creciente presencia de las nuevas tecnologías en nuestras vidas hace necesaria el estudio de sus posibles consecuencias y del desarrollo de conductas adictivas.  En este sentido, la adolescencia es una edad especialmente vulnerable a la aparición de conductas de riesgo como las adicciones por tratarse de una etapa marcada por un exceso de dependencia.  Por ello, con una muestra de 535 jóvenes universitarios, el presente estudio pretende analizar la dependencia emocional y las consecuencias psicológicas en relación al uso de Internet y móvil (a nivel de sintomatología ansioso-depresiva y autoestima), considerando también las diferencias de género, así como el papel que juega la dependencia emocional en este uso y el papel predictor del uso sobre las mencionadas consecuencias.  Los resultados muestran que habría diferencias de género en el abuso de móvil, depresión y autoestima. Además, la dependencia emocional correlacionaría con el abuso de Internet y móvil, y ambos constructos correlacionarían con ansiedad, depresión y autoestima. Finalmente. La dependencia emocional sería predictora del abuso de Internet y móvil, así como de la sintomatología ansiosa y depresiva, y de la autoestima, que también serían predictores del abuso de móvil e Internet. Este estudio proporciona nuevas claves a la hora de comprender la dependencia emocional y el abuso de Internet y móvil, y de la relación que mantienen entre sí y con otros constructos

Boredom proneness and fear of missing out mediate relations between depression and anxiety with problematic smartphone use

Depression and anxiety severity are found in numerous studies to correlate with increased levels of problematic smartphone use. Yet there are less available data on other psychopathology‐related correlates of such use. Two potentially important variables related to depression and anxiety, and recently found related to problematic smartphone use severity, are boredom proneness and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Our aims were to (a) assess boredom proneness and FOMO in relation to problematic smartphone use severity and (b) assess the mediating roles of boredom proneness and FOMO in relationships between depression/anxiety severity with problematic smartphone use severity. We recruited 297 American college students for a web survey, assessing constructs including FOMO, boredom proneness, depression, anxiety, problematic smartphone use, and smartphone use frequency. We tested a structural equation model to assess relations between depression and anxiety severity with boredom proneness and FOMO, and relations between these psychopathology constructs with levels of smartphone use frequency and problematic use. Results demonstrate that FOMO was significantly related to problematic smartphone use severity. FOMO also mediated relations between boredom proneness and problematic smartphone use severity. Furthermore, boredom proneness and FOMO serially mediated relations between both depression and anxiety severity with problematic smartphone use severity. Results are discussed in the context of Compensatory Internet Use Theory and the I‐PACE model in understanding factors driving problematic smartphone use.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153150/1/hbe2159.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153150/2/hbe2159_am.pd

Lonely Zs: Examining the Relationships among Time Spent on Social Networking Sites, the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), and Loneliness among Undergraduate College Students

Time spent on social networking sites has become an essential part of the Gen Z’s social experience, and the fear of missing out (FoMO), and loneliness have become three well known topics among today’s college students. It is suspected that emerging adults are spending an excessive amount of time on SNSs, which is contributing to the increasing psychological decline and the epidemic of loneliness on college campuses around the world. The research conducted sought to determine if there is a predictive relationship between multiple variables, including time spent on social networking sites, the fear of missing out (FoMO), and loneliness among undergraduate college students. The study included collection of demographic characteristics including (age, gender, ethnicity, and number of SNSs owed), along with the related period(s) and (e) motives of use, specifically (a) academic (b) public places, (c) relaxation/free, and (d) stress. The results indicated there is a predictive relationship between time spent on social networking sites, loneliness, and the fear of missing out (FoMO). Further, it was found that loneliness was predictive of FoMO and related periods of use, specifically during stressful times and in public places was predictive of loneliness and FoMO. Results also revealed that demographic characteristics, specifically number of social networking accounts owned was predictive of FoMO and loneliness, and ethnicity was predictive of FoMO

The role of problematic technology use for adolescents: The importance of sleep for wellbeing

Peer social-networks increase in their salience through adolescence. With access to technology, adolescents extend face-to-face peer interactions to the online environment. Adolescents’ heavy engagement in technology, however, can pose risks to their wellbeing. This thesis examines one potential mechanism through which this may occur, vis-a-vis problematic sleep. Two features of adolescents’ technology use were measured that related to peer interactions on-line, social-networking and mobile-phone use. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were drawn from a representative sample of adolescents. Study-1 used cross-sectional data including a new social-networking investment measure, and Study-2 and Study-3 used longitudinal data including students across Years 8 to 11. Study-1 investigated adolescents’ problematic social-networking using structural-equation-modeling. A serial mediation pathway was shown in which adolescents’ overinvestment in social-networking was associated with increased sleep disturbances and adverse perceptions of sleep quality, which in turn were associated with decreased school satisfaction. These results suggest that minimizing sleep disturbances from problematic social-networking could arguably improve adolescent school experiences. Study-2 examined a mediational process using latent trajectories; problematic social-networking was associated with a trajectory of disturbed sleep, which in turn associated with psychopathology (depressed mood, externalizing). Adolescents who increasingly invested in social-networking also increased in their depressed mood; half of this association was explained by the mediating role of increased sleep disruption. Adolescents who increasingly invested in social-networking also reported increased externalizing behavior (13% via sleep disruption). Again, these findings point to an important role of sleep disruption in adolescent wellbeing. Study-3 tested how adolescents’ problematic use of mobile-phones linked to a range of wellbeing indicators: depressed mood, externalizing behavior, self-esteem, and coping. Increases in problematic mobile-phone use predicted later increases in externalizing and subsequent decreases in self-esteem and coping. Importantly, changes in sleep behavior mediated the relation between early changes in problematic mobile-phone use and later increases in depressed mood and externalizing and later declines in self-esteem and coping. These results advocate for monitoring of and education about adolescents’ late-night mobile-phone use as well as further attention to pervasive effects of disrupted sleep on adolescent functioning

Vulnerable Groups Online: Understanding Engagement with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat

Understanding the societal impact of IT use is a critical step towards preventing harmful activities online. In particular, Vulnerable Groups [VGs] using Social Media Platforms [SMPs] are exposed to a variety of risks. Our research aims to understand how a particular VG, adolescent females, engage with Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat differently. Qualitative analysis of 22 semi-structured interviews reveals that the platform, tangible authority figures, risk normalization and risk awareness collectively influence how this group engaged with SMPs. With a low presence of adults and a high presence of their own peers, the participants engaged with Instagram and Snapchat to a greater extent than Facebook. In addition, high- risk disclosures were more likely to occur on Instagram and Snapchat as the participants felt more comfortable with expressing themselves openly on these platforms. Findings and future research directions are discussed

PHUBBING AND FEAR OF MISSING OUT AS MEDIATORS BETWEEN PROBLEMATIC SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Recent studies have shown certain risk indicators for young adults\u27 decreased life satisfaction as a result of excessive social media use. However, few studies have looked at possible impact of problematic social media on life satisfaction, and less information is known about the mediating factors that contribute to this association. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether problematic social media use predicts life satisfaction among young adults. It also explored whether phubbing behaviour and fear of missing out might both serve as mediators in this relationship. A sample of 351 young adults (18–25, Mage = 19.74 years, SD = 1.84) from several countries filled the Social Media Use Questionnaire (SMUQ), Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP), Fear of Missing Out (FoMOs), and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). The findings showed that (a) problematic social media use was associated with lower levels of life satisfaction, (b) phubbing behaviour and fear of missing out both mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and life satisfaction, and (c) phubbing behaviour and fear of missing out sequentially mediated the relationship between problematic social media use and life satisfaction. These findings have significant implications for prevention and intervention, in raising awareness about fear of missing out in connection to social media, and highlights consideration of the need to monitor and manage the act of snubbing others when using a mobile device

Do social networking website have an implication on millenial´s academic and/or occupational performance?

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe purpose of this paper is to identify if there are any implications of Social Networking Website use on academic and/or occupational performance given the staggering number of users of such platforms. An online survey assessed the proposed determinants of Social Networking Websites (SNW) Addiction and if it has any repercussions on the user’s academic and/or occupational performance. The collected data (n=451) includes respondents of the Millennial generation from the U.S.A. and Europe, Portugal being the example. The results support some relationships of the proposed model, such as Diminished Impulse Control and Escapism explain SNW Addiction in USA context. In Eurepean context the drivers of SNW Addiction are Diminished Impulse Control and Self-Identity. The role of SNW Addiction in predicting Diminished Performance (Academic/Occupational) is confirmed in both regions. Diminished Impulse Control was the most important factor in determining Social Networking Website Addiction