Digital Dependency: Psychological Consequences of Prolonged Smartphone use Among Young Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47067/ramss.v9i1.607Keywords:
Digital dependency, Smartphone use, Young adults, Psychological health, Anxiety, Depression, Emotional well-being, Behavioral addictionAbstract
The present study examined the psychological consequences of prolonged smartphone use among young adults, with a focus on digital dependency, anxiety, depression, and overall psychological well-being. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from 215 young adults aged 18–30 years using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from academic institutions and urban communities. The demographic characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics, whereas correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive relationship between the daily smartphone use and the digital dependency (r =.62, p <.01). The multiple regression analysis showed that daily smartphone use (b =.41, p <.001) and digital dependency (b=.48, p <.001) showed significant predictability of adverse psychological outcomes, with a variance of 48 that explained the relationship between these two variables and anxiety, depression, and emotional well-being. Results of one-way ANOVA also revealed that, among the participants, those who had a high level of smartphone use had significantly worse psychological health than their counterparts, who had lower level of usage (F (2, 212) = 26.87, p < .001). Such results highlight the significant role of both the duration and the compulsive character of smartphone use on the mental health of young adults and indicate that the interventions that could support healthy digital practices should be implemented. The study has empirical implication to educators, the mental health workers and the policy makers to come up with interventions that minimize the negative psychological effects of excessive use of smartphones among the young adults.
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