Young people who are hooked on their smartphones may be at an increased risk for depression and loneliness, according to a new study from the University of Arizona.
Date: September 30, 2019
Source: University of Arizona
A growing body of
research has identified a link between smartphone dependency and symptoms of
depression and loneliness. However, it's been unclear whether reliance on
smartphones precedes those symptoms, or whether the reverse is true: that
depressed or lonely people are more likely to become dependent on their phones.
In a study of 346
older adolescents, ages 18-20, researcher Matthew Lapierre and his
collaborators found that smartphone dependency predicts higher reports of
depressive symptoms and loneliness, rather than the other way around.
"The main
takeaway is that smartphone dependency directly predicts later depressive
symptoms," said Lapierre, an assistant professor in the Department of
Communication in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. "There's
an issue where people are entirely too reliant on the device, in terms of
feeling anxious if they don't have it accessible, and they're using it to the
detriment of their day-to-day life."
In the study, which
will be published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, Lapierre and
his co-authors focus on smartphone dependency -- a person's psychological
reliance on the device -- rather than on general smartphone use, which can
actually provide benefits.
"The research
grows out of my concern that there is too much of a focus on general use of
smartphones," Lapierre said. "Smartphones can be useful. They help us
connect with others. We've really been trying to focus on this idea of dependency
and problematic use of smartphones being the driver for these psychological
outcomes. "
Understanding the
direction of the relationship between smartphone dependency and poor
psychological outcomes is critical for knowing how best to address the problem,
said communication master's student Pengfei Zhao, who co-authored the study
with Lapierre and communication doctoral student Benjamin Custer.
"If depression
and loneliness lead to smartphone dependency, we could reduce dependency by
adjusting people's mental health," Zhao said. "But if smartphone
dependency (precedes depression and loneliness), which is what we found, we can
reduce smartphone dependency to maintain or improve wellbeing."
The researchers
measured smartphone dependency by asking study participants to use a four-point
scale to rate a series of statements, such as "I panic when I cannot use
my smartphone."
Participants also
answered questions designed to measure loneliness, depressive symptoms and
their daily smartphone use. They responded to the questions at the start of the
study and again three to four months later.
The study focused on
older adolescents, a population researchers say is important for a couple of
reasons: First, they largely grew up with smartphones. Second, they are at an
age and transitional stage in life where they are vulnerable to poor mental
health outcomes, such as depression.
"It might be
easier for late adolescents to become dependent on smartphones, and smartphones
may have a bigger negative influence on them because they are already very
vulnerable to depression or loneliness," Zhao said.
Given the potential
negative effects of smartphone dependency, it may be worth it for people to
evaluate their relationship with their devices and self-impose boundaries if
necessary, the researchers said.
Looking for
alternative ways to manage stress might be one helpful strategy, since other
research has indicated that some people turn to their phones in an effort to
relieve stress, Zhao said.
"When people feel
stressed, they should use other healthy approaches to cope, like talking to a
close friend to get support or doing some exercises or meditation," Zhao
said.
Smartphones are still
a relatively new technology, and researchers across the globe continue to study
how they're affecting people's lives. Lapierre said now that researchers know
that there is a link between smartphone dependency and depression and
loneliness, future work should focus on better understanding why that
relationship exists.
"The work we're
doing is answering some essential questions about the psychological effects of
smartphone dependency," he said. "Then we can start asking, 'OK, why
is this the case?'"
Story Source:
Materials provided
by University of
Arizona. Original written by Alexis Blue. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1. Matthew A. Lapierre, Pengfei Zhao, Benjamin E.
Custer. Short-Term Longitudinal Relationships Between Smartphone
Use/Dependency and Psychological Well-Being Among Late Adolescents. Journal
of Adolescent Health, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.06.001
University of Arizona.
"Which comes first: Smartphone dependency or depression?."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930161918.htm>.