Depression and anxiety symptoms are related to problematic smartphone use severity in Chinese young adults: Fear of missing out as a mediator

Sleep health and associated factors among undergraduates during the COVID-19 in China: A two-wave network analysis

Using network analysis, the current study investigated the pathways that underlie selected components of sleep health and their changes over time. Undergraduates (N = 1423; 80.60% female) completed a two-wave survey, sleep health (i.e. chronotypologies (CTs), sleep procrastination (SP), sleep quality (SQ)), psychological distress (PD), emotion regulation (ER), self-control (SC), problematic smartphone use (PSU) were measured. CTs, SP, and SQ formed a spatially contiguous pattern that remained unchanged in both waves. ER and PD node increased its strength, betweenness, and closeness in the network, while the link between the two was strengthened at T2. PSU was connected to SP, but not to CTs and SQ during both waves. In the context of the network approach, SP had the highest strength, and its associations with other dimensions of individual sleep may represent key factors in understanding the influence of exposure to the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep health.

The effect of event impact on fear of missing out: the chain mediation effect of coping styles and anxiety

The fear of missing out is a generalized anxiety stemming from the possibility of not being present at new events or advantageous situations of others. To explore potential mechanisms, a survey measuring the impact of event, coping style, anxiety, and fear of missing out was conducted with 1,014 college students (367 males and 647 females, aged 19-24 years). In addition, the study delved deeper into the dimensions of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal concerning the impact of event, examining their roles in coping style, anxiety, and fear of missing out. Results showed that: (1) The impact of event could predict the fear of missing out positively. (2) A more positive coping style is negatively associated with anxiety. (3) A chain mediation effect of coping style and anxiety is observed in the path from hyperarousal and avoidance to the fear of missing out. (4) In contrast to the hyperarousal or avoidance, the path from intrusion to the fear of missing out is mediated by anxiety but not coping style. These findings motivate us to implement different intervention tactics for varying impacts of events.

Social pressures and their impact on smartphone use stickiness and use habit among adolescents

Excessive smartphone use has become a growing issue among adolescents as they develop mentally and socially. While researchers have examined individual and technological predictors of smartphone addiction, few studies consider broader societal influences. This study explored how social pressures such as mimicry, coercion, and norms impact persistent conscious smartphone use (use stickiness) and unconscious smartphone use (use habit). A survey was administered in two phases to 309 college students at a university in Southern China to gather data on perceptions of social influences and their degree of smartphone overuse. The relationships were analysed using a structural equation model. The study confirms the impact of three social pressures - mimetic, coercive and normative - on adolescents' degree of smartphone overuse (use stickiness and use habit). The mimetic pressure positively impacted use stickiness but not use habit. The coercive pressure positively impacted both the use stickiness and the use habit. The normative pressure positively impacted use habit but not use stickiness. This study provides a novel perspective on overlooked social drivers of problematic smartphone tendencies among youth. Our study also provides insights for educators, parents, and policymakers to more effectively intervene in adolescent smartphone overuse.

Covid-19 psychological pressures, depression and FOMO: the mediating role of online social support and emotional regulation

BACKGROUND

The spread of the coronavirus has led to significant anxiety among university students, resulting in various mental health problems that could potentially impact their academic performance.

METHOD

To examine the mediating role of emotional regulation and online social support in the relationships between COVID-19 psychological pressures, depression, and the fear of missing out (FoMO) among young adult university students, a cross-sectional research design was employed using an online survey. The sample consisted of 521 full-time university students from China, currently enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

RESULTS

Findings revealed that more than half (55.09%, n=287) of the university students experienced COVID-19 psychological pressures. These pressures directly contributed to increased levels of depression (β = 0.339, p < .001) and fear of missing out (β = 0.236, p < .001). Moreover, online social support and emotional regulation exhibited partial mediating effects on the association between COVID-19 psychological pressures, depression, and the fear of missing out. The results indicated that COVID-19 psychological pressures were linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms and a greater fear of missing out among university students.

CONCLUSIONS

However, the provision of timely and adequate online social support, as well as the implementation of emotional regulation strategies, mitigated the negative effects of the pandemic on students' social and emotional well-being. Consequently, this led to reduced levels of depression and fear of missing out.

The Impact of Social Media Use on Sleep and Mental Health in Youth: a Scoping Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Social media use (SMU) and other internet-based technologies are ubiquitous in today's interconnected society, with young people being among the commonest users. Previous literature tends to support that SMU is associated with poor sleep and mental health issues in youth, despite some conflicting findings. In this scoping review, we summarized relevant studies published within the past 3 years, highlighted the impacts of SMU on sleep and mental health in youth, while also examined the possible underlying mechanisms involved. Future direction and intervention on rational use of SMU was discussed.

RECENT FINDINGS

Both cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort studies demonstrated the negative impacts of SMU on sleep and mental health, with preliminary evidence indicating potential benefits especially during the COVID period at which social restriction was common. However, the limited longitudinal research has hindered the establishment of directionality and causality in the association among SMU, sleep, and mental health. Recent studies have made advances with a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of SMU on sleep and mental health in youth, which is of public health importance and will contribute to improving sleep and mental health outcomes while promoting rational and beneficial SMU. Future research should include the implementation of cohort studies with representative samples to investigate the directionality and causality of the complex relationships among SMU, sleep, and mental health; the use of validated questionnaires and objective measurements; and the design of randomized controlled interventional trials to reduce overall and problematic SMU that will ultimately enhance sleep and mental health outcomes in youth.

Are "night owls" or "morning larks" more likely to delay sleep due to problematic smartphone use? a cross-lagged study among undergraduates

Sleep is an important physiological process, but staying up late has become a worldwide problem, particularly among university students. Sleep procrastination has been found to associated with sleep biorhythms and problematic smartphone use ("PSU") in previous studies. This two-wave study examines the longitudinal reciprocal relationship between PSU and sleep procrastination, together with the moderating role of sleep biorhythms. Participants comprised 1,423 Chinese university students. The results revealed that PSU and sleep procrastination are reciprocally related. Additionally, sleep biorhythms moderated this relationship, as PSU at T1 significantly predicted sleep procrastination at T2 for the morning larks group but not the night owls group. Accordingly, both PSU and sleep biorhythms should be considered when developing interventions for sleep procrastination.

Procrastination Mediates the Relationship between Problematic TikTok Use and Depression among Young Adults

Background: Although the prevalence of depression has increased significantly in recent years, especially in the young adult population, little is known about its causes and risk factors. The study aims to examine the mediating role of TikTok use in the relationships between procrastination and depression in young adults. Methods: A sample of 448 adults, ranging in age from 18 to 35 years (M = 24.45, SD = 3.76), including 214 men (48%), participated in the study. The cross-sectional survey consists of a modified Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) to assess problematic TikTok use (PTTU), the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS) for procrastination measurement, and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for screening depression symptoms. Results: The independent samples t-test indicates that emerging adults (ages ranging between 18 and 25 years) have more severe depression symptoms than young adults (26-35 years old). Gender differences were not found for procrastination, PTTU, and depression symptoms. Positive correlations were found between procrastination, PTTU, and depression symptoms. PTTU plays a mediating role in the associations between procrastination and depression. Conclusions: Both procrastination and PTTU treatment should be prioritized in the prevention and intervention programs for improving mental health among young adults. Some effective therapeutic methods are recommended.

The impact of problematic mobile phone use and the number of close friends on depression and anxiety symptoms among college students

Background

Psychological problems often occur in college students, with the most common ones being depression and anxiety symptoms. Exploring the risk factors that influence depression and anxiety symptoms in college students is essential to promote their physical and mental health.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the independent and interaction effects of problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and the number of close friends (NCFs) on depression and anxiety symptoms and the comorbidity of these symptoms among college students.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Huainan, Anhui Province, and Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in China from October to December 2022. Data from 7,617 college students were collected. The Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms. The PMPU data were collected by the Mobile Phone Addiction Type Scale. Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations of PMPU and NCFs with depression and anxiety symptoms and their interaction effects.

Results

PMPU and lack of close friends significantly increased the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms and the comorbidity of these symptoms in college students (p < 0.001). In addition, the effects of PMPU and lack of close friends on depression and anxiety symptoms in college students were interactive (p < 0.001). No significant sex differences were found.

Conclusion

PMPU and lack of close friends are important risk factors for depression, anxiety, and the comorbidity of these symptoms in college students in China.

Examining the Association Between Digital Stress Components and Psychological Wellbeing: A Meta-Analysis

Extant research suggests that digital stress (DS) and its various components (Hall et al. in Psychol Assess 33(3):230-242, 2021) may mediate the association between social media use and psychosocial distress among adolescents and young adults. Yet no systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted to examine the direct associations among DS components (i.e., approval anxiety, availability stress, fear of missing out [FOMO], connection overload, and online vigilance) and psychological outcomes. Thus, we aimed to comprehensively synthesize and quantify the association between these five DS components and psychosocial distress, and to examine whether these associations were statistically different from one another. Our search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Communication and Mass Media Complete yielded a wide range of article abstracts across the five DS components. After reviewing inclusion and exclusion criteria, 7, 73, 60, 19, and 16 studies were included for availability stress, approval anxiety, FOMO, connection overload, and online vigilance, respectively. The results suggested that all five digital stress components had significant medium association with psychosocial distress (r = .26 to .34; p < .001). Age and sex did not significantly moderate the association between most digital stress components and psychosocial distress. However, age moderated the association between connection overload and psychosocial distress. Our findings further suggested no statistical differences among the associations between the five digital stress components and psychosocial distress. Notwithstanding its limitations, our outcomes help integrate the disparate effect sizes in the literature, indicate the strength of associations, and suggest directions for clinical intervention and future research.

Depression and stress are associated with latent profiles of problematic social media use among college students

Background

The previous literature has demonstrated that depression, anxiety, and stress are significant predictors of problematic social media use. However, the manifestation of problematic social media use varies, and the predictive relationship between depression, anxiety, and stress with different subgroups of problematic social media use remains unclear. The aim of this research was to evaluate latent subgroups of problematic social media use among college students and to investigate the impact of depression, anxiety, and stress on these latent subgroups.

Methods

A survey was carried out among college students in China using a cross-sectional approach. A total of 955 participants were included, with a mean age of 19.50 ± 1.22 years. Participants completed questionnaires containing the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) to investigate latent subgroups of Chinese college students with problematic social media use, and a robust three-step approach was used to develop predictive regression mixed models of depression, anxiety, and stress on latent subgroups.

Results

Problematic social media use of Chinese college students can be categorized into four latent subgroups, namely, the high-risk group, the moderate-risk with pleasure group, the moderate-risk with compulsion group, and the low-risk group. The regression model showed that there was a significant difference between the high-risk group and the low-risk group on the stress scale. There was a significant difference between the moderate-risk with pleasure group and the moderate-risk with compulsion group on the depression scale.

Conclusion

Problematic social media use is heterogeneous, with depression and stress being potentially key factors influencing problematic social media use. Depression would make college students more likely to be moderate-risk with compulsion problematic social media users than moderate-risk with pleasure problematic social media users, and stress would make college students more likely to be high-risk problematic social media users than low-risk problematic social media users.

Fear of missing out and problematic smartphone use among Chinese college students: The roles of positive and negative metacognitions about smartphone use and optimism

BACKGROUND

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has become a common phenomenon among college students. Fear of missing out (FoMO) is an important factor affecting PSU, but how FoMO affects PSU is not clear. Therefore, the mediating effect of positive and negative metacognitions about smartphone use (PMSU and NMSU) and the moderating effect of optimism are explored.

METHODS

514 Chinese college students aged 17 to 25 from 6 Chinese universities were investigated with the Trait-State FoMO Scale, the Metacognitions about Smartphone Use Questionnaire, the Temperament Optimism Scale, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale for College Students. The data were analyzed with SPSS software.

RESULTS

FoMO was positively associated with PSU, PMSU and NMSU mediated this association. Optimism moderated the relationship between FoMO and PSU, i.e., FoMO had a less prominent positive effect on PSU for college students with a high level of optimism.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a positive relationship which exists between FoMO and PSU among college students. In addition, PMSU and NMSU play mediating roles in FoMO and PSU, and optimism plays an moderating role in FoMO and PSU. These findings can help not only educators understand the predictors of PSU and develop interventions to effectively prevent PSU among college students but also college students reduce the level of PSU by improving their understanding of PMSU and NMSU and optimism level.

PTSD, FOMO and fake news beliefs: a cross-sectional study of Wenchuan earthquake survivors

BACKGROUND

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers show problematic patterns of Internet use such as fear of missing out (FOMO) and sharing misinformation and fake news. This study aimed to investigate these associations in survivors of the 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, China.

METHODS

A self-reported survey was completed by 356 survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake. A mediated structural equation model was constructed to test a proposed pattern of associations with FOMO as a mediator of the relationship between PTSD symptoms and belief in fake news, as well as moderators of this pathway.

RESULTS

PTSD was directly associated with believing fake news (β = 0.444, p < .001) and with FOMO (β = 0.347, p < .001). FOMO mediated the association between PTSD and fake news belief (β = 0.373, p < .001). Age moderated the direct (β = 0.148, t = 3.097, p = .002) and indirect (β = 0.145, t = 3.122, p = .002) pathways, with effects more pronounced with increasing age. Gender was also a moderator, with the indirect effect present in females but not in males (β = 0.281, t = 6.737, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Those with higher PTSD symptoms are more likely to believe fake news and this is partly explained by FOMO. This effect is present in females and not males and is stronger in older people. Findings extend knowledge of the role of psychological variables in problematic Internet use among those with PTSD.

COVID-19 lockdown stress and problematic social networking sites use among quarantined college students in China: A chain mediation model based on the stressor-strain-outcome framework

The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with a global increase in problematic social networking sites use (PSNSU). By drawing on transactional stress theory and applying the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework, we proposed and verified a chain mediation model to explore the mediating roles of fear of missing out (FoMO) and future anxiety (FA) in the relationship between COVID-19 lockdown stress (CL stress) and PSNSU. Our sample of 670 quarantined college students in China responded to a COVID-19 student stress questionnaire, a social network addiction scale, a fear of missing out scale, and a dark future scale. The results revealed that (1) CL stress significantly positively predicted PSNSU, (2) both FoMO and FA mediated the relationship between CL stress and PSNSU, (3) FoMO significantly positively predicted FA, and (4) a full chain mediation was observed between CL stress and PSNSU.

Childhood neglect and problematic smartphone use among chinese young adults: the mediating roles of peer attachment and fear of missing out

BACKGROUND

Research has revealed that childhood neglect may be a risk factor for problematic smartphone use among young adults in China. However, few studies have examined the mediating roles of peer attachment and the fear of missing out in the relationship between childhood neglect and problematic smartphone use. To fill this gap, the present study proposes a multiple mediation model to understand the relationships among childhood neglect, peer attachment, fear of missing out, and problematic smartphone use among young adults.

METHODS

A total of 869 young adults in China completed questionnaires for evaluating different levels of the relationships between childhood neglect, peer attachment, the fear of missing out, and problematic smartphone use. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and MPLUS8.3.

RESULTS

The results showed that childhood neglect was positively associated with problematic smartphone use among young adults in China. Moreover, peer attachment and the fear of missing out had partial mediating effects as well as sequential mediating effects in the relationship between childhood neglect and problematic smartphone use among young adults.

CONCLUSION

Based on these findings, peer attachment and the fear of missing out, as mediators, could be considered proximal factors affecting problematic smartphone use among young adults. These findings broaden our understanding of the psychological processes that underlie the association between childhood neglect and problematic smartphone use and afford practical guidance on reducing the risks associated with problematic smartphone use.

Why mobile social media-related fear of missing out promotes depressive symptoms? the roles of phubbing and social exclusion

BACKGROUND

With the popularity of mobile socialization, people have become more closely connected with their phones. While people enjoy the convenience that phones bring (e.g., accessing information and socializing), they also feel anxious about missing out on certain information. Previous researches have shown that fear of missing out (FoMO) can trigger depressive symptoms, however, the underlying psychological mechanisms are not yet clear. In addition, limited research has explored this issue in the context of mobile social media.

METHODS

To address this research gap, we surveyed 486 Chinese college students (278 males and 208 females, mean age = 19.95 years, SD = 1.14) and all participants completed a self-report questionnaire including mobile social media-related FoMO scale, phubbing scale, social exclusion scale, and the patient health questionnaire-9. The data were analyzed by SPSS24.0 and the Process macro and developed a mediating and moderating model incorporating phubbing and social exclusion.

RESULTS

The results showed that (1) mobile social media-related FoMO (MSM-related FoMO) can significantly and positively predict depressive symptoms among college students; (2) phubbing partially mediates the relationship between MSM-related FoMO and depressive symptoms; (3) the direct predictive effect of MSM-related FoMO on depressive symptoms is moderated by social exclusion.

CONCLUSION

These findings are not only valuable for understanding the underlying mechanisms linking MSM-related FoMO and depressive symptoms, but also contribute to the development of psychological intervention programs (e.g., interventions based on social exclusion or phubbing) aiming at reducing college students' depressive symptoms.

The Relationship between Stress Perception and Problematic Social Network Use among Chinese College Students: The Mediating Role of the Fear of Missing Out

Based on the interaction of person-affect-cognition-execution model, this study examined the association between stress perception and problematic social network use among Chinese college students and explored the mediating effect of the fear of missing out (FoMO) on the relationship between stress perception and problematic social network use. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 554 students from nine universities in China. We found that stress perception was significantly positively correlated with problematic social network use and FoMO (r = 0.38, 0.46; p < 0.001), and FoMO was significantly positively correlated with problematic social network use (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). FoMO mediated the relationship between stress perception and problematic social network use. Conclusion: Stress perception has a negative impact on college students' problematic social network use via the mediating effect of FoMO. Practical implications that reveal the college students' problematic social network use were discussed as well.

Associations of active and passive smartphone use with measures of youth mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Smartphone use provides a significant amount of screen-time for youth, and there have been growing concerns regarding its impact on their mental health. While time spent in a passive manner on the device is frequently considered deleterious, more active engagement with the phone might be protective for mental health. Recent developments in mobile sensing technology provide a unique opportunity to examine behaviour in a naturalistic manner. The present study sought to investigate, in a sample of 451 individuals (mean age 20.97 years old, 83% female), whether the amount of time spent on the device, an indicator of passive smartphone use, would be associated with worse mental health in youth and whether an active form of smartphone use, namely frequent checking of the device, would be associated with better outcomes. The findings highlight that overall time spent on the smartphone was associated with more pronounced internalizing and externalizing symptoms in youth, while the number of unlocks was associated with fewer internalizing symptoms. For externalizing symptoms, there was also a significant interaction between the two types of smartphone use observed. Using objective measures, our results suggest interventions targeting passive smartphone use may contribute to improving the mental health of youth.

Gender-based differences in interaction effects between childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use on college students' depression and anxiety symptoms

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use are risk factors for depression and anxiety symptoms among college students. However, how the interaction between the two factors affects depression and anxiety has yet to be validated. This study aimed to investigate the independent and interaction effects of childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use on depression and anxiety among college students and explored gender-based differences in these associations.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2019. We collected data from 7623 students at two colleges in Hefei and Anqing cities in Anhui Province, China. Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to explore the associations of childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use with depression and anxiety symptoms and their interaction effects on depression and anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use were significantly associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001). Moreover, following adjustments for covariates, there was a multiplicative interaction between childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use on depression and anxiety symptoms (P < 0.001). Gender-based differences were also observed in the associations. For instance, depression was more common in males and male students with childhood maltreatment were at higher risk of depression-only symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Focusing on childhood maltreatment and problematic mobile phone use could facilitate a reduction in the occurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms in college students. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop gender-targeted intervention strategies.

Losing control without your smartphone: Anxiety affects the dynamic choice process of impulsive decision-making and purchase

Different interacting contexts influence the decision-making process, as revealed by the computational modeling. Through four studies, we investigated how smartphone addiction and anxiety influenced impulsive behaviors, along with the underlying psychological mechanisms and dynamic decision-making processes. In the first and second studies, we found no significant correlation between smartphone addiction and impulsive behavior. However, in the third study, we found that smartphone separation increased impulsive decision-making and purchases, and state anxiety, but not trait anxiety, mediated this effect. We explored the dynamic decision-making process using a multi-attribute drift diffusion model (DDM). The results showed that anxiety triggered by smartphone separation changed the trade-offs between decision weights for the fundamental components of the dynamic choice process. In the fourth study, we investigated why smartphone addiction led to increased anxiety and found that extended-self was a mediating factor. Our findings show that smartphone addiction was not correlated with impulsive behaviors, but was correlated with state anxiety in the context of smartphone separation. Further, this study shows how emotional states triggered by different interacting contexts affect the dynamic decision-making process and consumer behaviors.

The association between problematic smartphone use and symptoms of anxiety and depression-a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Recent research links problematic smartphone use (PSU) and mental health problems. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between PSU and symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.

METHODS

We searched for research literature published recently in PubMed and Google Scholar via a systematic literature search. Twenty-seven studies published since 2014 with 120 895 participants were included in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

PSU was moderately but robustly associated with both anxiety, r = 0.29 (95% CI: 0.23-0.35), and depression, r = 0.28 (95% CI: 0.22-0.34), P < 0.001 for both. Homogeneity tests showed significant P-values for anxiety and depression, but without affecting the results. Neither the age of the participants, publication year nor the study quality could explain the heterogeneity. Furthermore, we found no evidence for publication bias, since Egger's regression test showed no significance for depression (P = 0.21) and anxiety (P = 0.35).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that PSU can be viewed as an indicator of symptoms of anxiety and depression and a possible manifestation of these mental health problems in modern society. Furthermore, PSU as a maladaptive coping behavior may contribute by worsening these symptoms. PSU screening should thus become part of standard clinical psychological diagnostic procedures.

Offline and online basic need satisfaction and smartphone use behaviors: A mediation model

Based on the self-determination theory, this study compared the offline and online need satisfaction during the COVID-19 period and investigated how the fulfilment experienced in the different settings affected an individual's smartphone use outcomes. 546 Chinese undergraduate students participated in the study and were measured with their levels of offline and online basic need satisfaction, smartphone use patterns, and problematic smartphone use. The results showed that offline basic need satisfaction negatively predicted problematic smartphone use via the information seeking pattern, whereas online basic need satisfaction positively predicted problematic smartphone use via the use patterns of transaction and entertainment. Our study expands the research scope of the pertinent topic and pinpoints the mechanism between the basic need satisfaction and problematic smartphone use.

Trait Mindfulness and Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Early Adolescent: The Multiple Mediating Roles of Negative Affectivity and Fear of Missing Out

This study used a cross-sectional study design to investigate whether the mindfulness trait was a protective factor against problematic smartphone use (PSPU) of early adolescents, and whether negative affectivity and fear of missing out (FoMO) mediated this relationship. The study selected a sample of middle school students (N = 517, 46.03% males, Mage = 13.81, SD = 1.40) in China. The results of the structural equation modelling indicated that (a) mindfulness significantly and negatively predicted PSPU, (b) FoMO played a mediating role between mindfulness and PSPU, (c) negative affectivity (including depression and anxiety) played a mediating role between mindfulness and PSPU, but loneliness did not, and (d) negative affectivity and FoMO played a chain-mediated role, and depression, anxiety, and loneliness played a chain-mediated role with FoMO between mindfulness and PSPU. We discuss the possibility that high levels of mindfulness in early adolescents may reduce the short-term effects of problematic smartphone use by reducing negative emotions and FoMO and relate our results to an emphasis on the role of enhanced mindfulness in long-term internal self-regulation and well-being. Findings have implications for individuals and schools for PSPU prevention and intervention.

A longitudinal study on college students' depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: The trajectories, antecedents, and outcomes

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is not only an immediate hazard but also a long-term risk to the development of depressive symptoms. However, it remains unclear how people's depressive symptoms change with the process of COVID-19. Further, there is also a paucity of research on the underlying antecedents and outcomes of depressive symptoms during this global health crisis. In this study, a longitudinal study was conducted in China and the data of 559 participants were collected from the outbreak period to the normalization period of the pandemic through self-report questionnaires. Depressive symptoms were longitudinally analyzed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Core variables involving society, family, individual cognition, and behaviors were studied as determinants or consequences. Latent growth curve model analyses indicated that college students had mild depressive symptoms at the initial stage of COVID-19 with a subsequent decreasing linear slope. Depressive symptoms were significantly predicted by college students' risk perception of COVID-19, social support, family functioning, and smartphone addiction tendency. Further, their depressive symptoms predicted the changes in smartphone addiction tendency and levels of hope. In conclusion, current findings can provide implications for future prevention and intervention of mental disorders to assist college students through such challenging times.

Is Nomophobia Problematic or Functional? A Perspective from Bifactor Structure

With the extensive use of mobile phones globally, some people engage in excessive or problematic phone use behaviors. However, little is known regarding the latent structure of problematic mobile phone use. The current study employed the Chinese versions of the Nomophobia Questionnaire, Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale, and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21 to explore the latent psychological structure of problematic mobile phone use and nomophobia and their associations with mental health symptoms. Results showed that a bifactor latent model best fit nomophobia, which contained a general factor and four unique factors involving the fear of being unable to access information, losing convenience, losing contact, and losing one's Internet connection. Results also showed significant correlations among latent factors of nomophobia, problematic mobile phone use, and mental health symptoms. Through these findings, we can conclude that two problematic mobile phone use behaviors share a common factor concerning excessive use, and nomophobia has independent unique factors concerning usable function. This study clarifies the structure of problematic mobile phone use, and it implies that we can distinguish problematic mobile phone use from functional use; further investigation of problematic mobile phone use is warranted.

A comprehensive review on emerging trends in the dynamic evolution of digital addiction and depression

Introduction

Using digital addiction as an umbrella term to cover any type of addictions to digital technologies such as the internet, smartphones, social media, or video games, the current study aimed to reveal the intellectual structure and evolution of research addressing digital addiction-depression relationship.

Methods

The study combined bibliometric and science mapping analysis methods for this purpose. Data for the study was gathered from Web of Science Core Collection after a comprehensive process of data search/extraction, and 241 articles were included in the final data set. A period-based, comparative science mapping analysis was performed using the SciMAT software.

Results

The analysis of data over three periods, Period 1 (1983-2016), Period 2 (2017-2019), and Period 3 (2020-2022) showed that internet addiction was the most significant theme across all three periods, which was followed by social media addiction. Depression, which emerged as a significant theme during Period 1, was later covered under anxiety disorder theme. Research interest was mostly on factors related to both addiction and depression such as cognitive distortion, insomnia, loneliness, self-esteem, social support, alexithymia, as well as cybervictimization or academic performance.

Discussion

The results suggested that much research is warranted on the digital addiction-depression relationship in different age cohorts, especially children and elderly. Similarly, the current analysis showed that this line of research particularly focused on internet, gaming and social media addiction, and evidence with regard to other types of digital addiction or related compulsive behaviors was almost absent. In addition, research was mostly inclined to understanding cause-effect relationships, which is significant, but preventive strategies seemed to be barely addressed. Likewise, the smartphone addiction-depression relationship arguably garnered less research interest, so future research would contribute to the field in this respect.

Unravelling the Relation Between Fear of Missing Out, Time Spent on the Phone, Sex, Alienation, and Nomophobia

The prevalence of nomophobia is growing among adolescents. This study aimed to disentangle the relationship between nomophobia, the fear of missing out, time spent on the phone, sex, and social alienation. Participants, who were 595 students (313 females and 282 males) attending high school during the 2019-2020 academic year, filled out personal information forms and a series of scales involving nomophobia, the fear of missing out, and social alienation. Then, data were analyzed through a moderated mediation analysis. The results showed that the bivariate correlation was significant but not the direct effect of gender on nomophobia; still, other direct effects were significant. The partial indirect effect of the fear of missing out on nomophobia was only significant for females when social alienation was controlled for. In the model where nomophobia was the outcome model, the power values for the time spent on the phone and its interaction with sex were low but high for other factors. Furthermore, the effect size was small for the model where the mediator was the outcome and high for the model that had nomophobia as the outcome. Thus, it is crucial to consider that the motives underlying the fear of missing out and nomophobia differ between the sexes in planning interventions.

Resilience and problematic smartphone use: a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is adversely correlated with resilience. To completely comprehend the mechanism underlying this relationship, however, more investigation is required.

METHODS

For this cross-sectional study, the method of stratified random cluster sampling was applied. 834 Chinese undergraduate students (aged 17 to 24) were recruited, and self-reported questionnaires were administered to measure their levels of resilience, perceived social support, the sense of school belonging, and habitual and problematic smartphone use.

RESULTS

The findings showed that resilience both directly and indirectly predicted PSU through perceived social support and the sense of school belonging. Additionally, there were significant moderating effects of habitual smartphone use between resilience and perceived social support, the sense of school belonging, and PSU.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research identified the negative influence of resilience on PSU, and specifically, highlighted the mediation effects of perceived social support and the sense of school belonging. Of significance, we also found the moderation effect of habitual smartphone use in the development of PSU.

The relationship between anxiety and depression with smartphone addiction among college students: The mediating effect of executive dysfunction

Smartphone addiction symptom is increasing globally. Many studies have found that negative emotion is associated with smartphone addiction, but few explore the mediating effect of executive dysfunction. In a large-scale, cross-sectional survey, 421 Chinese college students completed measures on anxiety, depression, smartphone addiction, and executive dysfunction. We surveyed the prevalence of depression, impaired executive function, and smartphone addiction. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the questionnaire structure, and the mediation models were used to examine the relationship between anxiety, depression, impaired executive function, and smartphone addiction. The main finding indicated that anxiety, depression, and executive dysfunction were positively and significantly associated with smartphone addiction. Executive dysfunction plays a mediation role between anxiety and depression with smartphone addiction. Specifically, executive dysfunction completely mediates the pathway of anxiety and smartphone addiction and partly mediates the path of depression and smartphone addiction. Depression directly predicted smartphone addiction positively but anxiety did not. The sample consisted of Chinese college students, which limits generalizability and self-reported lack of objectivity. The result suggests that we should pay more attention to the mediating role of executive dysfunction between negative emotion and smartphone addiction.

Underscoring the F in FoMO: How does anxiety sensitivity contribute to fear of missing out?

Fear of missing out (FoMO) is a prevalent phenomenon associated with a range of mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. To our knowledge, the question of whether FoMO can be explained by other well-known mechanistic variables-namely, loneliness, rumination, and anxiety sensitivity (AS) - has not been previously evaluated. The current study investigated the predictive power of loneliness, rumination, and AS for explaining variance in FoMO within two independent samples of undergraduate students at a large Northeastern university. Participants completed an online battery of questionnaires. In Study 1, it was found that loneliness and rumination offered significant prediction of FoMO when AS was not considered in the model; however, when these three predictors were considered together, only AS offered significant, non-redundant prediction. Study 2 revealed that both rumination and AS offered significant prediction of FoMO, with AS offering stronger unique prediction. Such findings provide a new frame for understanding the nature of the relatively new concept of FoMO, and in particular, suggest that it may be important to consider AS and rumination in future studies.

Boredom Proneness on Chinese College Students' Phubbing during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Mediating Effects of Self-Control and Bedtime Procrastination

Objective

To analyze the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing among Chinese college students and examine how self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate this relationship during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods

A total of 707 Chinese college students were voluntarily surveyed. They completed the Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP), Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS), Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), and Self-Control Scale (SCS).

Results

(1) The results revealed that men scored higher on boredom than women. (2) The analysis revealed significant associations between each of the variables. Boredom proneness was positively correlated with bedtime procrastination (r = 0.318; P < 0.001) and phubbing (r = 0.418; P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with self-control (r = -0.518; P < 0.001). (3) Mediation analysis suggested that self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing (effect of self-control = 0.094, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.062∼0.128]; effect of bedtime procrastination = 0.025, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.011∼0.042]; and effect of self-control and bedtime procrastination = 0.032, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.020∼0.046]).

Conclusion

Self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate the association between boredom proneness and phubbing among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Heterogeneity of smartphone impact on everyday life and its relationship with personality and psychopathology: A latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

The relationships between problematic smartphone use and psychological factors have been extensively investigated. However, previous studies generally used variable-centered approaches, which hinder an examination of the heterogeneity of smartphone impact on everyday life.

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, we capitalized on latent profile analysis to identify various classes of smartphone owners based on the impact associated with smartphone use (e.g., unregulated usage, preference for smartphone-mediated social relationships) and to compare these classes in terms of established psychological risk factors for problematic smartphone use.

METHOD

We surveyed 934 young adults with validated psychometric questionnaires to assess the impact of smartphones, psychopathological symptoms, self-esteem and impulsivity traits.

RESULTS

Smartphone users fall into four latent profiles: users with low smartphone impact, users with average smartphone impact, problematic smartphone users, and users favoring online interactions. Individuals distributed in the problematic smartphone user profile were characterized by heightened psychopathological symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive tendencies) and impulsivity traits. Moreover, users who preferred online interactions exhibited the highest symptoms of social anxiety and the lowest levels of self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings further demonstrate the multidimensionality and heterogeneity of the impact of smartphone use, calling for tailored prevention and intervention strategies.

Problematic smartphone and social media use among undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic: In the case of southern Ethiopia universities

BACKGROUND

Smartphone and social media use are supposed to be integral parts of university students' daily lives. More specifically, smartphones and social media are frequently used for communication in daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, uninterrupted and persistent use of these technologies may lead to several psychological problems. Even though smartphones and social media were used more frequently during the pandemic, there is no evidence suggesting that the studies were not undertaken in low-income countries, including Ethiopia. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess problematic smartphone use and social media use among undergraduate university students in southern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 1,232 university students using a simple random sampling technique. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale were used to collect data on social media and smartphone use, respectively. The Beck Depression Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Assessment Tool, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index were standardized tools used to measure other independent variables. To identify factors, simple and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. A p-value of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 95%. The mean scores for problematic smartphone and problematic social media use were 17 ± 3.3/36 and 12.7 ± 2.2/30, respectively. A linear regression model revealed that being female, first-year students and poor sleep quality were significantly associated with problematic smartphone use. Factors associated with problematic social media use (PSMU) were depression, substance use, and urban residence.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified significant problems with smartphone and social media use among university students. Therefore, it is preferable to provide psychological counselling, educate students about safe, beneficial, and healthy internet use, and focus on recognized high-risk groups in order to give them special attention. It is also preferable to seek counselling about substance use. It is preferable to regularly screen and treat individuals with psychological problems in collaboration with stakeholders.

Problematic smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses among university students and associated predictive factors: a systematic review

University students are a high-risk population with problematic online behaviours that include generalized problematic Internet/smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses (for example, social media or gaming). The study of their predictive factors is needed in order to develop preventative strategies. This systematic review aims to understand the current state of play by examining the terminology, assessment instruments, prevalence, and predictive factors associated with problematic smartphone use and specific problematic Internet uses in university students. A literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines using four major databases. A total of 117 studies were included, divided into four groups according to the domain of problem behaviour: problematic smartphone use (n = 67), problematic social media use (n = 39), Internet gaming disorder (n = 9), and problematic online pornography use (n = 2). Variability was found in terminology, assessment tools, and prevalence rates in the four groups. Ten predictors of problematic smartphone use, five predictors of problematic social media use, and one predictor of problematic online gaming were identified. Negative affectivity is found to be a common predictor for all three groups, while social media use, psychological well-being, and Fear of Missing Out are common to problematic smartphone and social media use. Our findings reaffirm the need to reach consistent diagnostic criteria in cyber addictions and allow us to make progress in the investigation of their predictive factors, thus allowing formulation of preventive strategies.

The Impact of Undergraduates' Social Isolation on Smartphone Addiction: The Roles of Academic Anxiety and Social Media Use

The COVID-19 pandemic has an adverse effect on the physical health of societies and individuals. One important concern is the effect of social isolation on the mental health of undergraduates, such as academic anxiety, smartphone addiction and other social psychological problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations among undergraduates' social isolation in this special context, social media use for obtaining information about the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., communicative and non-communicative), academic anxiety, and smartphone addiction. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June in 2022 and a total of 388 undergraduates were included. The results showed significant positive associations between social isolation and smartphone addiction and academic anxiety. Furthermore, academic anxiety played a mediating role in the effect of social isolation on smartphone addiction, which was moderated by non-communicative social media use. Some theoretical and practical implications as well as research limitations are discussed.

Wellbeing and Problematic Smartphone Use: Serial Mediation of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion

The relationship between wellbeing and Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU) has been explored in the past, however, the role of the potential mediators of this association is a relatively neglected area of research. Therefore, the current study examined mindfulness and self-compassion as mediators of the relationship between wellbeing and PSU in 220 university students. WHO-5 Wellbeing Index, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale- State, Self-Compassion Scale- Short form and Smartphone Addiction Scale- Short version were used for assessing wellbeing, mindfulness, self-compassion, and PSU respectively. Wellbeing had a direct and indirect effect on PSU. In addition, results supported a serial mediation model where wellbeing was found to influence PSU via mindfulness and self-compassion in a sequential manner. The results expanded the Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) to understand PSU and have implications for the management of PSU.

We can't afford the candy! The influence of parenting by lying about money on mobile phone addiction and the roles of anxiety and socioeconomic status among Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

Extant research has indicated that parenting practice, such as harsh parenting, rejection, and neglect increases the risk of mobile phone addiction. However, no research to date has examined the association between parenting by lying about money and adolescent mobile phone addiction.

OBJECTIVE

The current study used a survey to test whether parenting by lying about money may be associated with adolescent mobile phone addiction. The mediation of anxiety and moderation of socioeconomic status were also examined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We recruited 971 adolescents from five secondary schools in a city in central China. Of the participants, 448 (46.14%) were boys and 523 (53.86%) were girls (M age = 13.63, SD age = 1.01).

RESULTS

The results of mediation analysis indicated that parenting by lying about money positively predicted mobile phone addiction (B = 0.144, p < 0.01); parenting by lying about money positively predicted anxiety (B = 0.126, p < 0.01) and mobile phone addiction (B = 0.107, p < 0.01). Anxiety positively predicted mobile phone addiction (B = 0.293, p < 0.01). Moreover, the bias-corrected bootstrapping mediation test indicated that the process by which parenting by lying about money predicted mobile phone addiction through anxiety was significant (indirect effect = 0.037, SE = 0.011, 95% CI = [0.017, 0.059]).

CONCLUSION

The current study suggests that parenting by lying about money may lead to mobile phone addiction through the mediation of anxiety. However, the effect was stronger for adolescents with higher level of socioeconomic status than their counterparts.

The interconnections among the intensity of social network use, anxiety, smartphone addiction and the parent-child relationship of adolescents: A moderated mediation effect

To explore the mediation role of smartphone addiction on the relationship between parent-child relationships and the intensity of use of social network sites (SNSs), as well as the moderation effect of anxiety, this research conducted self-report questionnaires of the Social networking site (SNS) Usage Questionnaire, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Smartphone Addiction Scale and Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment with 719 adolescents. The results showed that (1) the parent-child relationship negatively predicts SNS usage and (2) smartphone addiction plays a mediating role in the link between the parent-child relationship and SNS usage. (3) The relationship between the parent-child relationship and SNS usage is moderated by anxiety (on the first mediation path), and low levels of anxiety can mitigate the negative impact of the parent-child relationship on smartphone addiction, thus also mitigating the negative effects of the parent-child relationship on SNS usage. Our conclusion highlighted the vital role of the parent-child relationship and anxiety on the influence of smartphone addiction and the intensity of use of SNSs among adolescents. Our research also provides clinical implications: (1) teachers in high school can adopt family group counseling or emotion regulation workshop to help adolescents to prevent addiction to smartphones and social network sites; (2) we can reduce addictive behaviors by designing a series of intervention sessions to improve parent-child relationships and reduce anxiety for adolescents who have been addicted to smartphone and social network sites.

Effect of smartphone use before bedtime on smartphone addiction behaviors among Chinese college students

Smartphone addiction behaviors are becoming more and more common with the rapid popularity and widespread use of smartphones. Such behaviors are significantly influenced by the overuse of smartphones before bedtime. In this study, the overuse of smartphones after 9:00 pm before bedtime was investigated by an online questionnaire. The sample consists of 1,035 college students in China. The artificial neural networks were applied to predict the use time of smartphones before bedtime based on their different usages, and the relationship between smartphone usage and additive behaviors was analyzed. The results show that the neural network model can more accurately predict the usage time of smartphones according to the usage of smartphones before going to bed. At the same time, it is also found that the prediction accuracy of the samples that use the smartphone for less than half an hour and more than 3 h before bed is higher than that of other samples. Moreover, watching short videos and playing games are more likely to lead to mobile phone addiction behavior. These findings would help guide college students to correctly use phones and reduce smartphone addition, which is of great significance for mental health education.

The relationship between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: Testing mediation and moderation effects

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, suspensions of activities and long periods of self-isolation led to a sharp increase in excessive use of mobile phones, which sparked public concern about mobile phone addiction (MPA). In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to physical exercise as a protective effect of MPA. However, more studies are needed to reveal this relationship and the exact mechanisms, based on which this study tested the mediating and moderating roles of self-control, rumination, psychological distress, and loneliness between physical exercise and MPA.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, primary data was collected by questionnaire from 1,843 college students (19.75 ± 1.3) from five universities in Sichuan Province in Mainland China. Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), Self-Control Scale (SCS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-20) were investigated. The mediating models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 3.3 software, in which the mediation variables were self-control, rumination, and psychological distress, and the moderation was loneliness. Gender, major, and grade were included as control variables.

Result

Self-control, rumination, and psychological distress played a simple mediating role between physical exercise and MPA. Moreover, not only self-control and rumination but also self-control and psychological distress played the chain mediating roles between physical exercise and MPA. The chain pathways were moderated by loneliness. Specifically, the effect was more substantial among college students with higher loneliness.

Conclusion

The conclusions corroborate and clarify that self-control, rumination, and psychological distress mediated the association between physical exercise and MPA, and the mediation effects were moderated via loneliness. This present study advanced our understanding of how and when college students’ physical exercise was related to MPA. It also illustrates that educators and parents should pay more attention to college students’ physical exercise.

Effect of social media overload on college students’ academic performance under the COVID-19 quarantine

Features and relevant services of online social media have been attracting users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have shown that college students tend to use social media more frequently than other groups. However, in being affected by social media overload, the social media use behaviors of many college students have been out of their control in terms of their capabilities or cognition. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome (SSO) model and the theory of compensatory internet use (TCIU), we developed a research model to study the causes of social media overload and its impact on college students’ academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 441 valid responses from college students through questionnaires in China are collected via purposive sampling and used in the data analysis. This study conducts PLS-SEM to analyze collected data, finding that boredom proneness is associated with overload (stress), which has a bearing on social media overload (strain) and the reduction in final performance (outcome). Through illustrating the psychological and behavioral conditions that hinder the academic performance of students, this study provides deeper insights into students’ uncontrollable use of social media. Moreover, with respect to the identified antecedents, this study aims to find solutions to mitigate the impact of social media overload resulting from boredom proneness on the academic performance of college students.

Parental Support and Problematic Smartphone Use: A Serial Mediating Model of Self-Esteem and Fear of Missing Out

Based on problem behavior theory and interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-esteem and fear of missing out (FoMO) on the influence of parental support on adolescents’ problematic smartphone use. This study is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. A total of 260 Korean adolescents from two public middle schools were selected through convenience sampling (female, 50.4%; mean age, 13.16 ± 0.84; range age, 12~15). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographic characteristics, parental support, self-esteem, FoMO, and problematic smartphone use. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and mediation analysis. The findings show that self-esteem and FoMO play a serial mediating role in the relationship between parental support and adolescents’ problematic smartphone use. Specifically, parental support had a negative effect on adolescents’ problematic smartphone use by increasing self-esteem but decreasing FoMO. These results provide further guidance in the prevention of and intervention of adolescent problematic smartphone use.

Stress, academic burnout, smartphone use types and problematic smartphone use: The moderation effects of resilience

Few studies have investigated stress in association with social and process smartphone use and how these types of use influence problematic smartphone use during the COVID-19 pandemic; furthermore, the moderation effects of resilience have been rarely tested in this model. For these, a cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 766 Chinese undergraduate students (74.4% female; M = 20.1 years, SD = 1.15) who were measured with their levels of stress, academic burnout, smartphone use types (social/process smartphone use), resilience, and problematic smartphone use. Based on the I-PACE theory, we built a structural equation model, and the results indicated that compared with social smartphone use, process smartphone use more related to problematic smartphone use; academic burnout fully mediated between stress and process smartphone use, and between stress and problematic smartphone use. Moreover, resilience moderated between stress and academic burnout, between academic burnout and process smartphone use, and between academic burnout and problematic smartphone use. We discuss the process smartphone use as a key indicator of problematic smartphone use and the role of academic burnout for linking stress and smartphone use behaviors. In addition, interventions for enhancing resilience should be launched in the future.

Adolescent Screen Time Associated with Risk Factor of Fear of Missing Out During Pandemic COVID-19

The use of digital technology for educational and recreational purposes among adolescents has drastically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the prolonged isolation and excessive screen time of the social media platforms might lead to mental health issues, particularly the fear of missing out (FOMO). Thus, this study is aimed at exploring the adolescent's screen time and its contribution to FOMO. This study employed a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews with 30 selected adolescents. The data were collected during the third peak of the pandemic period in Malaysia, between the 11th of April 2021 and the 1st of July 2021. The results revealed that there were four issues related to the FOMO: loneliness, life satisfaction, self-disclosures, and social comparison. In short, self-regulation and awareness on the effects of long screen time need to be instilled among the adolescents during the pandemic. Also, it is pivotal to address the psychological needs, such as healthy social interactions in ensuring the adolescents are not inclined toward FOMO.

Multidimensional Profiles of Addictive Smartphone Use: A Latent Profile Analysis

Given that crucial psychological attributes of smartphone addiction have been studied in isolation from each other, we examined latent profiles of emotional distress (depression, stress, loneliness, and fear of missing out; i.e., FoMO); protective traits (self-control, mindfulness, grit); the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and approach system (BAS; drive, reward responsiveness, and fun seeking) in relation to addictive smartphone use. We identified three distinctive profiles, using five fit statistics: AIC, BIC, adjusted BIC, an entropy, and LRT. The self-controlled, gritty, and mindful profile (22.7%) was characterized by heightened levels of self-control, grit, and mindfulness but lower levels of emotional distress, BIS, and BAS. The emotionally distressed profile (29.8%) was distinguished by elevated levels of depression, stress, loneliness, FoMO, and BIS, but relatively lower protective traits and BAS. Lastly, the approach sensitive profile (47.5%) corresponded to the normative group characterized by relatively higher BAS but mostly average levels of emotional distress and protective traits. When both global and pairwise comparisons between profiles were performed using Wald tests, we found that the self-controlled, gritty, and mindful profile was associated with significantly lower smartphone addiction tendencies than emotionally distressed or approach sensitive profiles, while the latter two did not differ from each other. These results still held when multiple covariates (age, sex, and income) were controlled for. Using a sophisticated person-centered approach, our findings underscore multidimensional psychological profiles that have different associations with smartphone addiction.