Cell Phone Use Habits Among the Spanish Population: Contribution of Applications to Problematic Use

Relationship between Problematic Smartphone Use, Sleep Quality and Bedtime Procrastination: A Mediation Analysis

The purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between sleep quality, problematic smartphone use (PSU) and bedtime procrastination, as well as to assess gender and age differences. A total of 313 participants, aged 18-60 (M = 30 ± 10.1; 53.2% males), completed an online survey between February and May 2023 in Spain. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version and Bedtime Procrastination Scale were used to measure sleep quality, PSU and bedtime procrastination, respectively. Additionally, smartphone use habits were evaluated through self-report questions. Pearson correlations, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Bonferroni's post hoc tests and mediation analysis were conducted. Correlation analysis showed positive associations between the three main variables. Independent sample t-tests indicated females were more prone to PSU along with higher overall smartphone use. Post hoc analysis of one-way ANOVA exposed age differences between young adults (18-25 years old), adults (26-44 years old) and middle-aged adults (45-60 years old) in PSU and bedtime procrastination. Finally, mediation analysis revealed that PSU had indirect effects on sleep quality through bedtime procrastination, but no direct effects on sleep quality. Therefore, PSU, and especially bedtime procrastination, should be considered as targets in future campaigns or intervention programs to improve sleep quality among the young Spanish population.

Problematic Smartphone Use and Social Media Fatigue: The Mediating Role of Self-Control

Background

Excessive social media consumption leads to addiction and affects mental health. It is a phenomenon that is difficult to avoid. Previous research on the effects of excessive Internet use shows that people who engage in social media (SM) without restraint experience over-involvement, over-disclosure, technostress, and social media fatigue (SMF). SMF, conceptualized as an emotional and cognitive feeling of being overwhelmed, manifests itself in mindless browsing of content, limiting the amount of time spent on SM, or quitting SM altogether. Self-control, although present in the technology addiction literature and psychology research, has been rarely described in relation to both excessive SM use and SMF. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to verify whether there is a direct relationship between problematic smartphone use and SMF, and whether this association is mediated by self-control.

Methods

The study included 210 respondents (M = 25.85, SD = 9.84) living in different Polish cities. The survey was conducted online, and the respondents consented to participate in the study. They completed the following measures: the Mobile Phone Problematic Use, the Self-Control Scale, the Social Media Fatigue Scale, and a brief questionnaire with socio-demographic data.

Results

Statistical analysis was performed to verify the relationship between problematic mobile phone use, level of self-control, and SMF. The outcomes indicate that there are significant interrelationships between the three studied variables. The association between problematic smartphone use and SMF is mediated by self-control.

Conclusion

A lack of impulse-inhibition skills, such as compulsive checking of notifications, can be a significant factor in SM exhaustion, fatigue, or frustration. SMF can also be understood as a natural defensive response, triggered in situations where individuals are overwhelmed, when the self-control is insufficient to stop the compulsion to use SM, and the use of a smartphone for this purpose is excessively engaging.

Analysis of Daily Visual Habits in a Presbyopic Population

Purpose

To evaluate and report the visual habits and requirements of a sample of presbyopic patients using an advanced sensor.

Methods

Transversal study collecting clinical data from 40 presbyopes candidates for presbyopia-correction intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with mean age of 61.0 years (43-80 years). A complete ophthalmological examination was performed in all patients including visual, refractive, an ocular biometric analysis. Furthermore, patients were instructed about the use of the Vivior Monitor system (Vivior AG, Zürich, Switzerland), which consists of a series of sensors attached to the rim of the patient's glasses that capture information about the visual behavior of the patient. This device was worn for a period of 36 hours or more. The data collected were transferred to a database and analyzed.

Results

Mean percentages of time dedicated to distance, intermediate, and near vision were 27.25 ± 11.93% (5-65%), 30.23 ± 9.36% (12-50%), and 42.53 ± 14.96% (13-78%), respectively. Mean percentages of time performing activities under photopic, mesopic, and scotopic conditions were 37.08 ± 23.20% (5-87%), 33.65 ± 13.84% (6-67%), and 29.28 ± 17.03% (4-65%). The percentage of time with digital screens ranged from 2% to 48%. Age was significantly correlated with the percentage of time dedicated to distance vision (r = 0.317, p=0.047) and to activities performed under photopic conditions (r = -0.344, p=0.030).

Conclusions

Distance and illumination conditions used to perform different daily life visual activities vary significantly among presbyopes, with a trend to the dedication of more time to intermediate and near visual activities performed under photopic and mesopic conditions. Data interpretation should be done with care until a proper validation of the device used.

Correlations between Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Depressiveness and Daytime Sleepiness, as Well as Perceived Social Support in Adolescents

(1) The aim of this study was to estimate the scale of mobile phone addiction among young adults as well as to establish whether the low level of perceived social support is related to problematic smartphone use, and whether an addictive pattern of mobile phone use is related to the prevalence of depressiveness and excessive daytime sleepiness. (2) The study was carried out using the diagnostic poll method via the questionnaire technique. Both the author's own questionnaire and the following standardized research tools were used: the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale for Adolescents (MPPUSA), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). (3) Perceived social support was significantly lower in the group of respondents who problematically used their mobile phones in comparison with the ones who used them in a proper way. Severity of depressive symptoms and daytime sleepiness was significantly higher in respondents addicted to their mobiles compared to nonaddicted ones. (4) Conclusions: An important correlation between phone addiction and the prevalence of depressive symptoms and excessive daytime sleepiness exists. Problematic mobile phone use concerns individuals with low levels of perceived social support.

A Web-Based App for Emotional Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Platform Development and Retrospective Analysis of its Use Throughout Two Waves of the Outbreak in Spain

Background

Quarantines and nationwide lockdowns implemented for containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to distress and increase the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms among the general population. During the nationwide lockdown of the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain, we developed and launched a web-based app to promote emotional self-care in the general population and facilitate contact with health care professionals.

Objective

This study aimed to describe a web-based app and analyze its utilization pattern throughout 2 successive waves of the COVID-19 outbreak in Spain.

Methods

Our web-based app targeted all individuals aged 18 years or more and was designed by adapting the contents of a mobile app for adjuvant treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (ie, the PTSD Coach app) to the general population and the pandemic or lockdown scenario. We retrospectively assessed the utilization pattern of the web-based app using data systematically retrieved from Google Analytics. Data were grouped into 3 time periods, defined using Joinpoint regression analysis of COVID-19 incidence in our area: first wave, between-wave period, and second wave.

Results

The resulting web-based app, named gesioemocional.cat, maintains the navigation structure of the PTSD Coach app, with three main modules: tools for emotional self-care, a self-assessment test, and professional resources for on-demand contact. The self-assessment test combines the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and offers professional contact in the advent of a high level of depression and anxiety; contact is prioritized in accordance with a screening questionnaire administered at the time of obtaining individual consent to be contacted. The tools for emotional self-care can be accessed either on-demand or symptom-driven. The utilization analysis showed a high number of weekly accesses during the first wave. In this period, press releases regarding critical events of the pandemic progression and government decisions on containment measures were followed by a utilization peak, irrespective of the sense (ie, positive or negative) of the information. Positive information pieces (eg, relaxation of containment measures due to a reduction of COVID-19 cases) resulted in a sharp increase in utilization immediately after information release, followed by a successive decline in utilization. The second wave was characterized by a lower and less responsive utilization of the web-based app.

Conclusions

mHealth tools may help the general population cope with stressful conditions associated with the pandemic scenario. Future studies shall investigate the effectiveness of these tools among the general population—including individuals without diagnosed mental illnesses—and strategies to reach as many people as possible.

Insecure Attachment Styles and Unbalanced Family Functioning as Risk Factors of Problematic Smartphone Use in Spanish Young Adults: A Relative Weight Analysis

Young adulthood is the life stage during which people are more prone to develop problematic smartphone use (PSU). Only one study investigated the relationship among attachment styles, family functioning, and PSU, but thus far, no research has shown the relative importance that such dimensions may have on PSU. The main aim of this study was to analyze to what extent insecure attachment styles and unbalanced family functioning are related to PSU, investigating the specific weight of each dimension in a sample of young adults (N = 301; 82.7% females; Mage = 22.89; SD = 3.02). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire, including the Relationship Questionnaire, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale IV, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale. The regression and relative weight analyses results showed that preoccupied attachment style and disengaged, chaotic, and enmeshed family functioning were positively related to PSU. Implications for future research and interventions were discussed.

Differences in Visual Working and Mobile Phone Usage Distance according to the Job Profile

PURPOSE

To analyze and characterize the pattern of visual working distance (WD) and mobile phone usage distance (MPD) in a large population, analyzing the differences in these parameters according to the job profile.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study consisting of a screening campaign evaluating the visual status of professionals from seven different environments. A total of 454 participants with a mean age of 41.5 years (range, 22-64 years) were revised. The screening campaign consisted of several rapid tests performed in a single session in the usual work environment of each participant, including measurement of WD, arm length, and MPD (VisionApp, VisionApp Solutions S.L.).

RESULTS

WD was significantly longer than MPD (82.5 ± 150.6 vs. 31.9 ± 6.3 cm, p < .001), whereas no significant differences were found between arm length (74.3 ± 4.8 cm) and WD (p = .493). WD was below 80 cm in 89.6% (407/454) of participants, whereas MPD was below 40 cm in 89.0% (404/454). No significant correlation was found between WD and MPD (r = 0.126, p = .117). Statistically significant differences were detected among job profile subgroups in WD (p < .001), with military personnel showing significantly longer WD than other professionals (p ≤ 0.018). Significant differences were also found between job profile subgroups in MPD (p = .006), with shorter MPDs for shoe factory professionals compared to sellers (p = .046).

CONCLUSIONS

WD and MPD vary significantly among individuals, but always showing a shorter MPD. WD varies significantly also according to the job profile, being necessary to consider this information when selecting the most optimal optical aid in each case, especially for the compensation of presbyopia.

Profiles of Mobile Phone Problem Use in Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Adolescents

Technology is being used by individuals of all ages; young children show a high tendency of problematic use of devices such as smartphones. This study aimed to identify different profiles that vary in conflicts related to problematic mobile phone use and maladaptive communication and emotional patterns. Therefore, we examined whether there are significant differences in bullying and cyberbullying among teenagers who have a problem utilizing mobile phones. The study participants were 810 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (M = 13.99, SD = 1.32), with 52.2% being girls. Questionnaires on school violence and experiences related to mobile phones were administered. The latent profile analysis identified three different types of problematic mobile phone use: (a) low levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and low levels of communication and emotional use; (b) moderate levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and moderate levels of communication and emotional use; and (c) high levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and high levels of communication and emotional use. The study results highlight significant differences in the manifestations of school violence between the profiles. Finally, this study’s findings form the basis for the development of education programs to prevent mobile phone abuse and school violence and therefore academic adjustment.

A review of recent research in problematic internet use: gender and cultural differences

The present study reviewed current trends in the literature on problematic Internet use. The review included a total of 48 studies published within the last two years and covered by the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Despite frequently investigated in the literature, results of the studies suggest that there is still much to be unveiled regarding problematic Internet use and its relation to gender and cultural differences. In terms of gender, although more studies show that men are further vulnerable to problematic Internet use symptoms, results differ regarding the moderator effect(s) or differences in various cultural settings. Recent studies mostly employed quantitative methods; but, it is also noted that problematic Internet use studies increasingly focus on meta-analysis and literature reviews. Research also tends to investigate large-sample cross-cultural groups, but their results are far from achieving consensus. Studies mostly used cross-sectional approaches with self-report instruments and focused on adolescents and young adults who were students.