Absence of Objective Differences between Self-Identified Addicted and Healthy Smartphone Users?

Kristoffer Geyer, Xavier Carbonell, Marta Beranuy and Fran Calvo
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Kristoffer Geyer: Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
Xavier Carbonell: FPCEE Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
Marta Beranuy: Health Science Department, Universidad Pública de Navarra, 31006 Pamplona, Spain
Fran Calvo: Departament de Pedagogia, Institut de Recerca Sobre Qualitat de Vida, Universitat de Girona, 17004 Girona, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: Smartphones are used by billions of people worldwide. However, some psychologists have argued that use of this technology is addictive, even though little research utilises objective smartphone usage records to verify this claim. We conducted an exploratory study to identify whether behavioural differences exist between those who self-identify as addicted smartphone users and those who do not. We gathered retrospective smartphone usage data from 131 Android users and asked them about their past use to compare their perception of their usage against their actual usage. We could not identify any reliable differences between the smartphone activity of those self-identified as addicted smartphone users and other users. Furthermore, smartphone scales are generally good at identifying who believes themselves to be addicted, although they do not reflect objective smartphone use. This study questions the use of self-report measures to diagnosis behavioural addictions without relevant psychopathological constructs and emphasises the need for more rigorous study to conceptualise smartphone addiction.

Keywords: technological addiction; behavioural addiction; smartphone addiction; university students; CERM; self-report measures (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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