Communications of the ACM
Smartphone Addiction Leads to Personal, Social, Workplace Problems
Excessive smartphone use could indicate depression, social isolation, social anxiety, shyness, impulsivity, and low self-esteem.
Credit: iStockPhoto.com
Excessive smartphone use leads to problems, and females are especially susceptible to addiction, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
"Our smartphones have turned into a tool that provides short, quick, immediate satisfaction, which is very triggering," says Isaac Vaghefi, assistant professor of management information systems at Binghamton University, State University of New York. "Our neurons get fired and dopamine is being released, and over time this makes us acquire a desire for quick feedback and immediate satisfaction. This process also has contributed to developing shorter attention spans and being more and more prone to boredom."
Vaghefi and his colleagues recently surveyed 182 college students and asked them to report their daily routine of smartphone usage. Based on the analysis of the responses, they classified the user as one of the following types: Thoughtful, Regular, Highly Engaged, Fanatic, and Addict. Seven percent identified as "addicts" and 12 percent identified as "fanatics." Both groups experience personal, social, and workplace problems due to a compulsive need to be on their smartphones. Overall, these users exhibited signs that could indicate depression, social isolation, social anxiety, shyness, impulsivity, and low self-esteem. Females were most likely to exhibit susceptibility to addiction.
"Technology addiction" is not an official mental disorder in DSM-V, but the umbrella term refers to addictive behavior related to social media, excessive texting, information overload, online shopping, gambling, video gaming, online pornography, and overall smartphone usage.
The researchers describe their work in "A Typology of User Liability to IT Addiction," published in Information Systems Journal.
"While self-identified 'addict' users were in the minority, I predict technology addiction will increase as technology continues to advance and application, game, and gadget developers find new ways to ensure users' long term engagement with technology," Vaghefi says.
Vaghefi says users who recognize any of these signs may want to consult professional help:
- Use technology as a way of escaping problems or relieving feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression.
- Ignore what's happening in real time in favor of what's happening virtually.
- Constantly check a smartphone, even when it doesn't ring or vibrate.
- Get paranoid when personal smartphone is not available.
The Information Systems Journal article is authored by Isaac Vaghefi of SUNY Binghamton, Liette Lapointe of McGill University, and Camille Boudreau-Pinsonneault of McGill University.
No entries found