Title: Investigating predictors of smartphone dependency symptoms and effects on academic performance, improper phone use and perceived sociability

Authors: Trisha T.C. Lin; Yi-Hsuan Chiang

Addresses: Department of Radio and Television, College of Communication, National Chengchi University, No. 64, Sec. 2, ZhiNan Rd., Wenshan District, Taipei City 11605, Taiwan ' Department of Radio, Television and Film, School of Journalism and Communication, Shih Hsin University, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract: This study investigates the relationships between predictors (i.e., personal traits and mobile activities) of smartphone dependency and its impacts on improper phone use, academic performance and perceived sociability. Using a stratified sampling method, a web survey obtained data from 438 undergraduate smartphone users in Singapore. PLS results show that improper phone use is a critical factor which mediates the effects of smartphone dependency symptoms on grade point average and perceived sociability. Youths who feel higher leisure boredom tend to have more smartphone dependency. Female users are more likely to have smartphone dependency symptoms than males. The results also show that using mobile phones for videos and mobile gaming are better predictors of smartphone dependency symptoms than using it for social media and traditional phone activities. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: gender; GPA; leisure boredom; perceived sociability; sensational seeking; smartphone dependency.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2017.086881

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2017 Vol.15 No.6, pp.655 - 676

Received: 22 Jul 2015
Accepted: 28 Jul 2016
Published online: 02 Oct 2017 *

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