The study found that:
- Users with smartphones have a significant negative correlation between subjective well-being and usage problems.
- Users who often use mobile phones to relax, avoid problems, and spend time with subjective well-being are relatively high then users who mainly use mobile phones to communicate with others.
Introduction
While smartphones have many benefits, including social networking, security, mission effectiveness, and entertainment, many report that smartphone use has become so excessive that it hurts everyday life. For example, in a 2017 survey, 54% of adults missed other things because they were addicted to smartphones; 34% of adults reported that their smartphones took up a lot of sleeping time, even due to insomnia; and 65% of adults spent more time on smartphones than expected. This raises the question of whether using a smartphone will affect people's well-being and, if so, what aspects of happiness will be affected. Traditional concerns about subjective positive emotions, low negative emotions, and life satisfaction provide a dominant basis for exploring these relationships, while the humanistic concept mentioned in the construction of psychological well-being provides an additional, more comprehensive perspective. In particular, the deterioration of aspects of mental health, such as autonomy, personal growth, social relationships, and life goals, maybe a more direct consequence of the excessive and forced use of smartphones.
In past studies, the measurement of subjective well-being has simply been based on a single indicator of satisfaction with life or equated mental health with subjective well-being in the measurement of mental health. In other studies, such as the "Psychological Prosperity" measurement method, which uses eight measurement projects, the metrics of the six components of mental health are disrupted. Thus, the study aims to provide the first comprehensive description of subjective well-being and mental health for both regular smartphone users and problem smartphone users. To achieve this goal, a large sample survey of Australian adults was conducted.
Research methods
Sample taken from the University of Australia's Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Data collection time is from mid-2017 to the end of the year. The final sample included 539 participants (79 percent women; average age 25.1 years; standard deviation 7.8 years; age group: 18-65 years).
To test the research questions, the binary correlation between happiness and smartphone use was first examined. A regression analysis was then performed to replace the average smartphone user and related data to predict the variable happiness. The regression model also uses age and sex as control variables.
As a result
All the variables of happiness are related to the general feeling of well-being. If negative emotions are reversed, all scales of happiness show a positive correlation. From a demographic point of view, older people are better off in all areas of mental health, while lower levels are common and problematic users of smartphones. Although gender differences are small, women show higher levels of well-being in some areas (e.g., personal growth, life goals) and gender differences between regular and problem smartphone users are slightly higher. In general, smartphone use is negatively correlated with happiness.
Discussion
There are several major discoveries in this study.
- Firstly, there is a problem with the use of smartphones, and the happiness indexes show a moderate to strong negative correlation.
- Second, the use of a mobile phone for recreation, escape, time and entertainment and happiness were negatively correlated, and the habit of using the phone for communication, contact with others, either with happiness or with a slightly positive correlation.
- Third, in subjective well-being, negative emotions and positive emotions, as well as problematic use of the smartphone are the most relevant, and satisfaction with life and problematic use of the smartphone are relatively irrelevant.
- Fourth, for mental health, although all scales of mental health are connected with problem use of smartphones, it is negatively connected, but degree of autonomy and ecological skill of negative correlation is maximal though in aspect of personal growth, vital purposes and consciousness there is a considerable correlation, in social relations correlation is weak.
Also, the use of a smartphone and subjective well-being, the relationship between the subjective happiness of each dimension of difference. With its index of happiness, everything is different, satisfaction with life and the use of a smartphone are relatively irrelevant. And positive emotions and problems with the use of a smartphone were negatively related to the trend, negative emotions and problematic use of the smartphone were positively related. The theory and research shows that negative emotions are the most problematic use of a smartphone as the most powerful prognostic factor. Such a worldview can lead to problems when using a smartphone and even cause intrusive, obsessive behavior when using a smartphone.
Conclusions
This study promotes a comprehensive understanding of subjective well-being through a smartphone. Also, this study will further deepen the U.S. study of smartphone usage, the personal characteristics of understanding. When a person with a negative view of things, he or she may encounter problems when using a smartphone, the risks increase.