Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2017 Jun 1;6(2):168-177.

doi: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.020. Epub 2017 Apr 20.

Daria J Kuss 1, Lucia Romo 3, Yannick Morvan 3, Laurence Kern 4, Pierluigi Graziani 5 6, Amélie Rousseau 7, Hans-Jürgen Rumpf 8, Anja Bischof 8, Ann-Kathrin Gässler 8, Adriano Schimmenti 9, Alessia Passanisi 9, Niko Männikkö 10, Maria Kääriänen 11, Zsolt Demetrovics 12, Orsolya Király 12, Mariano Chóliz 13, Juan José Zacarés 14, Emilia Serra 14, Mark D Griffiths 1, Halley M Pontes 1, Bernadeta Lelonek-Kuleta 15, Joanna Chwaszcz 16, Daniele Zullino 17 18, Lucien Rochat 19, Sophia Achab 17 18, Joël Billieux 2 20

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Self-reported dependence on mobile phones in young adults: A European cross-cultural empirical survey

Olatz Lopez-Fernandez et al. J Behav Addict. 2017.

Abstract

Background and aims Despite many positive benefits, mobile phone use can be associated with harmful and detrimental behaviors. The aim of this study was twofold: to examine (a) cross-cultural patterns of perceived dependence on mobile phones in ten European countries, first, grouped in four different regions (North: Finland and UK; South: Spain and Italy; East: Hungary and Poland; West: France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland), and second by country, and (b) how socio-demographics, geographic differences, mobile phone usage patterns, and associated activities predicted this perceived dependence. Methods A sample of 2,775 young adults (aged 18-29 years) were recruited in different European Universities who participated in an online survey. Measures included socio-demographic variables, patterns of mobile phone use, and the dependence subscale of a short version of the Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (PMPUQ; Billieux, Van der Linden, & Rochat, 2008). Results The young adults from the Northern and Southern regions reported the heaviest use of mobile phones, whereas perceived dependence was less prevalent in the Eastern region. However, the proportion of highly dependent mobile phone users was more elevated in Belgium, UK, and France. Regression analysis identified several risk factors for increased scores on the PMPUQ dependence subscale, namely using mobile phones daily, being female, engaging in social networking, playing video games, shopping and viewing TV shows through the Internet, chatting and messaging, and using mobile phones for downloading-related activities. Discussion and conclusions Self-reported dependence on mobile phone use is influenced by frequency and specific application usage.

Keywords: behavioral addictions; cross-cultural research; mobile phone dependence; problematic mobile phone use; young adults.

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