The association between smartphone use, stress, and anxiety: A meta‐analytic review
Abstract
Research investigating the various mental, physical, and social effects of smartphone use has proliferated in the previous decade. Two variables of interest in this literature are the levels of anxiety and stress associated with smartphone use. The current meta-analysis aimed to provide the first quantitative review of this literature, as well as determine potential moderators that might influence this relationship. A total of 39 independent samples (N = 21, 736) were used to compute a summary effect size of r = .22, p < .001, CI [.17-.28] indicating a small-to-medium association between smartphone use and stress and anxiety. Significant moderators included the year in which the article was published, as well as whether problematic or nonproblematic phone use was assessed. In addition, studies using validated measures of smartphone use indicated a (nonsignificantly) larger association than studies using nonvalidated measures. Strengths and limitations of the meta-analysis, as well as future directions of research are discussed.
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Previous research has yielded mixed results regarding smartphone/social media use and mental health factors, with overall effect sizes small.
“While numerous studies have reported a negative relationship between digital device/media use and well-being, the overall effect sizes are small.7”
From An Intervention Utilizing the Salience Principle to Reduce Pharmacy Students’ Psychological Attraction to Smartphones (2022) · cites this paper as [8]
Research has shown correlation of problematic smartphone use with anxiety, depression, stress, and decreased well-being.
“research has shown correlation of problematic smartphone use with anxiety, depression, stress, and decreased well-being.7-10”
From An Intervention Utilizing the Salience Principle to Reduce Pharmacy Students’ Psychological Attraction to Smartphones (2022) · cites this paper as [8]
The smartphone has potential to elicit stress.
“Past research has also demonstrated the smartphone ' s potential to elicit stress (e.g., Reinecke et al., 2017; Vahedi & Saiphoo, 2018).”
From Is life brighter when your phone is not? The efficacy of a grayscale smartphone intervention addressing digital well-being (2024) · cites this paper as Vahedi & Saiphoo, 2018
Smartphone use and the salience dimension of online vigilance predict stress.
“it has been previously shown that smartphone use (Reinecke et al., 2017; Vahedi & Saiphoo, 2018) and the salience dimension of online vigilance (Freytag et al., 2021; Gilbert et al., 2023) predict stress.”
From Is life brighter when your phone is not? The efficacy of a grayscale smartphone intervention addressing digital well-being (2024) · cites this paper as Vahedi & Saiphoo, 2018
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- Authors
- Vahedi, Z., & Saiphoo, A.
- Affiliations
- Toronto Metropolitan University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Vahedi, Zahra
- Venue
- Stress and Health
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-04-19
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 347-358
- ISSN
- 1532-2998 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-3005
- OpenAlex
- W2799607522
- Cited by
- 280
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 44 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 9.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Stress and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Technostress in Professional Settings
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Keywords
- smartphone use, stress, anxiety, smartphone addiction
- MeSH terms
- Smartphone, Anxiety, Humans, Stress, Psychological
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