Comparing the Self-Report and Measured Smartphone Usage of College Students: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Smartphone overuse presents a significant social and medical challenge.
• Current diagnostic and treatment methods rely on self-reported data, which often lacks accuracy.
• Discrepancies between self-reported and actual smartphone usage patterns are common.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the similarities and variances between measured and self-reported smartphone usage patterns.
• To identify cognitive biases present in self-reported data concerning smartphone addiction.
• To evaluate the reliability of self-assessment in diagnosing and treating excessive smartphone use.

Main Methods:

• Collected self-reported data and real usage log data from 35 college students.
• Utilized an Android smartphone monitoring application developed by the authors.
• Analyzed usage patterns, including time spent and application preferences.

Main Results:

• Users significantly underestimate their usage time by 40%, with actual usage being 15% higher.
• Messengers were the most-used applications, irrespective of self-reporting.
• A notable preference for social networking service (SNS) applications was observed in the smartphone addiction group.
• Actual hourly usage patterns aligned with reported patterns, showing increased use in the afternoon.

Conclusions:

• Significant cognitive biases affect self-reported smartphone usage patterns, particularly in cases of addiction.
• Clinicians should incorporate objective measurement tools for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of smartphone overuse.
• Objective data collection is crucial for understanding the true extent of smartphone addiction.