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Stress and Mood Associations With Smartphone Use in University Students: A 12-Week Longitudinal Study
Abigail H M Bradley1, Andrea L Howard1
1Department of Psychology, Carleton University.
Summary
This study found no link between weekly stress and smartphone use in college students. Heavier overall phone use was associated with slightly worse moods, but this reflects existing well-being, not a direct effect of screen time.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Digital Well-being
Background:
- Smartphone use is pervasive among young adults.
- Understanding the relationship between digital habits and mental health is crucial.
- Previous research has yielded mixed results on screen time's impact on well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate within-person, week-to-week associations between stress and smartphone use in undergraduate students.
- To examine how different app usage patterns relate to stress.
- To determine if accumulated weekly screen time predicts end-of-week mood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized device-logged screen-time data from 187 undergraduate students.
- Collected weekly self-report surveys on stress, mood, and COVID-19 experiences.
- Employed multilevel modeling to analyze within-person and between-person effects.
Main Results:
- No significant week-to-week changes in total smartphone hours or device pickups were observed in relation to stress.
- Higher stress levels did not correlate with increased overall or app-specific smartphone use.
- Weekly smartphone use did not predict end-of-week mood states.
- A between-persons effect indicated that students with generally higher phone usage reported slightly worse moods.
Conclusions:
- Smartphone screen time, in isolation, appears to be a weak indicator of immediate changes in young adults' well-being.
- The association between higher general smartphone use and poorer mood may reflect pre-existing well-being deficits rather than a direct causal link.
- Findings support a nuanced view, suggesting that the *content* and *context* of smartphone use are more critical than mere duration for understanding its impact on mental health.
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