Relationship between mobile phone addiction and subjective well-being among Chinese students: A 3-level meta-analysis

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between mobile phone addiction (MPA) and subjective well-being (SWB). However, different studies have produced different conclusions, and the moderating effect on this relationship remains unclear. In this study, a 3-level meta-analysis was used for the first time to elucidate the relationship between MPA and SWB and explore the moderating variables that affect this relationship between the 2 variables.

This study performed a 3-level meta-analysis to evaluate the strength of the relationship between MPA and SWB through a quantitative synthesis of eligible studies published until October 2024.

Through a systematic literature search, 57 studies, 181 effect sizes, and 92,269 participants were obtained. The results revealed significant negative correlations between MPA and 3 SWB components: SWB (r = -0.298, P < .001), life satisfaction (LS) (r = -0.223, P < .001), and positive emotions (PE) (r = -0.115, P < .001), whereas a significant positive correlation was observed with negative emotions (NE) (r = 0.354, P < .001).Tests of the moderating effects indicated that the relationship between MPA and SWB was moderated by region (F(2, 59) = 5.187, P = .008), MPA measurement tool (F(2, 59) = 3.451, P = .038),SWB measurement tool (F(3, 58) = 8.540, P < .001), and NE measurement tool (F(2, 21) = 8.788, P = .002).

The findings showed that MPA in Chinese students was negatively correlated with SWB, LS, and PE, and positively correlated with NE. Moderator analysis also revealed the significance of the region, MPA measurement tool, SWB measurement tool, and NE measurement tool as moderating variables. This study contributes to an in-depth understanding of the relationship between MPA and SWB among Chinese students, which is of practical significance for Chinese students to conduct MPA intervention and improve their SWB.