Social Anxiety, Risk Perception, and Problematic Use of Mobile Phones and Video Games: A Gender Perspective

Background: Adolescents spend much of their leisure time using technological devices, especially mobile phones and video games, making their use susceptible to becoming problematic. Objectives: This study aims to examine the relationship between social anxiety and risk perception in problematic mobile phone use (PMU) and problematic video game use (PVGU) among adolescents aged 10 to 16, considering potential gender differences. Methods: A total of 757 participants completed the Spanish version of the Cuestionario de uso problemático de nuevas tecnologías (UPNT), the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale for Adolescents (MPPUSA), and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised (SASC-R). Results: Boys reported higher PVGU scores, and significant differences were observed between genders in perceptions of risks associated with both PMU and PVGU. No differences emerged in overall social anxiety or its subfactors. Within each gender, positive associations were observed between PMU, PVGU, and social anxiety. Predictive models explained up to 63% of the variance, identifying different risk and protective factors for boys and girls. Conclusions: Both PMU and PVGU should be analyzed from a gender perspective. Although there are similarities between genders, relevant differences highlight the need for tailored preventive strategies.