Determinants of smartphone addiction among university students in Jordan

BACKGROUND: Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives where they provide portability and fast access to online information. With the development of technology and the need to use smartphones for various reasons, smartphone addiction has been reported. In addition, university students have to use smartphones for studying, attending lectures, and searching for information, thus, increasing their risk of addiction. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of smartphone addiction among university students. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. After receiving ethical approval, students were recruited from two governmental and two private universities, chosen at random from Amman, using Google Forms. The Arabic versions of the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder- 7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were utilized in this study. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 306 university students, 183 were female students with a mean age of approximately 24 years old. The total score of smartphone addiction on the SAS scale was high (M = 105.86). Students reported a mild level of anxiety (M = 7.35) and depression (M = 8.59). The mean score of RSES was 15.86, indicating a low level of self-esteem among university students. Regression analysis revealed that younger age (p =.013), being female (p =.003), reporting higher levels of depression (p <.001), and lower levels of self-esteem (p =.043) predicted higher levels of smartphone addiction. CONCLUSIONS: Recognizing the determinants contributing to smartphone addiction among university students can help universities identify students who are at higher risk of developing smartphone addiction, so support can be provided to them. Encouraging those students to enroll in various physical activities may decrease their risk of smartphone addiction. Moreover, public awareness about the risk factors of smartphone addiction might help to raise awareness among students. Nevertheless, it is important to point out that the findings of the study are limited due to the use of cross-sectional design.