Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
07:00
Measuring the Switch Cost of Smartphone Use While Walking
Published on: April 30, 2020
Problematic Smartphone Use Among Working Adults in Singapore: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Yin Zhien Tan1, Rebecca Hui Shan Ong1, Hui Shan Sim2
1Health Services Research, Changi General Hospital, Singapore.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Problematic smartphone use (PSU) affects one-third of working adults, leading to reduced productivity and well-being. Addressing PSU is crucial for workplace digital health initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
- Digital Well-being
Background:
- Smartphones offer benefits but raise concerns about problematic smartphone use (PSU).
- PSU prevalence and its impact on the working population require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between PSU and perceived work productivity.
- To assess the association of PSU with sleep quality and mental well-being in working adults.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of survey data from 303 working adults.
- Utilized Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire.
- Employed descriptive and covariate-adjusted analyses, including indirect associations.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of PSU was 33.0% among working adults.
- PSU linked to younger age, poorer sleep, and increased depressive/anxiety symptoms.
- PSU significantly associated with absenteeism, presenteeism, and activity impairment.
Conclusions:
- PSU is prevalent in the working population, impacting well-being and productivity.
- Findings underscore the need for workplace interventions promoting digital well-being.
Related Concept Videos
01:42Schemas
A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.
02:04Bullying
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is bullying.
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:41Social Traps
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned more cows, the larger...