Predicting Smartphone Addiction Based on Narcissism and Impulsivity With the Moderating Role of Gender

The widespread growth of smartphones in recent decades has significantly influenced the social and daily lives of individuals. The proliferation of technological devices along with their unique features has become one of the major challenges for individuals, especially young people. The present study examines the relationship between smartphone addiction, Narcissism, impulsivity with the moderating role of gender in young people in Tehran. A correlation approach using structural equation modeling is used to investigate these relationships. The statistical population was all young people aged 18 to 35 in Tehran, 347 people (M = 24.51, SD = 5.63) were selected using convenience sampling who were provided with the Smartphone Addiction Inventory by Lin et al. (2014), Ames's Narcissistic Personality Inventory (1988), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (2004). Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 software and AMOUS software was used to analyze the moderating role of gender. The results of this study showed that individuals with high levels of narcissism and impulsivity are more likely to develop addiction to smartphones. The results particularly emphasized that gender acts as an important moderating variable in these relationships. The relationship between narcissism, impulsivity, and smartphone addiction is stronger in women and weaker in men. The findings of this research can be useful for organizations, educational institutions, and addiction therapists, especially in the field of virtual addictions, as an effective tool for understanding and preventing smartphone addiction.