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Finding the “Sweet Spot” of Smartphone Use: Reduction or Abstinence to Increase Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyle?! An Experimental Intervention Study

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Julia Brailovskaia at Ruhr University Bochum
Julia Brailovskaia
Jasmin Delveaux
Jasmin Delveaux
Jasmin Delveaux
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Julia John
Julia John
Julia John
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Vanessa Manou Wicker at Ruhr University Bochum
Vanessa Manou Wicker
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Abstract

The present experimental study compared the impact of a total abstinence from smartphone use and of a reduction of daily smartphone use by 1 hr on well-being and healthy lifestyle. Participants (Ntotal = 619) were smartphone users in Germany. The first experimental group (N = 200) waived smartphone use for 7 days, the second experimental group (N = 226) reduced its daily use by 1 hr, and the control group (N = 193) used smartphone as usual. Variables of smartphone use (time, intensity, problematic tendencies), life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, physical activity, and smoking behavior were assessed via online surveys at four measurement time points (baseline; postintervention; 1 and 4 months after postintervention). Both interventions reduced smartphone use intensity, problematic use tendencies, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. In both groups, life satisfaction and physical activity increased. Most effects were stronger and remained more stable over 4 months in the reduction group than in the abstinence group. Moreover, in the reduction group only, the number of daily smoked cigarettes decreased. Thus, less time spent on the smartphone leads to more well-being and a healthier lifestyle; a complete smartphone abstinence is not necessary. Programs that focus on the increase of well-being and a healthier lifestyle could benefit from the integration of controlled reduction of smartphone use. A potential "sweet spot" of smartphone use is discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Finding the “Sweet Spot”of Smartphone Use: Reduction or Abstinence to
Increase Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyle?! An Experimental
Intervention Study
Julia Brailovskaia, Jasmin Delveaux, Julia John, Vanessa Wicker, Alina Noveski, Seokyoung Kim,
Holger Schillack, and Jürgen Margraf
Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
The present experimental study compared the impact of a total abstinence from smartphone use and of a
reduction of daily smartphone use by 1 hr on well-being and healthy lifestyle. Participants (N
total
=619) were
smartphone users in Germany. The first experimental group (N=200) waived smartphone use for 7 days, the
second experimental group (N=226) reduced its daily use by 1 hr, and the control group (N=193) used
smartphone as usual. Variables of smartphone use (time, intensity, problematic tendencies), life satisfaction,
depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, physical activity, and smoking behavior were assessed via online
surveys at four measurement time points (baseline; postintervention; 1 and 4 months after postintervention).
Both interventions reduced smartphone use intensity, problematic use tendencies, depressive, and anxiety
symptoms. In both groups, life satisfaction and physical activity increased. Most effects were stronger and
remained more stable over 4 months in the reduction group than in the abstinence group. Moreover, in the
reduction group only, the number of daily smoked cigarettes decreased. Thus, less time spent on the
smartphone leads to more well-being and a healthier lifestyle; a complete smartphone abstinence is not
necessary. Programs that focus on the increase of well-being and a healthier lifestyle could benefitfromthe
integration of controlledreduction of smartphoneuse. A potential “sweet spot”of smartphone use is discussed.
Public Significance Statement
The present study suggests that conscious and controlled changes of daily time spent on smartphone use
can contribute to subjective well-being (less depressive and anxiety symptoms, less problematic use
tendencies, more life satisfaction) and to a healthier lifestyle (more physical activity, less smoking
behavior) in the longer term. Already, a reduction of daily smartphone use by 1 hr can result in this
positive effect, a complete abstinence is not necessary.
Keywords: abstinence from smartphone use, reduction of smartphone use, subjective well-being, physical
activity, smoking behavior
Supplemental materials: https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000430.supp
In the past decade, the smartphone has become people’s“best
friend.”Today, more than 3.5 billion people own a smartphone
and use it on average more than 3 hr daily (Kroker, 2020;Spajic,
2020). Through the mobile Internet access and the numerous
online and offline applications, smartphone use makes our daily
lives easier from work to leisure. In addition to permanent
availability, it allows people to stay up-to-date about news,
to access emails and social media accounts, to play games, to
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
This article was published Online First April 7, 2022.
Julia Brailovskaia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7607-1305
Jasmin Delveaux https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8572-0506
Alina Noveski https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7098-4242
Seokyoung Kim https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1110-1109
Holger Schillack https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5022-6970
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in
the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors have no
conflicts of interest to disclose.
All data, program code, and other methods developed by others are
appropriately cited in the text and listed in the References section.
Data are available on reasonable request from the corresponding
author.
The analytic code that was used in the present study is available as
Supplemental Materials.
Materials used in the present study are available on reasonable request
from the corresponding author.
The study design and hypotheses were not preregistered. The analytic plan
was not preregistered.
Julia Brailovskaia and Jasmin Delveaux conducted the study design. Julia
Brailovskaia wrote the first draft of the article and conducted the statistical
analysis. Julia Brailovskaia and Holger Schillack conducted literature
searches. Julia Brailovskaia, Jasmin Delveaux, Julia John, Vanessa Wicker,
Alina Noveski, and Seokyoung Kim conducted data collection and data
preparation. Holger Schillack and Jürgen Margraf reviewed and edited the
first draft. All authors contributed to and have approved the final article.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Julia
Brailovskaia, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Department
of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9–13, 44787
Bochum, Germany. Email: Julia.Brailovskaia@rub.de
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied
© 2022 American Psychological Association 2023, Vol. 29, No. 1, 149–161
ISSN: 1076-898X https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000430
149
... The most comprehensive general smartphone restriction study to date involved a 7-day intervention, in which German participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions that directed them to (1) abstain from smartphone use, (2) reduce smartphone by an hour per day, or (3) use their smartphones as usual [33]. The results showed that, relative to control, both reducing and abstaining from smartphone use improved participants' life satisfaction, depression, and anxiety. ...
... The experimental research so far has found that limiting digital media use on smartphones in targeted ways (e.g., at dinner, batching notifications) often bolsters well-being, but limiting it sometimes backfires (e.g., when trying to find an unfamiliar location). Although one important previous study restricted general digital media (i.e., smartphone) use in daily life for about a week [33], additional smartphone restriction experiments may serve several useful functions, including replicating existing effects, providing more data for future meta-analyses, collecting objective (rather than self-reported) indicators of smartphone use, and testing additional outcomes (e.g., positive emotions, social connectedness). Such experiments may help further disentangle correlation from causation, and better elucidate the strength and direction of effects between digital media and well-being. ...
Does putting down your smartphone make you happier? the effects of restricting digital media on well-being
Article
Full-text available
Both scientists and laypeople have become increasingly concerned about smartphones, especially their associated digital media (e.g., email, news, gaming, and dating apps) and social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat). Recent correlational research links substantial declines in Gen Z well-being to digital and social media use, yet other work suggests the effects are small and unnoteworthy. To help further disentangle correlation from causation, we conducted a preregistered 8-day experimental deprivation study with Gen Z individuals (N = 338). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) restrict digital media (i.e., smartphone) use, (2) restrict social media use, (3) restrict water use (active control), or (4) restrict nothing (measurement-only control). Relative to controls, participants restricting digital media reported a variety of benefits, including higher life satisfaction, mindfulness, autonomy, competence, and self-esteem, and reduced loneliness and stress. In contrast, those assigned to restrict social media reported relatively few benefits (increased mindfulness) and even some potential costs (increased negative emotion).
View
... The present study investigated the impact of digital detoxification on the well-being of digital social media users. We 44,57,58 This includes promoting a healthier lifestyle, improving satisfaction and self-esteem, reducing stress, and decreasing problematic social media use. Since the effect on PWB is slightly higher than the effect on SWB, it has been clearly shown that such digital detoxification means may be more helpful for PWB as compared to SWB. ...
... Allcott et al. (2020),42 illustrating that deactivating Facebook positively influenced participants' SWB and overall happiness.Brailovskaia et al. (2020Brailovskaia et al. ( , 2022a 43,44 reported an increase in life satisfaction associated with reduced daily Facebook use, a trend sustained over follow-up periods.Brown & Kuss (2020) 28 demonstrated significant enhancements in mental well-being and overall well-being, respectively, following periods of social media abstinence.Fioravanti et al. (2020), Pedersen et al. (2022), and Thai et al. (2021) 25,27,47 provided insights into positive effects on life satisfaction, positive affect, and body esteem, respectively. The studies by Tromholt (2016), Wolf (2016), and Zhou et al. (2021) 29,48,49 further emphasized positive impacts on wellbeing, including life satisfaction, positive emotions, and improved mental well-being. ...
Improving Well-Being Through Digital Detoxification Among Social Media Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Article
  • Sep 2024
Digital detoxification is a conscious disconnection from all smartphone activities for a certain period of time, which has been undertaken as effective by researchers to improve well-being, but studies found inconsistent results, with a primary focus on negative well-being, thus necessitating a need to focus on the positive aspect. As a result, the current study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess digital detoxification and its influence on users subjective and psychological well-being (PWB). A comprehensive search (up to November 19, 2023) across databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Pro-Quest, and Google Search yielded a total of 26 eligible studies (18 for meta-analysis) comprising 8,147 participants (Mage = 25.20 years). The Studies’ quality was assessed using Cochrane’s updated Risk of Bias Tool, and statistical analysis was performed in R Studio. Digital detoxification was found to be effective in improving subjective well-being (SWB) (Standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.34; p < 0.01, I2 = 73.6%, n = 14 papers), as well as PWB (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.46; p < 0.05; I2 = 0.0%, n = 4 papers). Notably, we detected no publication bias but addressed funnel plot asymmetry using Trim & Fill. Moderation analysis revealed the impact of internet coverage, developmental status, location, intervention effectiveness, and risk of bias on the estimated effect size for SWB. Meta-regression highlighted the significant influence of mean age, and although no potential outliers were identified, influential plots are provided for transparency. Our findings consolidate the efficacy of digital detoxification, emphasizing the need for nuanced consideration of study factors. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on digital well-being, offering valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
View
... The present study investigated the impact of digital detoxification on the well-being of digital social media users. We 44,57,58 This includes promoting a healthier lifestyle, improving satisfaction and self-esteem, reducing stress, and decreasing problematic social media use. Since the effect on PWB is slightly higher than the effect on SWB, it has been clearly shown that such digital detoxification means may be more helpful for PWB as compared to SWB. ...
... Allcott et al. (2020),42 illustrating that deactivating Facebook positively influenced participants' SWB and overall happiness.Brailovskaia et al. (2020Brailovskaia et al. ( , 2022a 43,44 reported an increase in life satisfaction associated with reduced daily Facebook use, a trend sustained over follow-up periods.Brown & Kuss (2020) 28 demonstrated significant enhancements in mental well-being and overall well-being, respectively, following periods of social media abstinence.Fioravanti et al. (2020), Pedersen et al. (2022), and Thai et al. (2021) 25,27,47 provided insights into positive effects on life satisfaction, positive affect, and body esteem, respectively. The studies by Tromholt (2016), Wolf (2016), and Zhou et al. (2021) 29,48,49 further emphasized positive impacts on wellbeing, including life satisfaction, positive emotions, and improved mental well-being. ...
Improving Well-Being Through Digital Detoxification Among Social Media Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Article
  • Oct 2024
Digital detoxification is a conscious disconnection from all smartphone activities for a certain period of time, which has been undertaken as effective by researchers to improve well-being, but studies found inconsistent results, with a primary focus on negative well-being, thus necessitating a need to focus on the positive aspect. As a result, the current study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess digital detoxification and its influence on users subjective and psychological well-being (PWB). A comprehensive search (up to November 19, 2023) across databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Pro-Quest, and Google Search yielded a total of 26 eligible studies (18 for meta-analysis) comprising 8,147 participants (Mage = 25.20 years). The Studies’ quality was assessed using Cochrane’s updated Risk of Bias Tool, and statistical analysis was performed in R Studio. Digital detoxification was found to be effective in improving subjective well-being (SWB) (Standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.34; p < 0.01, I2 = 73.6%, n = 14 papers), as well as PWB (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.46; p < 0.05; I2 = 0.0%, n = 4 papers). Notably, we detected no publication bias but addressed funnel plot asymmetry using Trim & Fill. Moderation analysis revealed the impact of internet coverage, developmental status, location, intervention effectiveness, and risk of bias on the estimated effect size for SWB. Meta-regression highlighted the significant influence of mean age, and although no potential outliers were identified, influential plots are provided for transparency. Our findings consolidate the efficacy of digital detoxification, emphasizing the need for nuanced consideration of study factors. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on digital well-being, offering valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
View
... The short version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS; original version: Andreassen et al., 2017; German language version: Brailovskaia et al., 2020) includes six items to assess addictive social media use. Following Brailovskaia et al. (2023), the term "social media" was replaced by "smartphone" (e.g., "I spend a lot of time thinking about smartphones or planning how to use it") in the current study. Items were rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = very rarely, 5 = very often). ...
Problematic smartphone use, depression symptoms, and fear of missing out: Can reasons for smartphone use mediate the relationship? A longitudinal approach
Article
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
In the present longitudinal study, we investigated whether reasons for smartphone use, such as “search for positive emotions” and “escape from negative emotions,” can mediate the relationship between depression symptoms, fear of missing out (FOMO), and problematic smartphone use (PSU). In total, 309 smartphone users from Germany (Mage = 28.88, SDage = 12.53) completed the longitudinal study's online survey at two measurement time points (baseline, T1; 10-month follow-up, T2). “Escape from negative emotions” at T1 partly mediated the positive association between depression symptoms at T1 and PSU at T2. “Search for positive emotions” at T1 partly mediated the relationship between FOMO at T1 and PSU at T2. The present results showed that the relationship between psychopathological phenomena (depression symptoms, FOMO) and PSU could depend on reasons for smartphone use (“search for positive emotions,” “escape from negative emotions”). This stresses the importance of motives underlying smartphone use. The knowledge gained supports the understanding of mechanisms that could contribute to the development of PSU.
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... the restriction period being too brief to properly challenge students' use of phones; limited 'fear of missing out' effects given that peers were also without phones, and/or; the ban during school hours simply increased anticipation and reward salience associated with phones rather than lowering overall 'dose' and 'interference' related to phone use. These results add to the limited data on restriction and abstinence effects associated with digital technology habits (Brailovskaia et al., 2023;Evans, King, & Delfabbro, 2018;Pawlowski, Nielsen, & Schmidt, 2021). ...
“Phones off while school's on”: Evaluating problematic phone use and the social, wellbeing, and academic effects of banning phones in schools
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
Background and aims Mobile phone bans in secondary schools are claimed to reduce student distraction and promote learning and face-to-face socializing. Currently, the evidence on phone bans is limited. The aim of this preregistered study was to evaluate the South Australian mobile phone ban's effects on students' problematic phone use, academic engagement, school belonging, and bullying. The study also sought to identify student variables that predict phone ban compliance. Methods As the ban was phased in over 2023, a 2 (phone ban: yes/no) × 2 (time: baseline, 1-month follow-up) repeated-measures design was employed. Students ( n = 1,282 at baseline; n = 1,256 at follow-up) in Grades 7 to 12 were recruited from five public secondary schools. Surveys included measures drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Results Problematic phone use was reported by 2.6% of the sample. Being older and a more frequent user of social media predicted lower phone ban compliance. Linear mixed models indicated that ban and no ban school groups did not differ significantly in terms of problematic phone use, academic engagement, and school belonging. There was slightly higher bullying in the ban group but bullying decreased significantly in both groups. Discussion Imposing access restrictions may not affect the underlying psychological mechanisms that drive problematic phone use. Although these results indicate limited to no short-term benefits of the ban, further evaluation with more sensitive methodologies is recommended. Conclusions Student-technology interactions in learning institutions should be continually monitored to determine the optimal balance to support student etiquette, learning, and wellbeing.
View
... The idea for the "Let's put down our smartphones" challenge in Brest came from this observation. This prevention and awareness raising campaign is based on a German study conducted in 2022 [11]. The findings of this study showed that abstaining from using a smartphone or reducing its use by one hour per day for one week led to a healthier lifestyle and increased PA. ...
Does reducing smartphone use impact physical activity?
Article
Full-text available
Introduction A sedentary lifestyle and low levels of physical activity among the population are major public health challenges due to numerous associated health risks. These behaviors are influenced by a number of environmental and cultural factors, such as screen addiction. Objective To study the impact of reducing smartphone use by one hour per day for one week on physical activity. Method We conducted a descriptive epidemiological study that included 490 individuals. Participants were recruited by means of a media campaign called “Let’s put down our smartphones challenge”, which was conducted in Brest, France. The questionnaires were widely publicized, and candidates from all over France were able to participate. Data reflecting physical activity were collected before and after the challenge, one week apart, through an online questionnaire. Results Among the 490 participants, 126 (25.7%) succeeded in the challenge and reduced the time spent on their smartphones by more than 60 minutes. Among those 126 participants, 112 individuals (89%) increased their physical activity. On average, participants who succeeded in the challenge reduced their smartphone use by 110.57 minutes (±53.66) (p< 0.001) and increased their number of steps by 841 (±14710) (p = 0.02). The proportion of patient reaching an increase of both 500 and 100 daily steps was statistically significant in the group reaching a reduction of smartphone use of 60 minutes versus the remainder (p = 0.016 and 0.018, respectively), but not for a cut off at 1000. Conclusion A reduction in the time spent using smartphones results in an increase in the average number of daily steps. Limiting the leisure time spent on screens is a potential strategy for addressing physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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... Recent research has noted that abstinence from technology use has risen in recent years (Brailovskaia et al., 2022;Brown & Kuss, 2020;Hall et al., 2021;Tromholt, 2016) and begun focusing on explaining its antecedents. These studies have highlighted the role that gender and race (Stieger & Lewetz, 2018;York & Turcotte, 2015), external factors (e.g., limited social media access), and internal motivation (e.g., when one prioritizes not wasting time) play in whether individuals initiate abstinence from social media (Rosen et al., 2013). ...
View
Insights from the evaluation of a persuasive intervention for absent-minded smartphone use
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Full-text available
  • Oct 2024
  • BEHAV INFORM TECHNOL
Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a growing concern that hurts users' daily lives and activities. Previous studies have emphasized the importance of developing mindfulness and self-efficacy concerning smartphone use rather than solely focusing on reducing usage. However, there has been little research developing and evaluating digital interventions specifically targeting absent-minded smartphone use. There is also little knowledge on how best mindfulness practice using digital technologies can be integrated with persuasive designs which have been widely studied and implemented for behavior change. In this paper, we developed a live wallpaper application for Android lock and home screens as a mindfulness-based intervention for absent-minded smartphone use. The application was evaluated over two weeks with 121 participants. This was followed by a semi-structured interview with 15 participants. The results of our analysis show that the intervention reduced absent-minded smartphone use overall. While participants found the various features (especially the customization features) of the intervention to be persuasive, we found no correlation between perceived persuasiveness and behavior change. This work provides valuable insights for advancing human-computer interaction (HCI) research on PSU. Additionally, the results raise important questions for future research, such as the relationship between perceived persuasiveness and behavior change. Finally, we contribute to the discussion on the applications of mindfulness in persuasive technology, challenges and future research areas.
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The battle against screen time: a systematic review of hedonic information systems use reduction
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  • Oct 2024
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Digital Detox and Well-Being
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  • Pediatrics
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COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions and Online Media Consumption in Germany
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Health anxiety related to problematic smartphone use and gaming disorder severity during COVID‐19: Fear of missing out as a mediator
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The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis affecting several nations, with over 720,000 cases and 33,000 confirmed deaths reported to date. Such widespread outbreaks are associated with adverse mental health consequences. Keeping this in mind, existing literature on the COVID-19 outbreak pertinent to mental health was retrieved via a literature search of the PubMed database. Published articles were classified according to their overall themes and summarized. Preliminary evidence suggests that symptoms of anxiety and depression (16–28%) and self-reported stress (8%) are common psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, and may be associated with disturbed sleep. A number of individual and structural variables moderate this risk. In planning services for such populations, both the needs of the concerned people and the necessary preventive guidelines must be taken into account. The available literature has emerged from only a few of the affected countries, and may not reflect the experience of persons living in other parts of the world. In conclusion, subsyndromal mental health problems are a common response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need for more representative research from other affected countries, particularly in vulnerable populations.
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Tell me why are you using social media (SM)! Relationship between reasons for use of SM, SM flow, daily stress, depression, anxiety, and addictive SM use – An exploratory investigation of young adults in Germany
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  • COMPUT HUM BEHAV
Social media (SM) such as Facebook and Instagram are daily used by many people. The current study investigated the reasons for social media use (SMU), as well as their relationships with daily stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, experience of flow during the usage process and tendencies of addictive SMU. In a sample of 485 users of different social platforms (age: M(SD) = 24.75(6.24), range: 18–58), five main categories of usage reasons were identified by an inductive qualitative content analysis: “Search for Information and Inspiration”, “Search for Social Interaction”, “Beat of Boredom and Pastimes”, “Escape from Negative Emotions”, and “Search for Positive Emotions”. Flow experiences positively predicted the categories “Escape from Negative Emotions” and “Search for Positive Emotions”. The last one was additionally predicted by less depression symptoms. Only the category “Escape from Negative Emotions” positively predicted tendencies of addictive SMU. Present findings contribute to the understanding of the development of addictive online behavior. They should be considered when assessing individuals at risk for problematic use of SM like Facebook and Instagram and when developing intervention programs to deal with it.
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Factors Associated with Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD Symptomatology During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Implications for U.S. Young Adult Mental Health
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  • Jun 2020
  • PSYCHIAT RES
This study sought to identify factors associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptomatology in U.S. young adults (18-30 years) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional online study assessed 898 participants from April 13, 2020 to May 19, 2020, approximately one month after the U.S. declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19 and prior to the initial lifting of restrictions across 50 U.S. states. Respondents reported high levels of depression (43.3%, PHQ-8 scores ≥ 10), high anxiety scores (45.4%, GAD-7 scores ≥ 10), and high levels of PTSD symptoms (31.8%, PCL-C scores ≥ 45). High levels of loneliness, high levels of COVID-19-specific worries, and low distress tolerance were significantly associated with clinical levels of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Resilience was associated with low levels of depression and anxiety symptoms but not PTSD. Most respondents had high levels of social support; social support from family, but not from partner or peers, was associated with low levels of depression and PTSD. Compared to Whites, Asian Americans were less likely to report high levels across mental health symptoms, and Hispanic/Latinos were less likely to report high levels of anxiety. These factors provide initial guidance regarding clinical management for COVID-19-related mental health problems.
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Decrease of well-being and increase of online media use: Cohort trends in German university freshmen between 2016 and 2019
Article
  • May 2020
  • PSYCHIAT RES
Research from the U.S. described a decrease of subjective well-being and an increase of online media use in young adults today. The present study investigated whether similar trends occur in Germany. Data of overall 1985 university freshmen (four cohorts: 2016: N = 658, 2017: N = 333, 2018: N = 562, 2019: N = 432) were collected by online surveys in the years 2016 to 2019. The comparison of the four cohorts revealed a significant increase of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, as well as of the use of social platforms from 2016 to 2019. In contrast, positive mental health (PMH) significantly decreased over the years. No significant changes of the gaming behavior were found. A slight significant positive relationship occurred between the negative variables of well-being and online media use. The association between PMH and online media use was significantly negative. Thus, cohort trends found in the U.S. can at least rudimentarily be replicated in Germany. Young adults in 2019 seem to have lower levels of well-being and to engage in more use of social platforms than older cohorts.
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Positive Mental Health Mediates the Relationship Between Facebook Addiction Disorder and Suicide-Related Outcomes: A Longitudinal Approach
Article
  • Mar 2020
Suicide-related outcomes increased among young adults in the last decade. Excessive use of social media was hypothesized to contribute to this development. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate whether Facebook Addiction Disorder (FAD) predicts suicide-related outcomes, and whether Positive Mental Health (PMH) buffers this effect. Data of 209 German Facebook users [Mage(SDage) = 23.01 (4.45)] were assessed at two measurement time points over a 1-year period (first measurement = T1 and second measurement = T2) through online surveys. FAD was measured with the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, PMH was assessed with the PMH-Scale, and suicide-related outcomes were measured with the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. The significant positive association between FAD (T1) and suicide-related outcomes (T2) was significantly negatively mediated by PMH (T1). These results demonstrate that addictive Facebook use may enhance the risk of suicide-related outcomes. However, PMH contributes to the reduction of this risk. Therefore, addictive Facebook use and PMH should be taken into account when assessing individuals for suicide of risk.
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Smartphone addiction
Chapter
  • Jan 2020
Almost all adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 own a smartphone and these offer quick access to the internet and social media, which facilitates message transmissions or communication, plus a wide range of amusements such as games, multimedia players, photo albums and electronic books, and essential tools including camera. Owing to the convenience and multiple functions of smartphones, users tend to become overattached and preoccupied with their devices, and excessive or problematic smartphone use is twice as prevalent among teenagers as among adults. Greater consensus among researchers is needed in relation to the development of guidelines relating to the management of problematic smartphone use. Psychosocial treatments remain the dominant approach. A comprehensive management plan should be tailored to the person’s risk factors and needs, taking into account the external support available from parents (family), schools, and may even consider advanced ICT to achieve the best outcomes.
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Less Facebook use – More well-being and a healthier lifestyle? An experimental intervention study
Article
  • Mar 2020
  • COMPUT HUM BEHAV
Use of the social platform Facebook belongs to daily life, but may impair subjective well-being. The present experimental study investigated the potential beneficial impact of reduction of daily Facebook use. Participants were Facebook users from Germany. While the experimental group (N = 140; Mage(SDage) = 24.15 (5.06)) reduced its Facebook use for 20 min daily for two weeks, the control group (N = 146; Mage(SDage) = 25.39 (6.69)) used Facebook as usual. Variables of Facebook use, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, physical activity and smoking behavior were assessed via online surveys at five measurement time points (pre-measurement, day 0 = T1; between-measurement, day 7 = T2; post-measurement, day 15 = T3; follow-up 1, one month after post-measurement = T4; follow-up 2, three months after post-measurement = T5). The intervention reduced active and passive Facebook use, Facebook use intensity, and the level of Facebook Addiction Disorder. Life satisfaction significantly increased, and depressive symptoms significantly decreased. Moreover, frequency of physical activity such as jogging or cycling significantly increased, and number of daily smoked cigarettes decreased. Effects remained stable during follow-up (three months). Thus, less time spent on Facebook leads to more well-being and a healthier lifestyle.
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