Problematic Smartphone Use, Separation from the Phone, and Stress and Anxiety

Although smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of everyday life, their use – especially excessive or compulsive use – is thought to be associated with detrimental effects, such as increased stress and anxiety. Whilst some research has been devoted to exploring these effects, the purpose of this dissertation was to: a) quantify the strength of this relationship within the existing cross-sectional literature, and b) extend the experimental literature. Across a series of three studies – including a meta-analytic review and two experiments – the possible associations between the severity of problematic smartphone use, separation from the phone, and stress and anxiety were explored. Study One was a meta-analytic review of 39 independent samples (N = 21 736), which examined the cross-sectional relationships between smartphone use, stress, and/or anxiety. The summary effect size of r = .22, p < .001, CI [.17–.28], indicated a small‐to medium association between smartphone use and stress and anxiety. Studies that assessed the severity of problematic phone use (use that is compulsive, excessive, or addictive) had stronger effect sizes than those that assessed non-problematic use. 

To follow-up these results, two experiments, which were based on a study by Cheever, Rosen, Carrier, and Chavez (2014) were conducted, to examine one possible source of smartphone-induced stress and anxiety – temporary separation from the phone. Smartphone separation has been hypothesized to result in “Fear of Missing Out” (FoMO) and (phone) separation anxiety, especially among those high in problematic phone use. In Study Two, participants (N = 181) were randomly assigned to three conditions: (1) Smartphone Separation, (2) Wallet Separation, and (3) No Separation, and had their levels of self-reported anxiety and stress, as well as their heart rate and skin conductance response measured. The results did not support the notion that smartphone separation results in detrimental effects on participants’ physiological or self-reported stress and anxiety, or that individuals with the highest levels of problematic phone use experience more detrimental effects from smartphone separation than those with lower levels. 

Study Three explored the possibility that previous studies that found significant effects of smartphone separation on anxiety may have been confounded by participant boredom during the separation period. This study involved manipulating participants’ levels of boredom across three conditions – two of which involved smartphone restriction – and examined their effects on self-reported stress and anxiety. Participants (N = 224) were randomly assigned to sit for an hour either: (1) without their phones and in complete silence, (2) without their phones while watching a documentary, or (3) using their phones. Participants’ boredom levels better explained participants’ anxiety in Study Three than did smartphone restriction. 

Taken as a whole, the results of this dissertation suggest that, while there is a significant association between smartphone use – especially higher levels of problematic use – and stress and anxiety, temporary periods of separation from the phone are not likely in themselves to be part of the explanation of this association. The implications of these findings for both previous and future research are discussed.