TITLE:- Investigating the relationship between

Smartphone addiction with Social anxiety, Self esteem,

Sleep quality, General health and Gender.

Submitted by Submitted to

Ranapartap singh Dr. Komila parthi

33825 Associate professor

Rishma rana

33827

MA-II

Department of psychology

DAV college sector-10, Chandigarh.

TITLE:- Investigating the relationship between
Smartphone addiction with Social anxiety, Self esteem,
Sleep quality, General health and Gender.

ABSTRACT

The study is conducted to study the impact of smartphone addiction

over self-esteem, social anxiety, general health and sleep quality. The
sample consisted of 70 people (35 males and 35 females) between the
age group of 35-50 year. They were selected randomly. Participants
volunteered to complete the test and each one administered the test
individually. This is found that there is a significant difference between
the two groups. Females are more addicted to mobile than males.
Introduction

The Smartphone
When talking about smartphones today, it is usually in recognition of the likes of
Apple iPhones and Android devices, however strictly speaking the evolution of the
Smartphone began back in 1993 (Sarwar, M., & Soomro, T. R. (2013). The
evolution of the smartphone can be divided into three main stages. For stage one,
the target audience and the features and functions of the Smartphone were
primarily for business and corporation purposes. For stage two, the primary aim
was to introduce features that the general consumer requires and to reduce cost
to increase buyers. For example, when Apple introduced the iPhone specifically
for consumer use, a total of 500,000 were sold (Qureshi, (2012). Stage three
which began in 2008 was mainly to do with improving the device in all ways
possible, including battery life and display quality (Qureshi, (2012). ‘Blackberry is
considered as the revolutionary device of this era, it introduced many features
including Email, Internet, Fax, Web browsing, Camera’ (Sarwar, & Soomro, T. R.
2013). However, it wasn’t long until the industry introduced the Smartphone to
the general consumers market (Qureshi, (2012).

Today, the Smartphone is equipped with many sophisticated features for

consumer use; with this device, users can store photos, videos, memories,
personal information and much more. It also allows the user to take photos and
videos with its high quality camera, provides them with endless amounts of
applications whether built-in or available to download for free or for a small cost
such as online gaming, social-networking sites (SNS), navigation apps, music
players, wireless internet, email, and skype, etc. For example, Android contained
thousands of apps, and ‘by January 22nd, 2011, more than 350K apps are
available on the AppStore with downloads of more than 10 billion’ (Xu, Qiang, et
al, 2011). The Google Play Store formerly known as Android Market, surpassed 1
million apps in July 2013, and was most recently placed at 2.6 million apps in
December 2016 (Statista, 2017). 3-6

Smartphone Growth/Usage
As the penetration of the smartphone in society today increases, there is a highly
significant increase in the usage of the device especially amongst the youth
(Bianchi & Phillips, 2005). Following the introduction of the Apple iPhone in 2006,
and Android devices since the end of 2008, the smartphone market has grown
worldwide at a steady pace (Batyuk et al., 2011). ‘In the U.S, a total of 76.8 million
people were using smartphones in May 2011’ as cited in (Batyuk et al., 2011). As
cited in Sarwar, M., & Soomro, T. R. (2013), a UK telecommunications regulator
Ofcom released statistics from their study of smartphone usage in the United
Kingdom showing that 37% of adults and 60% of teenagers admit that they are
highly addicted to their smartphone, 51% of adults and 65% of teenagers said that
they use their smartphone while socialising with others, and 22% of adults and
34% of teenagers said to have used their smartphone during mealtimes. While
these statistics predict problematic usage to the device, the current study is
concerned with smartphone addiction in Ireland.

In 2015, the eir Connected Living Survey which took place across 1,013 Irish
households nation-wide showed that the proportion of smartphone users had
almost doubled since 2012, the survey also reported that almost one in five
admitted to accessing the internet almost every waking hour of the day, rising to
41% amongst 16 to 24 year olds. (Gordon, 2015). The theory of ‘Generation Z’
(otherwise known as ‘Post-Millennials’ or the ‘Homeland Generation’) is the
‘demographic cohort following the millennials’ which in the 1990’s predicted that
a significant aspect of this specific generation is its wide-spread usage of the
internet from a young age (Strauss, W., & Howe, N. 1991). Members of this
generation are typically thought to be comfortable with technology and
interacting on social media websites for a specific portion of their socializing.
Although there are no specific dates from when this cohort started, it was
predicted that those with starting birth years ranging from the mid 1990’s and
early 2000s and ending in the late 2000s to early 2010 would be at highest 3-7 risk
(Strauss, W., & Howe, N. 1991). Ironically, the Smartphone has become such a
prevalent aspect of its user’s daily life today that it has moved from being a useful
‘technological object’ to a key ‘social object’ (Srivastava, 2005), thus supporting
such predictions.

Today, with a Smartphone it is possible for the user to stay connected with people,
places and any interests that they may have at all times, due to the advanced
features that they contain. However, with all of these advancements in the
Smartphone, it could be said that now it is actually the user disconnecting from
the device that its users are having issues with. The current study aims to explore
such issues, specifically the relationship with the psychological issues.

Positive Impacts of the Smartphone

There has been a dramatic growth in broadband and Internet service providers
over the past few years, which provides huge benefits to society e.g. business and
social purposes. One of the most predominant reasons for this is the expanding
usage of Smartphones and constant growth of Smartphone applications. These
applications are user friendly, inexpensive and downloadable in majority of the
Smartphones. As cited in Islam, R., Islam, R., & Mazumder, T. (2010), according to
application area, the following is a list of 6 categories of mobiles applications:

 Communications: Internet, Email, Social Networking.

 Games: Action/ Adventure, Cards, Casino.
 Multimedia: Graphics/ Image viewer, Video Players, Audio players.
 Productivity: Calendar, Diary, Memo, Calculator.
 Travel: City guides, Maps, Translators.
 Utilities: Task manager, Call manager.
With all of these capabilities, the Smartphone can provide remarkable benefits to
society. It can even make it possible for some physicians to send electronic
prescriptions 3-8 (Goedert, J, 2003), as well as providing online therapies and
applications for nutrition and physical activity behaviour change. (Hebden, Cook,
van der Ploeg, & Allman-Farinelli, 2012). Among other benefits are online
shopping, working from home, free video-calling family or friends from the other
side of the world, and clinical support, (D. Grant & Scinta, 2015).

Negative Impacts of the Smartphone

The growth of the Smartphone has had a major negative impact on the PC market
such as Microsoft and Intel. According to market research in 2011 the Smartphone
outsold PC’s with 73 million more being sold (Sarwar, M., & Soomro, T. R. (2013).
Some of the other well-known negative consequences of mobile and Smartphone
usage include that of dangerous driving (Green, 2001), harmful effects of radiation
emitted from the device itself (Sandstrom et al., 2001), and in young people, the
use of the device in school causing a reduction of concentration during class-time
(Hiscock, 2004; Selwyn, 2003).

A more recent worry of the Smartphone is the risk of using the dating applications
available. In Hong Kong, Choi et al., (2016) investigated the impacts of using these
applications in comparison to using the old fashioned websites as there seemed to
be higher risk in of engaging in unsafe sexual behaviours, their results suggested
that users had greater sexual risks. Smartphone addiction can even cause physical
health risks such as wrist and neck pains, blurred vision (Kwon et al., 2013) along
with headaches, forgetfulness, and a clicking sound in the ears (Balikci, Cem
Ozcan, Turgut-Balik, & Balik, 2005). 3-9

Smartphone Addiction and Psychological Problems

In addition to the effects mentioned previously, there are also numerous
psychological effects associated with smartphone usage. . For many smartphone
users, their phone is the first thing they look at in the morning, and the last thing
they look at before going to sleep (Oulasvirta, Rattenbury, Ma, and Raita, 2012).
With the operation of internet-based applications being one of the main features
of the smartphone, many smartphone users have shown obsessive overuse and
dependency of the devise, as well as other factors that have concerning
associations with mental health symptoms. Thomée, Eklöf, Gustafsson, Nilsson &
Hagberg, (2007) looked at high levels of smartphone usage and found that it
resulted in mental overload, disturbed sleep and the feeling of never being free.

Similarly, Leung (2008) investigated the relationship between Smartphone

addiction and psychological attributes amongst adolescents and found that
participants who scored low on self-esteem reported the most improper use of
the mobile phone. In 2009, a study of 10,191 adolescents in Southern Taiwan
investigated problematic phone use, functional impairment and its link with
depression. Of the total figure, 27% reported using their phone much longer than
intended, 18% tried and failed attempts at reducing their usage, 10% experienced
functional impairment in their relationships and 36% experienced withdrawal
symptoms (Yen et al., 2009). Similarly, Casey (2012) investigated Smartphone
addiction and psychological attributes amongst university students and found a
positive correlation between ‘loneliness and shyness’ and ‘addiction’.
Furthermore, Kim et al (2015) investigated the relationship among Smartphone
addiction tendency, depression, aggression and impulsion amongst college
students in Cheonan and found that there was a statistically significant positive
correlation between Smartphone addiction and depression, and positive
correlations among Smartphone addiction, aggression and compulsion.

Although there is a substantial amount of research on psychological predictors of

Smartphone addiction, there are some conflicting findings. For example, Bianchi &
Phillips, 3-10

(2005) suggested that both anxiety and extra-version can significantly predict
mobile phone addiction while Whiteside & Lynam, (2001) found that anxiety does
not predict mobile phone addiction. These conflicting results show that there is a
need for further research in this area. Similarly, some studies have found that
there is no significant relationship between self-esteem and Smartphone
addiction (Ehrenberg et al., 2008), while other studies suggest otherwise, e.g.
Bianchi & Phillips (2005) found that low levels of self-esteem negatively predicts
problematic mobile phone usage.

Internet Addiction & Smartphone Addiction

Young, (1998), investigated Internet Addiction and reported that some users of
the internet were becoming addicted in similar ways to those who were addicted
to drugs, alcohol or gambling, which created problems in work performance,
academics, friendships, dating relationships, and even marital separation.
Financial problems also arose for users who paid for certain on-line services. For
example, ‘one woman spent nearly $800.00 in one month for on-line service fees’
as cited in (Young, 1998). However further research suggests that the problem has
worsened, and is causing serious psychological problems;

Whang, L., Lee, S., & Chang, G. (2003) performed a behaviour sampling analysis
on Internet Addiction, showing a strong relationship between it and dysfunctional
social behaviours. It also reported that those who classified as ‘addicted’ users
contained the highest degree of loneliness, depressed mood and compulsivity
compared to the others. Yen, Ko, Yen, Wu, & Yang (2007) demonstrated that
adolescents with internet addiction had higher symptoms of Attention Deficit and
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, social phobia and hostility. More
recently, Choi et al., (2014) reported other problems including increased
aggression, stress, loneliness and issues with memory and attention. With the
operation of internet based activity being the primary use of the Smartphone
today, it is likely that the problem is worsening. (Thatcher and Goolam (2005)
suggested that the highest risk 3-11 group for internet addiction is those who use
the internet for the social support features. Today these social networking sites
(SNS) have increased in number, for example Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat,
Twitter, interactive games, and other online messaging sites, and all of these SNS
mentioned are available free of charge on the Smartphone today.

A lot of studies that have been undertaken on this topic have examined the
‘mobile phone’, however the current study will investigate the use of smartphones
in particular, specifically due to the internet based activity of the Smartphone.
Therefore, it is important to distinguish between mobile phones and
smartphones. Mobile phones do not contain these internet based applications.
The current study is therefore predicting that if mobile phones were creating
addictive habits for the user, that the smartphone will have similar if not worse
outcomes. Thorsteinsson & Page (2014) looked at the emotional attachments that
smartphone users have towards their device and found that all participants
displayed emotional attachments, even the brand of the smartphone played a
part in the emotional attachment and social implications of the attachment.

The Internet and SNS are two prime accessories of the smartphone today, which
allow its users to disengage from the demands of ‘face to face’ communication
(Reid & Reid, 2007), therefore addictive usage predicts problems with socialising.
As discussed previously, the internet provides benefits in its user’s day to day life,
however problematic usage has previously shown to have an effect on
psychological well-being. The reason the internet is being considered is because
these internet-based applications are the primary base of usage of the
smartphone, therefore the two come hand in hand. The smartphone provides its
users with ‘internet-based communication, business trading, education,
entertainment media, and even clinical applications’ (Choi et al., 2014). In 2012,
Choi et al., (2014) reported that there were over 1.08 billion global users. 3-12

Self-Esteem
According to Robinson, Shaver, & Wrightsman, (1991), Self-Esteem has been
defined as the extent of which a person values, approves and likes oneself and the
concept of self-esteem has been described in a number of ways such as self-
worth, self-respect and self-acceptance. Rosenberg (1965) believes that self-
esteem in young people is greatly associated with their peer relationship,
particularly with those who link their self-worth with the approval of others. The
advancement of mobile technology allows Internet access through smartphones.
The fact that the smartphone allows its users to access these social networking
sites at any given time or place, makes it very probable that self-esteem will be
affected (Hong, Chiu, & Huang, 2012).

Valkenburg, Peter, and Schouten (2006) investigated friend networking sites, well-
being and self-esteem and found that the frequency with which adolescents use
social networking sites has an influence on their social self-esteem and well-being.
Some of the antecedents of self-esteem and well-being including peer
involvement and feedback on the self are more likely to occur on social
networking sites rather than on other features of the internet.

Niemz, Griffiths, & Banyard, (2005) researched internet addiction amongst a

sample of students across the United Kingdom and found correlations with high
internet use and low self-esteem. They believed that because of their lack of
confidence or shyness, they use the internet as an alternative form of
communicating, as it allows them to open up and gain confidence without
engaging in face to face communication. Similarly Vogel et al, (2014) found that
those who reported a higher use of SNS such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
etc. had lower levels of self-esteem. However, a study in 2002 showed conflicting
results which found that Internet use caused a significant increase in self-esteem
and perceived social support and even decreased levels of loneliness (Shaw &
Gant, 2002). These conflicting results suggest a need for further research. If a
person is gaining higher self-3-13 esteem and perceived social support by using
the internet and Smartphone for SNS, on-line dating applications and more, it is
very likely that they are going to repeat this behaviour, which could lead to
problematic usage. Furthermore, if a person is experiencing low self-esteem, they
may use the internet as a distraction (Young, K. S. 1999). The current study aims to
investigate the relationship between self-esteem and smartphone addiction.

Social Anxiety
‘Anxiety is a cognitive and affective response characterized by apprehension about
an impending, potentially negative outcome that one thinks one is unable to
avert’, (Schlenker & Leary, 1982). Social Anxiety is one of the many forms of
Anxiety, and be defined as anxiety resulting from the potential or presence of
personal evaluation or judgement in real or imagined situations (Schlenker &
Leary, 1982). Those who experience severe Social Anxiety tend to withdraw
themselves from social situations and into isolation (Leary, 1983). Research has
shown that isolated and anxious individuals thrive from online interaction (Yen et
al., 2012).

Interacting online has been shown to be a useful tool for those individuals
experiencing social anxiety, because they do not have to engage in face-to-face
communication (Reid & Reid, 2007; Yen et al., 2012). Valkenburg & Peter, (2009)
proposed that individuals who suffer from Social Anxiety often prefer the online
settings available on social networking sites because it allows them to control
message construction and be prepared for interaction ahead of time. However, it
has been shown that this group of individuals are likely to develop problematic or
addictive Internet use, (Caplan, 2002) which cited that the cognitive behavioural
model of problematic internet usage (Davis, 2001) suggests that those who suffer
from psychosocial problems are very likely to develop problematic internet usage.

Caplan, (2007) investigated the relationship between Loneliness, Social Anxiety

and Problematic Internet use, and found that social anxiety is the ‘confounding
variable’ that lies 3-14 between the two and thus provides preference for online
social interaction, leading to problematic use of the internet. Furthermore, Reid &
Reid, (2007) found that individuals experiencing social anxiety would use texting
as their intimate form of contact over phone calls or face-to-face communication.
These results suggest that social anxiety would encourage higher and possibly
problematic smartphone use and higher Internet use. Problematic Internet use
and smartphone use come hand in hand in this context as they are both using
internet based applications as communication tools and disregard interpersonal
interaction (Takao et al., 2009).

As shown previously in the eir Connected Survey in Ireland 2015, the number of
smartphone users has increased dramatically in the past few years. And as cited in
Lee, Chang, Lin, & Cheng, (2014), 83% of Smartphone users use the device for
communication, therefore it is feasible to predict that people with high levels of
Social Anxiety will display high levels of smartphone Addiction. The current study
 will investigate the relationship between Social Anxiety and smartphone
Addiction.

GENERAL HEALTH
Health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is "a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity."This definition has been subject to controversy, as it
may have limited value for implementation. Health may be defined as the
ability to adapt and manage physical, mental and social challenges
throughout life.

Generally, the context in which an individual lives is of great importance for both
his health status and quality of their life It is increasingly recognized that health is
maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application
of health science, but also through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of
the individual and society. According to the World Health Organization, the main
determinants of health include the social and economic environment, the physical
environment and the person's individual characteristics and behaviors.
More specifically, key factors that have been found to influence whether people
are healthy or unhealthy include the following:

 Income and social status

 Social support networks

 Education and literacy

 Employment/working conditions

 Social environments

 Physical environments
 Personal health practice

 Healthy child development

 Biology and genetics

 Health care services

 Gender
An increasing number of studies and reports from different organizations and
contexts examine the linkages between health and different factors, including
lifestyles, environments, health care organization and health policy, one specific
health policy brought into many countries in recent years was the introduction of
the sugar tax. Beverage taxes came into light with increasing concerns about
obesity, particularly among youth. Sugar-sweetened beverages have become a
target of anti-obesity initiatives with increasing evidence of their link to obesity.–
such as the 1974 Lalonde report from Canada; the Alameda County Study in
California; and the series of World Health Reports of the World Health
Organization, which focuses on global health issues including access to health care
and improving public health outcomes, especially in developing countries.
The concept of the "health field," as distinct from medical care, emerged from the
Lalonde report from Canada. The report identified three interdependent fields as
key determinants of an individual's health. These are:

 Lifestyle: the aggregation of personal decisions (i.e., over which the

individual has control) that can be said to contribute to, or cause, illness or
death;

 Environmental: all matters related to health external to the human body

and over which the individual has little or no control;

 Biomedical: all aspects of health, physical and mental, developed within the
human body as influenced by genetic make-up.
The maintenance and promotion of health is achieved through different
combination of physical, mental, and social well-being, together sometimes
referred to as the "health triangle." The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Health
Promotion further stated that health is not just a state, but also "a resource for
everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing
social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities."
Focusing more on lifestyle issues and their relationships with functional health,
data from the Alameda County Study suggested that people can improve their
health via exercise, enough sleep, maintaining a healthy body weight,
limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking. Health and illness can co-exist, as even
people with multiple chronic diseases or terminal illnesses can consider
themselves healthy.
The environment is often cited as an important factor influencing the health status
of individuals. This includes characteristics of the natural environment, the built
environment and the social environment. Factors such as clean water and air,
adequate housing, and safe communities and roads all have been found to
contribute to good health, especially to the health of infants and children. Some
studies have shown that a lack of neighborhood recreational spaces including
natural environment leads to lower levels of personal satisfaction and higher
levels of obesity, linked to lower overall health and well being. This suggests that
the positive health benefits of natural space in urban neighborhoods should be
taken into account in public policy and land use.
Genetics, or inherited traits from parents, also play a role in determining the
health status of individuals and populations. This can encompass both
the predisposition to certain diseases and health conditions, as well as the habits
and behaviors individuals develop through the lifestyle of their families. For
example, genetics may play a role in the manner in which people cope with stress,
either mental, emotional or physical. For example, obesity is a significant problem
in the United States that contributes to bad mental health and causes stress in the
lives of great numbers of people. (One difficulty is the issue raised by
the debate over the relative strengths of genetics and other factors; interactions
between genetics and environment may be of particular importance).

Sleep quality
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recently released the key indicators of good
sleep quality, as established by a panel of experts.
Given the precipitous increase in the use of sleep technology devices, the key
findings are timely and relevant. This information complements the data these
devices provide, helping millions of consumers interpret their sleep patterns. The
report comes as the first step in NSF’s effort to spearhead defining the key
indicators of good sleep quality. The key determinants of quality sleep are
included in a report published in Sleep Health. They include:

 Sleeping more time while in bed (at least 85 percent of the total time)

 Falling asleep in 30 minutes or less

 Waking up no more than once per night; and

 Being awake for 20 minutes or less after initially falling asleep.

Multiple rounds of consensus voting on the determinants led to the key findings,
which have since been endorsed by the American Association of Anatomists,
American Academy of Neurology, American Physiological Society, Gerontological
Society of America, Human Anatomy and Physiology Society, Society for Research
on Biological Rhythms, Society for Research of Human Development, and Society
for Women’s Health Research.

Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, DABSM, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NSF
stated, “Millions of Americans are sleep technology users. These devices provide a
glimpse into one’s sleep universe, which is otherwise unknown. The National
Sleep Foundation’s guidelines on sleep duration, and now quality, make sense of it
all—providing consumers with the resources needed to understand their sleep.
These efforts help to make sleep science and technology more accessible to the
general public that is eager to learn more about its health in bold new ways.”

Good sleep is commonly associated with good health and a sense of well being.
Measures of overall functional status have been known to be significantly
correlated with both subjective and objective measures of daytime sleepiness.
Other studies have shown that sleep disordered breathing is associated with
lower general health status, with appropriate controls for body mass index, age,
smoking status, and a history of cardiovascular conditions. Even very mild degrees
of sleep disordered breathing have been shown to be associated with subjective
decrements in measures of health status which are comparable to those
individuals with chronic disease such as diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension

Review of literature
Smartphone addiction vs social anxiety
New UK research has identified some of the personality traits that could lead to
smartphone addiction, finding that those who are more emotionally unstable are
more likely to be hooked on their phone.

Carried out by psychologists from the University of Derby and Nottingham Trent
University, the online study surveyed 640 smartphone users aged 13-69 to look at
a possible link between smartphone use and certain personality traits.

The team found that those who were less emotionally stable and resilient were
more likely have a higher level of smartphone use, possibly as a form of therapy.

“This is because people may be experiencing problems in their lives such as stress,
anxiety, depression, family problems, so in that state they are emotionally
unstable, meaning they may seek respite in very excessive smartphone use. This is
worrying,” said Dr Zaheer Hussain, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of
Derby.

“With 4.23 billion smartphones being used around the world, smartphone use has
become a necessity in the lives of many individuals,” said Dr Hussain. “Problematic
smartphone use is more complex than previously thought and our research has
highlighted the interplay of various psychological factors in the study of
smartphone use.”

The responses also showed that the most popular smartphone applications
among the participants were social networking applications (used by 49.9%),
followed by instant messaging applications (35.2%), and then music applications
(19.1%).

People who are “closed off” or less open with their emotions are also more likely
to have problems with smartphone use according to the findings, with Dr Hussain,
commenting that, “They may be engaging in passive social network use, this is
where you spend a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, browsing other
peoples' comments, pictures and posts, and not posting anything of your own and
not engaging in discussion with others, so there is no real positive social
interaction while social networking.”

“While it can be argued that people are no more addicted to their smartphones
than alcoholics are addicted to bottles, our research does show that some
applications such as the use of social networking sites, do appear to be
problematic for a small minority of individuals,” added Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor
of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University. — AFP Relaxnews.

Smartphone addiction vs general health

There is some evidence supporting the claim that excessive mobile phone use can
cause or worsen health problems.

Germs are everywhere, and considering the number of times people interact with
their cellphone under different circumstances and places, germs are very likely to
transfer from one place to another. Research from the London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine at Queen Mary in 2011 indicated that one in six cell phones is
contaminated with fecal matter. Under further inspection, some of the phones
with the fecal matter were also harboring lethal bacteria such as E. coli, which can
result in fever, vomiting, and diarrhea.

According to the article Mobile Phones and Nosocomial Infections, written by

researchers at Mansoura University of Egypt, it states that the risk of transmitting
the bacteria by the medical staff (who carry their cellphones during their shift) is
much higher because cellphones act as a reservoir where the bacteria can thrive.
Cancer, specifically brain cancer, and its correlation with phone use, is under
ongoing investigation. Many variables affect the likelihood of hosting cancerous
cells, including how long and how frequently people use their phones. There has
been no definitive evidence linking cancer and phone use if used moderately, but
the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health
Organization said in 2011 that radio frequency is a possible human carcinogen,
based on heavy usage increasing the risk of developing glioma tumors. Although a
relationship has not been fully established, research is continuing based on leads
from changing patterns of mobile phone use over time and habits of phone
users. Low level radio frequency radiation has also been confirmed as a promoter
of tumors in mice. Minor acute immediate effects of radio frequency exposure
have long been known such as the Microwave auditory effect which was
discovered in 1962.

Studies show that users often associate using a mobile phone with headaches,
impaired memory and concentration, fatigue, dizziness and disturbed sleep. There
are also concerns that some people may develop electrosensitivity from excessive
exposure to electromagnetic fields, although these symptoms may be primarily
psychological in origin due to the nocebo effect.

Using a cell phone before bed can cause insomnia according to a study by
scientists from the Karolinska Institute and Uppsala University in Sweden and
from Wayne State University in Michigan. The study showed that this is due to the
radiation received by the user as stated, "The study indicates that during
laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals, components of sleep believed to
be important for recovery from daily wear and tear are adversely affected."
Additional adverse health effects attributable to smartphone usage include a
diminished quantity and quality of sleep due to an inhibited secretion of
melatonin.

In 2014, 58% of World Health Organization states advised the general population
to reduce radio frequency exposure below heating guidelines. The most common
advice is to use hands-free kits (69%), to reduce call time (44%), use text
messaging (36%), avoid calling with low signals (24%) or use phones with
low specific absorption rate (SAR) (22%). In 2015 Taiwan banned toddlers under
the age of two from using mobile phones or any similar electronic devices, and
France banned WiFi from toddlers' nurseries.

As the market increases to grow, more light is being shed upon the accompanying
behavioral health issues and how mobile phones can be problematic. Mobile
phones continue to become increasingly multifunctional and sophisticated, which
this in turn worsens the problem.

According to optician Andy Hepworth, blue violet light, a light that is transmitted
from the cell phone into the eye is potentially hazardous and can be "toxic" to the
back of the eye. He states that an over exposure to blue violet light can lead to a
greater risk of macular degeneration which is a leading cause of blindness.

Smartphone addiction vs sleep quality

It has been reported that problematic Internet use may affect sleep quality, due to
reducing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, slow-wave sleep, and sleep efficiency,
or suppressing onset time of melatonin secretion and delay in the beginning of
sleep due to the bright light of a computer screen at midnights. The relationship
between poor sleep and problematic new medias and technologies such as
smartphones are suggested as follows. 1) Displace of smartphones and internet-
based technologies instead of regular sleep; 2) Noxious cognitive, emotional or
physiological effects of using smartphones and internet-based technologies; 3)
Light emission from the screen of mentioned devices may affect sleep quality; and
4) Using mobile and generally, internet-based technologies in the bedroom may
disturb sleep quality by means of microwaves and also, receiving messages may
awake users at night. In this regard, it is reported that the adverse effect of
electromagnetic fields released by smartphones on sleep quality through
electroencephalograms. Information and communication electronic devices
interfere with chronotype or circadian clock by emitting bright light by delay this
endogenous clock and causes sleep disturbance. There was an inverse relation
between Smartphone ownership and sleep duration and also positive correlation
with sleep difficulties. Also, there is a positive relation between eveningness
preference and internet addiction and positive correlation between morning
persons and traditional media users. Sleep quality had showed that has similar
effects on Internet and smartphone users because in both groups, users are
exposed to bright light of the screens or electromagnetic radiations. Similarly, it is
reported that using smartphones may affect physiological factors on brain activity
such as sleep quality and the melatonin rhythm, particularly that of the pineal
gland; it may also result in altered cerebral blood flow and brain electrical activity
through electromagnetic field exposure in the evenings. Moreover, it is reported
that long-term use of mobile devices may lead to physical discomfort, such as
muscle pain and headaches, which can adverse effects on sleep quality. There was
a relation between gender and sleep quality in smartphone users. In this regard, it
was reported that number of male users with poor sleep quality was more than
good sleep quality. Also, number of sleep latency was higher in smartphone users
but there was no relation between smartphone owners and sleep disturbance .
Exposure to electronic devices had adverse effects on sleep duration, sleep onset
and sleep efficiency. Checking the smartphone is informative and a sign of
addiction that can be done repeatedly and is affected by sleep quality because this
habit activates reward centers. Medical students use smartphone because of its
apps and this affects their sleep quality by increasing depletion in the next
morning and this had adverse effects on daily work quality.

In addition, sleep disturbance and stress has disadvantageous for physical and
psychological health and performance, such as obesity and lower school grades

Smartphone addiction vs self esteem

In a study which was published in the Emotion journal, psychologists from San
Diego State University and the University of Georgia displayed records which
suggested that the teenagers in the US have showed a steep decline in happiness
and low self- esteem since the year 2012.

And they seem to be linking it to the rising use of technology and the position it
has taken in our lives. The introduction of smartphones in the US market and its
entry into a common man’s life in the year 2007 seems to have caused this.
 Introduced in America in the year 2007, people were seen embracing
smartphones unlike anything. And five years down the line, i.e., by 2012, almost
half of the US teens owned a smartphone. Infact the craze for smartphones rose
to such an extent over the coming years that by 2016, almost two third of the
teens had an iPhone in their pockets.

Even though India was late to the party, it witnessed a similar surge in smartphone
acceptability, primarily from the teens

METHODOLOGY
 Participants and procedure
The sample consisted of 70 people (35 males and 35 females) between the age
group of 35-50 year. They were selected randomly. Participants volunteered to
complete the test and each one administered the test individually.

 Measures

 Smartphone addiction scale

 General health questionnaire (12 items scale)
 The interaction anxiousness scale (Leary 1983)
 Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale
 Sleep quality scale
Results
Correlation of males
Correlation of females
T-ratio
 Results and discussion

 There is a significant and negative correlation among smartphone addiction

and self-esteem which means if smartphone addiction is high self-esteem
will be low both among males and females.
 There is a significant correlation in smartphone addiction and social anxiety
which means if smartphone addiction is high social anxiety will also be high
both among males and females.
 There is a significant and negative correlation in smartphone addiction and
general health both among males and females. Which means if smartphone
addiction is high general health will be low
 There is a significant and negative correlation in smartphone addiction and
sleep quality both among males and females. Which means if smartphone
addiction is high sleep quality will be low.
 The t-ratio shows significant difference between males and females on all
the variables Smartphone addiction, Social anxiety, Self esteem, Sleep
quality and General health.
 The average of smartphone addiction scores of females is much higher than
that of males

Conclusions
It can be concluded that females are more addicted to smartphone than
males also females are more socially anxious than males. Males are high on
self-esteem than females. Smartphone addiction affects self-esteem, social
anxiety, general health and sleep quality.

Implications

One of the main limitations of this study was that it relied on the honesty
and integrity of the participants. The researcher believes that some people
can be less open when providing personal information online, as they
cannot see where it is going. For that reason, if the study was to be
replicated or furthered, the researcher would have the participants 6-32
complete the surveys in writing and put theirs in a sealed box anonymously.
This would not be necessary for all types of studies, however the researcher
feels that some of the questions on the questionnaires used were very
personal. For example Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale item two ‘at times, I
feel no good at all’ or item 6 ‘I certainly feel useless at times’.
The age group is kept controlled between 35-50 years.

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