Smartphone Addiction and Mental Health: A Cross Sectional Comparative Study on Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Self-Esteem and Satisfaction with Life

Smartphones have penetrated in our lives and has interwoven itself so tightly that it is difficult to envisage a life without it. Even though it has advantages, this technology has a negative side too. Addiction to this device can occur and it is called smartphone addiction. This addiction has many negative consequences which needs to be focused upon. The purpose of the present study was to assess the level of smartphone addiction among university students and to explore depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem and satisfaction with life in students with high smartphone addiction and in students with low smartphone addiction. For this purpose, a cross sectional comparative study was carried out. Total sample comprised 120 undergraduate students of age group 18-21 years of Delhi NCR. In phase I, 30 students with low smartphone addiction and 30 students with high smartphone addiction were identified. In phase II, these students were compared on depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem and satisfaction with life. Independent Sample t test was used and the results revealed that there was significant difference among students with low smartphone addiction and students with high smartphone addiction on depression, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem. No significant difference was found among students with low smartphone addiction and students with high smartphone addiction on Satisfaction with life.