Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Laura L. Rolen
Keywords
smartphone, cellphone, mental health, physical health, social health, addiction, socialization, anti-social behavior, social avoidance, eye contact, phubbing, mixed method, qualitative, quantitative
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Massie, Clifford C F Jr., "Smartphone Addiction and Issues Associated with It" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8222.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8222
Abstract
The focus of this research is the possible addiction to smartphones and the effects on mental, physical, and social health. Smartphones are one of the most commonly used devices in the world today with billions of people in the world having them. People of all ages have formed a connection to and dependence on these devices and use them multiple times daily. People obsess over these devices daily by checking them or just touching their pocket to ensure they are still there. This could be considered a form of addiction. This study aimed to look at the connection to these devices and the effects they have on their users. This study utilized an assessment of phubbing or social health. The phubbing scale discusses smartphone addiction and correlates with use comparable to the demographic of sex. This was a mixed-method design with quantitative questionnaires leading to a second round of a qualitative interview. Data was processed in a correlational analysis in an explanatory sequential design. It was anticipated that findings would provide further insight into how these devices affect people and how people feel about these devices. The expectation was that there would be negative correlation between perceived social skills and hours of usage. The findings showed an increase in smartphone usage with the users reporting good social skills. There were also themes found of reported addiction to the devices, a “love hate” relationship with their smartphones, and a concern of these devices listening to the users. One implication of this study would be showing a trend toward increased smartphone use per day.
