Smartphone Dependency and Its Effects on Social Interaction: A Study of Youth Behavior in Digital Society

Abstract

The speedy adoption of mobile phones has revolutionized the means of communication and social interaction especially amongst youths. In this study, smartphone dependency and its impact on face-to-face social interactions, interpersonal relations, and social wellbeing are investigated. A cross-sectional study was carried out using 620 university students within the age bracket 18-25 years from 4 universities. The data used were obtained from the structured questionnaire and Smartphone Addiction Scale. Social interaction was assessed on three fronts; Family communication, Peer interaction, and Community involvement. Findings reveal that 58.4% of the participants showed moderate to high levels of smartphone dependency where they spent an average of 5.7 hours a day on the phone. Social networking and instant messaging applications formed 71.2% of the usage time. The correlation analysis indicated a highly significant negative correlation between smartphone dependency and the quality of face-to-face interactions (r = -0.63, p < 0.01). The participants with high dependency had 44% less frequent family discussions and 38% less participation in group activities than those with low dependency.Qualitative interviews conducted with 24 subjects revealed experiences of social anxiety, lack of empathy, and preference for online engagement rather than offline engagement. The regression test revealed that smartphone dependency predicted 36.8% of the variance in social isolation. In conclusion, it can be seen that over-reliance on smartphones has a negative impact on social connections in the real world. It is recommended to have initiatives such as digital literacy and media ethics courses as well as campus policy regarding smartphones.