The role of self-esteem and loneliness in problematic smartphone use: gender differences
Abstract
This study examined the relationships among self-esteem, loneliness and problematic smartphone use. The sample was non-probabilistic and consisted of 202 participants (106 male and 96 female), ranging in age from 18 to 58 years, who completed the following tests: Smartphone Addiction Scale, Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, bivariate correlation analysis and two hierarchical multiple regression models were calculated. The results showed difference among male and female about problematic smartphone use. In addition, differences based on gender were also found in the relationships between the variables. Regression analysis showed that, among women, self-esteem and social loneliness are negative predictors of problematic smartphone use, while romantic loneliness is a positive predictor. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the causes of problematic smartphone use.
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