Payal Kanwar Chandel, Ritu Sharma and Pramjeet Singh
Central University of Haryana
Pages:114-121
The connectivity and portability of smartphones have made them indispensable
personal tools that assist us in almost every aspect of our lives. The enormous benefits
of smartphones cannot obscure the fact that their excessive use and maladaptive
practices related to them have significant financial, physical, psychological, and societal
repercussions. This study investigated the frequency and usage patterns of smartphone
users while performing routine activities by administering a self-designed questionnaire
to 1009 university-going emerging adults (392 males and 617 females). The findings
revealed that the vast majority of participants are engaged in maladaptive behaviours
associated with smartphone usage, including an incessant need to have their phones
within reach at all times, even when involved in routine activities, and having a hard
time going a day without using them. As a result of the user’s propensity for maladaptive
behaviours, smartphone use has developed into a psychological dependency for them.
This study not only encourages further research in this area but will also contribute to
making smartphone usage more sensible through the collaborative efforts of users,
tech firms, society, and concerned authorities