A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMARTPHONE ADDICTION AND DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND SOCIAL APPEARANCE ANXIETY IN YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of smartphone addiction in young adults, and to investigate the relationship between smartphone use, depression, anxiety, and social appearance anxiety. Materials and Methods: Sociodemographic data form, Smartphone Dependence Scale-Short Form, Beck Depression Inventory for Primary Care-Short Form, Beck Anxiety Scale, and Social Appearance Anxiety Scale were applied face to face in this cross-descriptive study. Results: A total of 259 subjects, 128 (49.4%) female and 131 (50.6%) male, were included in the study. 25.9% of the participants were smartphone addicts. There was a high positive correlation between smartphone usage time and smartphone addiction score. The social appearance anxiety average scores of the social media users (30.8±13.9) were higher than those of subjects who do not use social media (28.8±11.3). Smartphone addiction scale had a positive correlation with anxiety and social appearance anxiety scores, while not with depression. Conclusion: Our results revealed that the purpose of smartphone usage affects people more than smartphone usage or smartphone addiction. The internet, and especially programs related to sharing one’s appearance and lifestyle and applications that create an unrealistic appearance that conforms to virtual norms, can add hard-to-repair prejudices to the mind. This situation should be seen as a threat, especially for the younger generation, and is a new sociological problem worth investigating.